Bazooka Charlie’s Barber Co. is just as “Unapologetically American” as its tagline blasts, and the emerging brand is doubly as fierce and intense as Founder Justin Goehring. By Lizzy Yeserski
Bazooka Charlie’s Barber Co. is just as “Unapologetically American” as its tagline blasts, and the emerging brand is doubly as fierce and intense as Founder Justin Goehring.
“My hope is that we are the brand that maybe nobody knows about currently, but when they see us, they say, ‘Oh crap, these guys are coming in my backyard!’ So that’s my competitive nature of how I approach business, but you know, we are really a tip of the hat to the World War II era,” said Goehring.
That nod to the perseverance of the Greatest Generation harkens back to Charles “Bazooka Charlie” Carpenter, a U.S. Army pilot who famously engaged his small aircraft to decimate enemy tanks.
Bazooka Charlie’s Barber Co. has already stormed across Texas, with locations in seven key markets and more in development. However, Goehring is quick not to sugarcoat the sweat equity needed to succeed.
“So many franchisees are looking for a silver bullet franchise that means they could just buy, build and open it, and it just prints money. Bazooka Charlie’s is not like that. We want people who are dedicated to their staffing to pour love into their barbers, stylists, managers and team because that’s their product. It’s not the haircut; it’s the experience, and it’s their team. They are the product.”
While there’s no magic bullet, the brand wields a secret weapon to fire up growth: the multiprong membership program that Goehring created. Paying homage to the military phonetic alphabet, the brand offers Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta monthly memberships that clients can customize based on individual and family needs.
“Memberships are 35% of the business,” Goehring explained, highlighting that there are currently around 2,200 enrollees and counting.
So the question is: What makes now a great time to buy into Bazooka Charlie’s Barber Co.?
“You want to be one of the first ones coming to your town or city,” stressed Goehring. “Now is the time because you don’t want to be the person who says, ‘I looked at that brand, I thought about that brand, and now I see them everywhere.’ This is the brand that’s exciting, it’s different, it’s a wow factor.”
That wow factor caters to all five senses. From its eye-catching website, commanding storefronts and colorful track lights to its aviator leather armchairs, coolers stocked with IPA beer and its signature radio station, Bazooka Charlie’s Barber Co. offers 100% sensory bliss.
Additionally, it launched a high-end product line as another revenue stream.
“The goal in the next 18 months is to have our own facial lines and everything across the board. Right now, we have shampoos, conditioners, beard oils, body washes and a shave line,” Goehring said.
Understanding the long game in scaling is critical for entrepreneurs committed to working on their businesses. For example, Bazooka Charlie’s first franchisees just enlisted for another three-pack from the original three they bought.
“I’m a really big believer in multi-unit because I think that’s how people’s lives get changed,” Goehring said.
In the multibillion-dollar hair industry, that change could be monumental.
Lizzy Yeserski