Now he’s adding beer, scotch and bourbon to the list of items for sale in his shop.

The concept isn’t new — barbershops in Toronto and other larger cities have been offering alcohol to customers for years. But this will be the first Guelph barbershop to offer alcoholic drinks to customers, Forbes said.

In Guelph, the Ten Spot beauty bar on Quebec Street became licensed shortly after it opened three years ago. The salon offers wine, cider and champagne to customers looking to get their nails done.

But the idea of serving alcohol and cutting hair is still a foreign concept to some. When asked over the phone if it was licensed to serve alcohol, a receptionist at one Guelph hair studio responded with silence and confusion at the question. “Uh, we’re a salon,” the woman replied.

Modelling after the barbershops of yesterday

Toronto barbershop Rod, Gun and Barbers has been cutting hair and serving drinks for the past three years. Owner Jeff James says the addition of alcohol helps bring barbershops back to what they used to be: “a place to meet up and talk, a parliament.”

He describes his shop as a “men’s club,” a modern version of the barbershops of yesterday. Designed as an old rod and gun club, his shop offers a full bar, with bands performing on weekends.

Traditionally, barbershops were seen as little community centres, James said, where men would come for hours to meet with friends, play a game of chess, have a few drinks and get their hair cut.

“It’s something that went away for a short period of time. I’m just modelling after what it used to be.”

Although the line can seem a little blurry, James is firm in what his business is all about: “it’s not a bar that cuts hair, it’s a barbershop that serves booze.”

It will be a barbershop first

Forbes has been aiming to build this kind of community hub since he first took over the shop last year. He has a guitar and a ukulele on the wall — not as decorations, but as invitations for someone to pick them up and play them.

“I want people to come hang out and have fun,” he said. “I want it to be really cosy.”

The space will always be a barbershop first, he said, although he jokes that one day he’ll end up scratching off the “bershop” from the sign on his window, leaving “Matthew’s Bar” behind.

The option of a scotch or a local brew will only help foster this community space he envisions.

“For me, that’s what I want out of life: social interactions,” he said.

There are so many stresses in life, be it politics, the economy or whatever. “I want to offer a place where people can come to forget all that stuff.”