After more than half a century in operation, the LSU Student Union Barbershop will close today. The shop along with the Union first opened in 1964.
Lawrence Cutrone, the barbershop’s manager, went to Assistant Vice President of Auxiliary Services Margot Carroll to deliver his resignation, said Communications Coordinator for Auxiliary Services Heather Gulino.
“He decided he was going in a different direction with his life,” Gulino said. “At that point, [Caroll] decided to close the shop down and possibly make it [a] space that can fit more than just the male demographic.”
There are no decisions made concerning what to do with the barbershop’s space, but Gulino said many LSU faculty and staff members expressed an interest in a hair salon for both men and women. The Daily Reveille previously reported the shop was looking to increase diversity in its clients, but budgeting made it difficult for Cutrone to hire new barbers.
Gulino said many LSU ROTC candidates would get haircuts at the shop after registering for classes and were a consistent part of the clientele.
Britton Mapes is a barber in the shop who worked under Cutrone for three years. Now that the shop is closing, Mapes said he’ll follow Cutrone to his next venture — Cutrone’s own barber shop on Jefferson Highway. Remembering his valuable experiences in the shop makes leaving a bit easier.
“I met a lot of people here, a lot of students,” Mapes said. “My time here has been good.”
Mapes and Cutrone attended the same barber school at different times. After the death of a mutual friend and fellow barber, Mapes discovered that Cutrone needed help and came to the shop.
“He’s a great boss, the best,” Mapes said. “I couldn’t ask for someone better to work for.”
Cutrone always had at least one assistant in the shop to help him with clients. Gulino said mornings were especially busy for the shop.
“The shop opens at 8:30 a.m., and you’ll see people there, especially the ROTC candidates,” Gulino said.
The plan is for the space to be closed for a short time, Gulino said. Auxiliary Services is looking into options for making the space as functional as possible for the largest number of students and faculty.
Whatever happens to the space where the shop once stood will be put to good use, she said.
“We’re just hoping that this leads to positive changes,” Gulino said. “Nobody is on negative terms, so it’s very amicable.”
The doors to the LSU Student Union Barbershop will officially close at 4 p.m.
BY JOSHUA JACKSON
Originally posted by The Daily Reveille