Hudson Hawk opens fifth shop

Hudson Hawk Barber & Shop has opened its third location in a little over a year and its fifth since launching in April 2013.

Co-owner Thad Forrester said the latest barbershop, 3348 S. Campbell Ave., opened Oct. 5, about two months after agreeing to a long-term lease for undisclosed terms with Snake River Rentals LLC. Located between a Chipotle and a Taco Bell, the 1,200-square-foot building previously housed disaster preparedness store Just In Case, which Forrester said shut its doors about a month before he signed the lease.

Forrester said the newest property was attractive because it sits at the heavily trafficked intersection of Campbell and Walnut Lawn Street.

“We really like to have the opportunity to have these locations that are right on the road,” he said.

Hudson Hawk barbershops front West Kearney Street, which opened in May, and East Sunshine Street, which opened in September 2014. In addition to the original location, 438 W. McDaniel St., Hudson Hawk leases space in Farmers Park in southeast Springfield.

“Now, we have all of Springfield covered,” Forrester said, noting he and co-owner Paul Catlett have no plans to open additional shops. “The plan right now is to continue to improve our customer experience at the locations we have.”

The latest store adds four barbers, bringing Hudson Hawk’s employee count to around 35. Forrester declined to disclose company revenue.

“We found a need in the market, and we found a pretty good business model to fulfill that,” he said.

At its location downtown, Hudson Hawk relocated in late September to connected space that formerly housed Studio 417, Catlett’s other venture that moved its entire operation to Farmers Park in July. With the move, Hudson Hawk doubled its space to 2,400 square feet, including second-floor office, training and inventory space, Forrester said.

Hudson Hawk, which launched an appointment booking app in August, styled the newest store similar to its others - with hardwood floors and old-school barber chairs.