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The Resilience on the River series celebrates the recovery of the local business community from Hurricane Ida. If you have a resiliency story to share, please email brooke.robichaux@lobservateur.com.

 

LAPLACE — Britton’s Barber Shop reopened at 1720 Carrollwood Drive Ste. F in LaPlace on February 15, nearly six months after Hurricane Ida devastated St. John the Baptist Parish.

While it was a long road, owner Britton Mapes was blessed with support, and he’s happy to get back to what he loves most – serving the community he calls home.

Before electricity was restored to the River Parishes, Mapes was making house calls to serve customers in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

After a couple of weeks, the power was back on, and a tarp covered the roof of his business on Carrollwood Drive. Mapes returned to work, thinking everything would be back to normal. He had a line full of customers waiting when rain started to drip inside the barber shop.

“I was pretty much cutting hair in the rain. That day, I decided to shut it down and wait for the repairs to happen because the building had to be gutted completely,” Mapes said. “I ended up going to work for another shop in Kenner called FadeGame Barber Shop. They welcomed me with open arms.”

Mapes said his return to LaPlace wouldn’t have been possible without God, his friends at FadeGame Barber Shop, and landlord Harold Degruy’s excellent communication throughout the entire process.

“My landlord kept in touch with me the whole time and stuck to his timeline, so the whole process was pretty painless. Now the building is back to brand new,” Mapes said.

Part of the new set-up is a 1967 barber chair that Mapes has fully restored.

Britton’s Barber Shop offers everything related to men’s grooming, from haircuts to beard trims and hot towel shaves with the straight razor. The business serves men and boys of all ages, and Mapes specializes in haircuts for all hair types and ethnicities.

Loyal customers are happy to see Mapes back in town.

“Business has been good,” Mapes said. “People seem happy to have me back, and I’m happy to be back. In St. John Parish, I feel like I know everybody, and a lot of people know me. This is home.”

Walk-ins are accepted during regular business hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Britton’s Barber Shop can accommodate customers outside of those hours by appointment.