Barber shop owner lives out his dream at Miller’s Place

For Brad Miller, the owner of Miller’s Place barber shop, buying the business where he had worked for many years was a massive risk.

It was the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic—about three years ago now— and it was an uncertain time for personal grooming businesses like barber shops. They had just been allowed to reopen on a limited basis and no one knew how long the situation was going to continue.

It was at this time that Keith Hill, the owner of the barber shop (then called Keith’s Kuts), decided he was going to get out of the business and Miller decided he would buy it.

“I was shaking in my boots,” Miller said. “The only the only thing that saved me nerves-wise was that all the customers previously knew me because I was here for 13 years before I became the owner. It helped me because I felt more comfortable that I would still have at least a core group of customers.”

Even though that was the case, customers were still a bit wary. “They didn’t want to sit within a foot of me, even though I was masked up and they were masked up. I mean, I wore a mask for the first two and a half years.”

Miller, who grew up in Ewing Township and graduated from Ewing High School in 1998, is the fifth owner of the barbershop, which opened in 1953. The business was originally located on Parkway Avenue near Olden Avenue. After the original shop burned down in 2004, it was moved to its current location in the Birmingham Plaza shopping center on Parkway Avenue.

Growing up in town and then working for Hill at the barber shop for 16 years did wind up being a boon for Miller as he made his way out of the pandemic.

“A lot of people that come in here also know me from before I was even a barber,” Miller said.

One change that did happen as a result of the pandemic is that now haircuts are by appointment.

Said Miller: “We used to be all walkins, but when we first came back from COVID, the state changed it, and everybody had to be by appointment. Now, they’ve changed that back, but I liked it so much that I stayed with it.”

He said that he’s the only hair cutter at the shop now, so working by appointment is a better situation. “It’s easier for me to control the flow of customers,”

Princess and Pirate Camp

July 24th - 28th

9:30am - 11:30am

Ages: 3-7

Each day your child will enter a world of imagination where story time becomes an adventure with music, art, crafting and dance.

Cost: $185.00

Pre-registration required.

Last day to register: July 17th

Performance: July 28th

(609) 883-8083

Miller said. “And customers like it better because they don’t have to wait. Sometimes people would come in and they’d have to waiting an hour or more.”

Miller says he will occasionally take a walk-in if he’s not busy, but it’s best to make an appointment.

He adds that he will cut any type of hair in any style and will also cut women’s hair if they want a masculine cut.

The price for a regular haircut is $23, and children 10 and under are $21. The charge for seniors 62 and over is $19 and beard trims are $10. Payments are by cash only.

Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The shop is closed on Wednesday and Sunday.

Even though he started with some adversity, Miller is happy he took the jump and became a business owner. “I’m just I’m loving it. It was always the plan to be a barber shop owner when I first became a barber, and I’m proud that I accomplished what I wanted to do.

“I love my job. I love talking to my regular customers. I love my new customers. It’s just a nice job and I don’t have any stress,” he said.”

Miller’s Place barber shop, Birgmingham Plaza, 1410 Parkway Avenue. (609) 883-4033.