True to You: Cutting Ties

Matt and Dale Grinstead threw caution to the wind by leaving stable jobs behind to launch a unique Columbus barbershop concept, and it paid off big time

By Jack McLaughlin / Photos by Sarah Pfeifer / Story Design by Atlas Biro

Be forewarned: The next time you get together for a guys or girls day out, you may end up on an entirely different career path, and with a pair of successful high-end hair salons in your name.

Well, at least that’s how it happened for Dale and Matt Grinstead, the married duo behind Goodfellow’s Tonsorial Parlor, one of the most unique hairdressing and self-care concepts in central Ohio.

The way the Grinsteads tell the story, seven years ago, Matthew was working a management position at a popular hotel chain, and Dale had taken a steady job as a landscape designer for a local company.

By all accounts, the couple led a good life before the idea—which started first with Dale— to open their own tonsorial parlor crept into a corner of their minds and refused to let go.

“I did have a steady job in landscaping but at the time, it wasn't feeling like it fit. Honestly, Matt and I were out to dinner and talked about having a men's spa date, with beard trims, bourbon and cigars,” Dale Grinstead said. “It got me thinking how great it must be to be a barber. You get to have 1-on-1 interactions with another human for 30-plus minutes and provide a service that helps make them feel better about themselves. It's a win win.”

So Dale, shortly after their spa date, floated the idea to his partner.

“He told me, ‘I want to quit my job and open a barbershop in Columbus,” Matt said. “And I told him, ‘What are you talking about?’”

To his credit, Dale did exactly what he sought out to do, and in short time. According to Matt, one month later, Dale had quit his job and enrolled in barber school.

And while this was a big change for the duo, it was only the beginning for the Grinsteads.

After looking at “upward of 30 properties” to house their new salon concept, the duo settled on a historic former home on High Street in the Brewery District. With its wrought-iron gate and ornate, streetfacing pillars, the space had the unique appeal that the pair knew they wanted for their storefront.

There was one small problem, however: It had most recently served as an hourly staffing agency.

“It was terrible inside: Fluorescent lighting, strange ceilings, not at all what it is today,” Matt Grinstead said with a laugh. “Dale did most of the work himself, refurbishing the first floor before working his way up to the others. Lots of hardwood, inviting and warm. He transformed the house back to its original grandeur.”

Today, part of what makes the concept so popular is its unique atmosphere. Guests enter and are immediately transported into an immersive space that seems just as chic as it does timeless.

This return to grandeur wasn’t cheap, though.

“We started a GoFundMe, we maxed out our credit, took out loans, we were rubbing Pennies together to make change,” Matt said, “I remember the weekend we opened, we had mortgages to pay and a total of $197 in our bank account.”

Even though money was tight at first, Goodfellows Tonsorial Parlor thrived. Starting with a staff of only three—Dale, Matt, and a hairdresser who remains with Goodfellows to this day—the concept became known for not only its unique, historic interior, but also its open, social environment. And its liquor license.

Several years ago, the Grinsteads secured a serving license for the premises, allowing patrons to enjoy a pour of whiskey or bourbon, a craft beer or wine, or even a premade cocktail while inside.

Throughout the more than six and a half years the concept has operated, it has also grown to embrace its role as a unique and welcoming social space. Today, Goodfellows offers massage therapy, in addition to a fully functional event space. This area hosts bridal showers and a handful of other event types, but the space also caters to parties of groomsmen as well, tapping into what the Grinsteads say is an under-represented service, and one that recalls Goodfellow’s own origin story.

While this does nod to the concept’s beginnings, there’s a whole lot of new on the horizon as well.

Not only was Matt featured on the most recent season of “Survivor,” but Goodfellows quietly opened a brand-new parlor in White Salmon, Washington, boasting a chic cabin-inspired interior, plus breathtaking front-door views of Mr. Hood.

“We were originally looking to open a new location in Granville, but then my mother-in-law [Dale’s mother] passed away last April. Dale’s brother lives in Seattle, and we really wanted to be closer to family,” Matt Grinstead said, “I’m born and raised in Ohio, but I’m always up for an adventure.”

The two will split time between Washington and Columbus, and their original location will continue to operate without any interruptions. A pair of longtime employees will step up to handle more day-to-day oversight of the store, but it will be owned and, whenever they’re not in Washington, operated by the Grinsteads.

And anyway, it’s pretty clear that a big life change or two is not about to stand in the Grinsteads’ way.

Learn more or book a service at goodfellowscolumbus.com