The $16 haircut that people in San Francisco line up for at 7 a.m.

Rick's opened in 1994 and although the price of a basic cut has doubled from $8 to $16, not much else has changed.



Rick's opened in 1994 and although the price of a basic cut has doubled from $8 to $16, not much else has changed. Photo: Dan Gentile / SFGate Photo: Dan Gentile / SFGate Image 1 of / 19 Caption Close The $16 haircut that people in San Francisco line up for at 7 a.m. 1 / 19 Back to Gallery

Good luck trying to call Rick's Barbershop to make an appointment – they're so busy they disconnected the phone line.

On Friday and Saturday mornings, customers start lining up outside the old school Richmond District institution an hour before it opens at 8 a.m. The record was 18 people; some even bring folding chairs. One loyal regular comes twice a month, straight from his graveyard shift that ends at 6 a.m.

Rick's (5349 Geary Blvd) opened in 1994, and although the price of a basic cut has doubled from $8 to $16, not much else has changed. A traditional red and blue pole hangs on the wall outside, with the slogan, "Look Better, Feel Better." When asked the square footage, 41-year-old owner Jervien Velasco measures the tiny space by counting the ceiling tiles (11x12). There's almost nothing on the white walls except a fading sign that lists the prices. The two barber chairs are both older than Velasco. By now, the stainless steel armrests look, well, a little stained, but the patina just adds to the charm.

"We keep it pure and simple. An old-fashioned barbershop," says Velasco, a fourth-generation barber who recently took over the business from his uncle, Ceasar. Ceasar inherited it from his brother Rick. The family basically has a monopoly on haircuts in the neighborhood; another Velasco brother runs a slightly larger shop down the street called Dick's International.

"I think it's in our blood to be a barber," says Ceasar, who's almost ready to retire at 66 years old.

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Despite his lineage, Jervien never planned to work as a barber. He immigrated from the Philippines at 18, then bounced between odd jobs as a city tour guide and a server at the Marriott before entering the family business.

"I thought I wouldn't like it, but I meet different people every single day. I fell in love with it," says Jervien. "My favorite thing is just talking to people."

Ceasar feels the same.

"My favorite thing isn't cutting hair, it's years and years and years of knowing my customers," says Ceasar. "I'm entertained by my customers. I can chat with any kind of age, from young to old, on all different kinds of topics. Everything. Good, bad, their problems. It's all here."

Granted some customers do treat Ceasar and Jervien as discount therapists, but the main draw is the cheap, quick cuts. Most customers are done in under 20 minutes (not counting the wait, which can be 45 minutes even on a Tuesday afternoon). Like most old-school barber shops, customers know the lingo and ask for a variety of classic tapers and fades, but styles are always changing.

"Every year, it's a different style. 1992, it was just a regular haircut. Then it was a mullet, undercut, spikey, flat top, crew cut, you learn all of those," says Ceasar.

"Now it's skin fades for the teenagers. Line ups, faux-hawks," adds Jervien.

More elaborate styles and beard trims cost a few dollars extra, but you'd be hard pressed to find a more straight-forward barbershop in town. They could easily raise the price, but view the affordability as a public service for the neighborhood -- a tidy, professional cut shouldn't have to be a luxury. Although the mentality is decidedly no-nonsense, they do have one trick up their barbers coat sleeves – an electric shoulder massager that they use to wrap up every haircut.

"That's why they line up outside," laughs Jervien.

Dan Gentile is an SFGATE digital editor. Email: dan.gentile@sfgate.com | Twitter:@dannosphere