Blending Cuts and Coffee
Every neighbourhood needs a good barbershop, and the Gold Coast suburb of Tugun is lucky to have MADE Barber & Barista as their’s. What started as a dream for Britt Westcott and Josh Blair has grown into a thriving business that serves as both a barbershop and a cafe, with a burgeoning retail side.
The Genesis of MADE
Britt may not look like your average barber, but she’s no stranger to cutting men’s hair. Having worked in the industry for 10 years, she never quite fit in to the more masculine energies of most barbershops, but also didn’t feel at home in hair salons.
I chose to start barbering because I thought it would be easier, which is not the case. It’s still challenging in its own ways, it’s just different to hairdressing, and I just find I can establish a better relationship with men sometimes. Men are no BS. They can be fussy in their own ways, but I just find I can work with them better.”
Britt Westcott → Co-owner
In 2020 she stumbled across a beautiful shop in The Gold Coast suburb of Tugun, right next to the beach and in a quieter, more relaxed part of the Gold Coast. The only issue was that it was a little too big for what she needed, and so with a few chats and a little convincing, she managed to convince her boyfriend Josh to have a go at running a little cafe in the same shop. It was a challenge for him as well, a carpenter by trade and someone who hadn’t made a coffee before. “I learned quickly and it was a lot of trial and error before I nailed it,” he admits.
A Unique Blend of Services
If running a cafe and a barbershop wasn’t enough, they soon started adding retail items. “It started with us just stocking a handful of our roaster’s t-shirts and they just sold really well, so we thought, ‘Why not just start printing some of our own Made shirts?’” says Britt.
After designing and printing some of their own merch they one day get an unexpected email from an iconic surf brand, Rusty.“I nearly fell over. I said, Rusty as in the surf brand?’ And Josh goes, ‘Yeah,’ like it was nothing,” recalls Britt. “He said, ‘They want to stock in our store,’ and I said, ‘Definitely.’”
Over four years later, MADE has formed close community ties, a testament to Britt and Josh and their approach to service. Both have a genuine warmth as you interact with them, with a laid back personality that suits the area. They truly put in the effort to get to know everyone who walks through the door, whilst bringing on staff with the same friendly attitude, and it has paid off. People come and hang out after a dip at the beach, or do a bit of work from their large communal table, and they often use all the services they offer. “They come daily for coffee and then when the time’s right for a haircut, they’ll come and do that as well,” Josh explains.
The pair also serendipitously opened a second cafe 10 minutes south. “Our Kirra store came about just through a mutual friend with the developers down there,” says Josh. “The location was what sold us, really. It’s so close to the beach in a brand new building, in a brand new precinct. Just a really good growing area.”
The Role of Square in MADE’s Success
From the outset, Square has played a pivotal role in the operational success of MADE Barber & Barista. Britt had used Square at a previous barbershop and liked the experience, so when she started her own business, she began using Square Appointments. “I started with the tiny little Square Reader and we started the same on both sides, and then we’ve just grown and grown and we’ve expanded appointments,” Britt explains. Square Appointments lets her customers book online for the service that they want with the staff that they want.
The barbershop now benefits from Square Stand, which allows for easy customer transactions. “We love to use the Square Stand in the barbershop, because it makes it really easy for us to swivel to show our customer the price before checking out,” Britt adds. The cafe side utilises Square Register for the cafe side of things, with a dedicated customer display for digital receipts.
Since day one, we’ve been paperless. With customers being able to email themself a receipt, we don’t use paper for tickets, we don’t use paper for receipts. Everyone’s very much about to keep doing what we can for the environment.”
Josh Blair → Co-owner
With one system for their barbershop, cafe, and retail and across both locations, all of their reports and data are in one place, which allows them to make crucial business decisions. “I use the reporting a lot to get to know the sales trends on what the time of the year or what part of the day we might be busier,” says Josh. “It helps me understand when I might need more product or less product, when I might need more staff or less staff. I can definitely see in the reporting when the surf’s good and when there might be people in the area due to there being waves.”
How Square Powers This Community Oasis
Overcoming Challenges and Looking Ahead
Opening during COVID-19 presented unique challenges, but the MADE team persevered. “It was definitely slow to get going, although the community is why we’re still operating and why we’re going so well,” Josh reflects.
Looking ahead, Britt and Josh are keen to expand their retail offerings online and continue to grow the business while striving for a balance between work and personal life. After working non-stop for the first year, and hardly having time off together, these are small things they want to achieve in the coming year. “Yes, a day off together is the goal,” Britt says with a laugh.
