Frustrated barbers hit the streets Friday outside The Modern Man boutique on Southeast Hawthorne in Portland as the locally owned chain tries to hold itself together amid allegations that the owners left town with a string of unpaid bills.

The barbershop, normally busy on a sunny Friday, was missing the bulk of its barbers - and with them, its customers - after some quit when they never received their paychecks or their paychecks bounced.

The barbers outside the Hawthorne location say they haven't heard anything in weeks from Chris and Emily Espinoza, the couple that founded Modern Man in 2011. The chain includes five barbershops in Portland, two of which opened this year.

The chain recently landed on Maxim's list of America's best barbershops. "Apparently, the modern man loves local ownership, Burnside Bourbon and a beautifully finished wood paneling," the piece read.

A group of local investors has apparently taken over the chain but the workers say the new owners have given mixed signals, too. Other than a promise that they will eventually get paid, the barbers say they haven't heard much.

"They're not telling us anything," said Sarah Williams, a barber who's worked at Modern Man since October. "I feel like we're all getting the run-around."

Williams said she hasn't received her last two paychecks, and it's been hard for her to make ends meet the last few weeks.

Neither the Espinozas nor the new investors could be reached for comment Friday. The latest post on the News tab of the Modern Man website was published in March, announcing a temporary closure of the chain's Montavilla location. The post cited the birth of the Espinozas' first child as the reason for the closure.

Because the barbers at Modern Man are independent contractors, they can't file a complaint with the state's Bureau of Labor and Industries, like a typical employee could if they're not paid.

Update: State urges barbers to file complaints, says they may be eligible for wage claims

For Williams, issues with the paychecks started May 15, just before she went on vacation. She assumed it would be sorted out by the time she returned this week. But it wasn't.

"I feel like I walked into napalm," she said. "I don't know what's going on."

She said she had heard of coworkers' checks bouncing in the past, although hers never did. In retrospect, she wonders if she should have paid more attention to the chain's problems.

For now, Williams is using a Square reader attached to her smartphone to charge her customers. But this is violates her contract with Modern Man, which requires that she split her income with the barbershop, plus pay a $27 daily chair fee.

If the new owners don't allow her to use her Square reader, and she doesn't receive her paychecks, she'll have to work at another barbershop.

"There's a lot of talent here," she said. "It's not like we don't have other places we can go."

Mike Templeton has the same idea. The barber has been working at the Hawthorne shop since it opened in 2012, and he said he might open a new shop with a few of his fellow Modern Man barbers.

On Friday, Templeton wasn't allowed in the shop because of what he called a disagreement with the shop's new owners.

So even though he was booked full for the day, Templeton spent the day outside the shop, holding a sign that read, "Modern Man can't pay. Won't stay!"

Other barbers joined him, along with members of Portland Solidarity Network, a workers' rights group, to picket in front of the shop.

Templeton estimates he's owed about $1,000 in back pay, and said one of the company's new owners said it wasn't his obligation to make Templeton whole.

"I feel broken, to tell you the truth," Templeton said. "I feel heartbroken that the previous owners let this happen."

Jeramie Armstrong, who worked at the Hawthorne location for 10 months, said Thursday was his last day.

"I'm not going to come to work for people who won't pay me," he said.

He and his girlfriend are behind on their rent because of the bounced checks from Modern Man.

"At this point, I'd rather struggle with no money rather than work for people like this," he said.

-- Anna Marum

amarum@oregonian.com

503-294-5911

@annamarum