Chriz didn't grow up in barbershops. He grew up in a basement in Plainfield — one of four brothers, money tight. His mom would throw a black trash bag over their shoulders and run a single guard over everyone. All one level. That was the cut.
Watching his friends walk into school with fresh fades and clean line-ups, he knew he wanted more. For his 15th birthday he asked for one thing: a pair of clippers. His dad picked up a home kit from Walmart — it came with a how-to DVD, so Chriz asked for a DVD player that Christmas just to study it.
He practiced on his brothers, on his dad — who didn't speak to him for a week after one rough cut — and on anyone who'd sit still. The summer before freshman year, a family friend handed him his first real chair in downtown Plainfield. Seventeen years, a half-dozen shops, and one Hurricane Sandy later, he opened his own doors in Middlesex.
Chriz L. · Owner
"I came from nothing — and it can be something. That's what I want my kids, and every young barber in this shop, to see."
— Chriz L., Founder & Owner
The Don's
In Spanish culture, the people who are respected back home — the ones who built something, who own their business, their land — they're called "Don." Don Mike. Don Chris.
Chriz didn't name the shop after himself. He named it for everyone in it. "I want my barbers to be well-known. I want every person who walks in to feel special — to feel welcome." That's the Don's standard.
And the Shave Parlor is the other half of the promise: traditional hot-towel, hot-lather straight-razor shaves, done the old way — comfortable, clean, and finished right.
No vulgar music, no attitude. As a father, Chriz built a shop where a kid, a grandfather, or a first-timer all feel comfortable. Professional image, family feeling.
The shop motto. Nobody knows it all — there's always someone sharper. Keep learning, keep building your own brand, never get content.
Back-to-school giveaways, community days, a neighborhood car show, and a full-day cut-a-thon fundraiser. We show up for Middlesex.
Chriz's grandmother grew up a block from the shop. He spent every Halloween trick-or-treating these streets. Choosing Middlesex wasn't an accident — it's a town where everybody knows everybody, from the school custodian to the chief of police, and everyone gets along.
In just a couple of years, The Don's has run back-to-school giveaways, hosted community days, thrown a car show with the neighbors at Chief's Steak Shop downstairs, and held a full-day cut-a-thon for a friend whose salon was destroyed in the Sandy floods — every dollar donated. We're proud to support our community, including our work with Autism NJ.
Giving Back
"Come by The Don's. It's going to be an amazing experience — not just a haircut, but the vibes you get from everybody. I hope to see you all there." — Chriz
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