Miami alumnus opens old-fashioned barbershop in Uptown Oxford

By Alison Perelman, Assistant Culture Editor

A familiar name and face has come back to town - Miami alumnus Keith Weiser returned to Oxford to open a new barbershop Uptown.

This will be Weiser's second shop, with the first located in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bowtie Barber Club has only been open 10 months, but business is booming. Weiser is hopeful about the success of his new shop and is glad to be back in Oxford.

"Every time I come up here I feel like I'm at home, and that's a good feeling to have now that I'm opening a business," Weiser said.

He has always called Oxford his home, especially when he attended Miami to play baseball. Weiser had received 32 Division I offers, but chose Miami so his parents could watch him play. And they never missed a game.

Weiser knew Miami would offer him a quality education, but never imagined the other opportunities he would receive.

"I have some of the best memories playing here, and then some of the best friendships that I've had in my life [came] from Miami," said Weiser.

One of Weiser's best baseball stories is of when the team won the MAC championship - the last time Miami's team did.

"It was cool to be on that team," said Weiser. "I've never been on a team with such good chemistry and guys getting along."

After only three years of playing for Miami, Weiser was given the opportunity to move up to professional baseball. He was drafted during his junior year by the Colorado Rockies.

"It's kind of what I dreamed of from the beginning. Ya know, every little kid dreams of doing that," Weiser said. "And it was everything that I thought it would be, everything that I wanted it to be. And I got to go and do so many cool things and meet so many cool people and see all these crazy, different places."

Weiser owes his success in baseball to his father, Tom Weiser, who coached him since he started playing tee-ball at the age of 5.

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His father built a baseball field in their backyard and held practice almost every day. Practices weren't mandatory, but each team member showed up anyway.

The team only lost six games in five years, and won five straight City Championships.

"So it paid off," said his father with a chuckle, speaking of his coaching methods.

But a baseball career can't last forever and Weiser started looking to settle down into a more normal lifestyle after eight years with the Rockies.

His mother worried about what he was going to do; after baseball he was a little lost. He thought he wanted to be an athletic director, but was burned out on sports. Then the idea of the barbershop fell into his lap.

Weiser visited a friend's barbershop and loved the experience. The owner suggested he open his own, so he did.

"I was probably more thrilled because I knew he had found another niche that was gonna make him happy," said Patty Weiser, his mother.

There are pictures - even one of a young Weiser himself getting a haircut - hanging on the walls of the Bowtie Barber Club in Nashville, Tennessee and there will be copies in Oxford, too.

The pictures add to the nostalgic aspect of the shop, which mixes features from several eras to form a classic theme. The barbers will wear classy dress - black and white with bowties. Music from the 1950s will play overhead and it will feel like a 1920s speakeasy, especially because of the members' lounge.

The private members' room will include couches, a dart board, refreshments - things to make it a fun place to hang out or study.

Along with access to the lounge, members will also get five dollars off haircuts and 10 percent off retail products for only $10 a month.

The social aspect isn't just for members, though. Weiser wants his shop to be a place where everyone - students, professors, staff, Oxford locals - can come to hang out, like in the old days.

"I truly feel that [in] this day and age people are wanting to go back to the way things used to be and slow things down a bit," Weiser said.

While the Bowtie Barber Club fits into Uptown Oxford as a small business, it offers a completely new experience.

Every haircut comes with a hot lather on the neck with a straight razor shave and a hot towel on the face with essential oils - a nice way for men to relax.

Weiser wants his customers to enjoy their unique experience and leave feeling good about themselves with a smile on their face.

"I think it's something that Miami needs," said Weiser.

The grand opening of the Bowtie Barber Club, located above Steinkeller, is scheduled for Friday, April 1. Free food and drinks will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.