By Joshua Huff, sports editor
BIRMINGHAM — The Hoover barbershop intent on defying the state order that shuttered non-essential businesses changed its mind on Friday morning after the business was threatened with the loss of its license and customers were told that they would be fined $500 if they entered its doors.
The Male Room, located in the Inverness Corners and Plaza, had announced on Facebook that the full-service barbershop would reopen for business on Friday, April 17, 2020, at 10 a.m. as a result of the financial burden brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
However, on Friday morning, Scott Farr, the president and partner of Ervin, Farr Inc., told reporters that he had spoken with Hoover Rep. Gary Palmer and Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato, who both advised him not to reopen.
“Just wanted to thank everyone for the positive outpouring of support, we have needed the encouragement,” Farr said. “Mayor Brocato and I spoke this morning with congressman Gary Palmer and they gave me assurances that they are going to elevate this to the governor and beyond. Please join us in urging Congress to get back in session and approve the funding so small businesses and workers alike can survive. Part of the agreement we came to this morning with the congressman, the mayor and yesterday with representative Mooney, was that we would not subject our customers or staff to fines or possible license revocation. With that said, we will not be reopening this morning. We apologize if this has inconvenienced anyone, especially those that have come out to support us.”
According to Farr, The Male Room has enough money to keep the business afloat for 30 days.
The Male Room was one of the many businesses forced to close this past March following Gov. Kay Ivey’s announcement that all non-essential businesses would need to close their doors to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
The financial hardships that have followed have placed the barbershop in the untenable position of remaining afloat as its income flow has ceased. The barbershop and its employees have applied for financial relief, Farr said, yet the slow process of receiving those funds have placed The Male Room in a situation where Farr realized that there was not much left for him to do but to reopen the business and generate some sort of income.
“There are programs in the works to provide funds to workers and businesses to offset the lack of income during this crisis,” Farr wrote on Facebook on Thursday. “These programs, though, take time to find their way to those they are intended to help. The Male Room and staff have applied for this relief. And while this relief may eventually find its way to us, we are left with no other choice than to reopen for business now.”
Alabama Lt. Gov. Ainsworth announced during a press conference on Friday that hair salons, nail salons, tattoo parlors and massage parlors should open immediately with certain caveats: by appointment only, employees wear masks and no customers congregate in the waiting rooms.
Ainsworth and state Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, both who helm the newly appointed Small Business Emergency Task Force, outlined several recommendations regarding the reopening of businesses in a report called Reopen Alabama Responsibly.
Those recommendations state that restaurants and small retail stores should reopen immediately under special social distancing guidelines.
“We believe there’s a way to safely open restaurants with limited capacity and proper spacing,” Ainsworth announced during a Friday morning press conference.