The Gentleman’s Quarters
Article + Photos by | Caitlin Curbello-Rodriguez
Brides aren’t the only people who need to feel and look their best on their wedding day. Grooms and their entourage should be pampered, too! What better way to ready yourself for your ‘I dos” than a fresh haircut, straight razor shave, and shoe shine while hanging out in a 1920s-inspired barber shop?
The La Salle Hotel in Historic Downtown Bryan has recently become home to a few new businesses; 5 Knocks Speakeasy (yes, it’s as close to the real deal as you can imagine!), Downtown Elixir & Spirits (a gourmet bar and restaurant serving up craft cocktails and Cajun-fusion style fare), and now added to the list – The Gentleman’s Quarters.
The Gentleman’s Quarters isn’t merely a barber shop – it’s an entire experience all on its own. Andrew Barrera, the owner and expert in all things gentlemanly, has revitalized what once was the La Salle Hotel’s original barbershop back in the 1920s. It’s an intimate setting – a cozy room lined with vintage wallpaper, a legitimate vintage barber’s chair as the centerpiece, wooden cabinets filled with personal memorabilia, and a vintage shoeshine stand nestled in the corner.
Some of the services that The Gentleman’s Quarters offers (for men and/or women) are haircuts, styling, straight razor face/beard shaving, eyebrow maintenance, manicures, facials, waxing, and shoe shines. Imagine waking up in this historic boutique hotel on the day of your wedding, and having these services steps away? You can’t beat that.
A little backstory… 
“I started doing men’s hair about six or seven years ago,” Andrew said. “A huge part of what attracted me to start doing hair was the craft of customer service. Generally, even if you’re able to give the best hair cut there is – no one is going to come back if your customer service isn’t impeccable.”
Andrew had worked in what he coined as “traditional barber shops” with a few seasoned gentlemen who really showed him the value of customer service and bringing an unparalleled experience to guests. From there, he continued to hone his craft and reveled in the fact he had a creative outlet that allowed him to serve people in a very personal way.
How did the Gentleman’s Quarters come to be?
Andrew was giving Dustin Batson (the owner of 5 Knocks Speakeasy and Downtown Elixir & Spirits) a hair cut at the La Salle Hotel, and Batson proposed Andrew open a barbershop there.
“I was so excited, after I finished his haircut, he showed me the space and by that afternoon I was already getting to work,” Andrew said.
Andrew is a definite practitioner and advocate of the age of dapper gentleman, and that was exactly his inspiration for the culture of The Gentleman’s Quarters. “I feel like we’ve steered away from how we had once presented and carried ourselves as gentlemen,” Andrew said. “I want to bring that back.”
Perfect example? The name ‘The Gentleman’s Quarters’ was inspired by a simple, gentlemanly act for his daughter.
I walked to the other side of the car to open her door for her, and she looked up at me and said, ‘Daddy, you’re such a gentleman!’” Andrew said. “At that moment, it just clicked and all started coming together.”
Wedding Day
Imagine this: waking up on the day of your wedding, heading leisurely downstairs from your room at the La Salle Hotel, grabbing a mimosa from the bar, and hanging out with your crew in a 1920s-inspired barber shop while you’re pampered from head-to-toe?
“I’ve actually been an ordained minister for seven years now,” Andrew laughed. “I’d love to treat a groom on the day of their wedding, and perhaps share a little wisdom with him. My goal is to be sure they feel completely relaxed and are absolutely accommodated in every way. I want them to feel comfortable enough to really express themselves and shoot the breeze while they’re in my care. They may not admit it, but every man likes a little bit of attention on their wedding day,”
Andrew is a man of passion, and he brings that same zeal to his craft of barbering and the service he offers his guests. He desires to make you feel as good as you look, and look as good as you feel on your wedding day. If you’re looking for an all-inclusive, one-of-a-kind experience for your nuptials, make Downtown Bryan the centerpiece of it all. Stay at the historic La Salle Hotel; grab dinner at Downtown Elixir & Spirits; have a fun night of shenanigans at 5 Knocks Speakeasy; and be transformed into a new gentleman (or woman) at The Gentleman’s Quarters.
To learn more about The Gentleman’s Quarters, check out their facebook page, or call 979.571.0236!