SOUTHGATE, Mich. – A beloved Downriver barbershop that’s been part of Lincoln Park for decades is back in business, just weeks after an out-of-control truck destroyed its building.
Sal’s Barbershop, a family-owned staple on Fort Street since 1969, was forced to close in late January when a truck lost control and plowed through the small corner shop.
The damage was so extensive that the owners, brothers Larry and Mark Jesue, had to shut down and start over.
For loyal customers, the closure left more than just an empty storefront.
“Everybody’s almost like family,” one longtime client said, describing Sal’s as much more than a place to get a haircut.
“It’s a gathering spot, you’re continuing a story,” added co-owner Larry Jesue, talking about how regulars come in to catch up on life as much as to sit in the chair.
Client Brandon Cook has been coming to Sal’s since he was a child.
“I’ve been coming here since I was a little kid. I grew up right down the street from the original location,” said Cook.
When the crash shut the doors, customers, young and old, worried about what would come next.
“I was very sad because that was my favorite barbershop to go to,” said younger client A.J. Rosamond.
Mark Jesue remembers being stunned when he saw the wreckage.
“You’ve been turning the key for 25 years at the same corner,” said Jesue. “And never expected that’s how this was going to play out.”
But almost immediately, the community that Sal’s helped build started rallying around the shop.
Neighbors, longtime customers, and even other barbershop owners across Downriver reached out to offer support — including people who didn’t even get their hair cut at Sal’s.
“I really cannot stress enough the community,” Mark said. “People who did not even come to the barbershop, other competition — I don’t even know if I want to call them competition, other friends in the business — they reached out and said, ‘Hey guys, I understand what you’re going through. We’ve got to get you guys back behind chairs, so you guys don’t lose your clients.’”
With that encouragement, Mark and Larry focused on finding a way to keep serving their customers while they sort out the future of their original building.
Sal’s Barbershop is now back open at a temporary location in neighboring Southgate.
The shop is operating on the second floor of the Zodiac Health and Racquet Club at Super Shears.
For Mark, the return to cutting hair, surrounded by familiar faces, has been emotional.
“It’s tough, you know. It’s a big piece of my life,” he said, pausing as he grew emotional. When reminded that he isn’t going through it alone, Mark agreed.
“No, no, sorry,” Mark said, fighting back tears. “And again, that’s what this community has done for us. They brought us back together.”
Customers are already following them to the new space, determined to keep the Sal’s tradition going: more haircuts, more conversations, and more memories.
The future of the original Fort Street building remains uncertain.
The owners say they are still working through insurance issues, and it’s likely the damaged building will be condemned.
For now, they say they’re taking things “day by day,” grateful to be back to work and surrounded by the community that refused to let Sal’s story end with a crash.
Sal’s Barbershop – Temporary Location & Hours
- Location: Second floor of Zodiac Health and Racquet Club, Southgate
- Hours: Open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
- Saturdays 9 a.m. – 2:30pm
The chairs are spinning again, the stories are flowing, and a Downriver institution is writing its next chapter.