MB Groomed in Eastwood, South Australia is a space that appeals to people from all walks of life. As you step through the doors, right away you’ll see padded barbershop chairs matched with modern floating mirrors and architectural shelving. What you may not notice are all the sustainable additions built into the barbershop. Solar power, LED lighting, water saving basins and the Sustainable Salons program have all been part of the shop since the very beginning.
Owners Ben and Martin also own MABEhair, one of the first Sustainable Salons in South Australia. From their experience running their first salon and the amazing feedback they got from clients about being sustainable, they knew they wanted to build sustainability into their next project from the ground up.
Martin joined us to chat a little about bringing MB Groomed to life, why sustainability matters and how easy it can be.
Do you feel consumers have an expectation that businesses should be more sustainable?
Absolutely, people are very informed, we live in an age of vast and easily accessible information. Potential clients can easily research and curate their experiences according to what they want, and how it aligns with their lifestyle, ideals and choices. Sustainability is now a sought-after feature within the service industry and is rapidly paralleling the service itself in its importance to the clients.
How easy was it to bring sustainability into the salon?
So simple, as we had already piloted the Sustainable Salons practice at MABEhair we were confident that it would be easy to roll it out at MB Groomed. It really requires such minimal staff training and just a slight shift in mind-set and practice.
How is Sustainable Salons is helping you achieve your goals?
Simplicity and transparency are at the forefront of the Sustainable Salons approach, they truly are the 'Apple' product equivalent of sustainable movements!
A slick packaged and all-encompassing service that makes being truly sustainable so incredibly easy and attainable. And they provide amazing training, education, information and support. Other industries should really take heed and be following this approach and the world would most truly be a happier, healthier one.
How did you find the process of bringing MB Groomed to life? Was it fun, stressful?
As with any renovation project we would say all of the above! Designing a curated space for guests is always fun and challenging in equal measure, especially when applying the sustainability and low impact mind-set to sourcing materials and services throughout the fit out of MB Groomed.
How important is Sustainable Salons to you and why?
Being sustainable and conscious just ticks all the boxes for us, we feel duty bound to conduct our businesses in this manner and consider it to be the rule and not the exception. We also love the partnership with OzHarvest, and Sustainable Salon’s commitment to researching and developing sustainable products and strategies for recycling and repurposing. They also have an amazing rewards program also which assists us with the purchase of sustainable consumables using a points system, it’s awesome!
What do you hope to provide for your clients as MB evolves?
We hope to continue improving our guest service experience in the unique environment we have curated, to show the evolved aesthetic that a barber business can have, and to train our staff and move even further into being the most sustainable and conscious mindful businesses we can be.
It’s clear that the future lies in sustainability, and Martin and Ben are at the forefront of the green movement. Thank you Martin for taking the time to tell us about your barbershop and what being sustainable means to you and your clients!
