MOSCOW, Pa. — The hairstylist chair inside the Trojan Barber in Moscow has sat vacant for months, but not any longer. The new barbershop opened one week ago, and already business is steady.
"I've actually gained some new customers, some new regulars that have already scheduled for appointments at later dates," said owner Scott Lenzer. "For the first week, it went pretty well,"
But will all the support, opening the business was not easy. The shop was scheduled to start accepting customers nearly six months ago, but the pandemic caused licensing exams to get pushed back multiple times.
"It was very frustrating going through cancellation, after cancellation after cancellation," said Lenzer. "I've had this dream for a while, and I put in all this hard work to get here, and I was just being held back by something out of my control."
It's a dream that Scotts has been thinking about for four years, and finally, it's become a reality.
"I want to change my stars, you know. I want to do something, you know, that's for me, and you know, my children, and something I can pass on to my children, so I can give back to my community," said Lenzer.
And give back is what he intends to do. He teamed up with Jenn-a-Snipper's salon in Dunmore and started a program called Fresh The Vets.
Every month, five vouchers for a free haircut will be given to veterans who visit The Mess Hall Restaurant near Moscow, which is dedicated to veterans.
"At the end of the day, it's just our time. You know, if we can change somebody's life, to me, that's awesome, you know, so I was all for this when Scott brought it up," said Jennifer Ligi, owner of Jenn-a-Snipper's.
With every cut, fade, and trim, Scott says he can only hope that people will feel more confident in themselves to achieve their dreams, just like he did.