Roaring Fork Valley barbershop grows but doesn’t get shaggy

A shop that has welcomed any and all looking for a fresh haircut since 1958, The Aspen Barbershop has recently expanded to Carbondale.

Following a number of years, which has seen ownership trade hands seven different times, current owner Eric Montemayor, Sr., purchased the shop in 2017.

A regular at The Aspen Barbershop while living in the area, he said he wanted to get his foot into the door of what he describes as relaxed and diverse. Originally a banker, the 21-year Roaring Fork Valley native decided to take the reins from former owner Greg Casteel.

“Being in banking was very stressful, and being a barber, there is no stress,” Montemayor said. “Each day, I get to walk into one of our three shops, and I get to interact with people with not only different backgrounds, but also different cultures, as well.”

Meeting people from a number of different countries, he said he has shared experiences that he would have missed had he stayed in the banking industry.

“Being in a place like Aspen, where people from all over the world come to visit, I have heard some pretty cool stories during my time as a barber, and I think that is something that I have cherished most about this profession,” he said.

Attending Technical College of the Rockies in 2018 to earn his barber license, Montemayor took off running, becoming not only an owner, but also a full-time barber at The Aspen Barber Shop. Giving a nod to his business partner and fellow barber, Heather Williams, he said he hopes to expand further in the years to come.

“Heather has been such a big factor in helping expand the shop and allowing us to continue to do what we love,” he said. “Because of her, we have the opportunity to continue to expand, and that’s something that we are currently looking into.”

Having already expanded the barbershop to Willits in 2020, Montemayor knows the Carbondale location is only another step in furthering the shop’s success.

“We have seen a lot of overflow at each of our locations in recent years, and that’s why we are confident that we have the opportunity to continue to expand,” he said. “We pride ourselves on delivering the best product for all of our customers and are excited to see what the future holds for this shop.”

After purchasing the shop in 2017, he said he is grateful for the experiences he has had, despite having to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic that forced a number of small businesses to shut down during the two year stretch.

“It was a difficult time for not only the shop, but everyone,” he said. “I lost a number of good barbers, but I am thankful that this shop was able to recover. Since then, I’ve hired around 10 barbers, and I owe them all the successes that this business has had because I have some extremely-talented barbers that work for me.”

With the success that Montemayor has seen, the six-year business owner said he hopes to open five more barber shops across resort towns throughout the Rocky Mountains by 2025.

tcramer@postindependent.com