Leo Rivera opened his first Bishops Barbershop in Portland, Oregon in 2001 as an alternative to national haircut chains, traditional barbershops and high-end salons, and today there are six locations throughout the city. A new kind of neighborhood barbershop for Generations X, Y and Z, Bishops is known for its convenient, walk-in only policy, trend-setting hair stylists, edgy music, unrestricted fashion and support of local artists. Bishops delivers full-service salon cuts and colors for men and women at affordable prices in a fun, casual atmosphere.

Bishops targets Generations X, Y and Z. Posters and artwork adorn the walls and the music is a mix of familiar favorites and the latest tunes. Clients are served on a convenient walk-in only basis, and choose from a menu of a la carte services, including style, shampoo, blow dry, a variety of cut and color options, or a hot towel shave. Those who are 21 and older are offered a free bottle of cold Miller High Life.

 “Our stylists are top-tier professionals who enjoy developing their craft and building their client base within the Bishops business model,” Rivera said. “They are artists who thrive in a creative atmosphere, and so we have an unrestricted fashion policy at our shops. The stylists enjoy their work, are relaxed with their customers and deliver excellent service. Most importantly, our customers are satisfied with every aspect of their experience at Bishops.”

Our brand is about cultivating personal authenticity and that starts with our staff. Our stylists are a team of artists working together to make people look good. We don't make them wear cheesy uniforms or cover up their tattoos. Allowing our staff to be themselves creates high retention, loyal customers, and enthusiastic referrals.

Bishops is intentionally unconventional. Instead of playing background music, we play music videos. Instead of beige walls, ours are covered in art that might be found in an indie gallery. Instead of a polo with our logo on it, our stylists wear what they want but happily rock our streetwear inspired Orange Label line.

We offer advancement and earning potential unavailable at value chains. Thanks to our volume, seasoned stylists can earn as much as they would at a salon. Every Bishops employee also gets a full suite of marketing tools and continuing education for free. We make it hard to want to work anywhere else.

Bishops dominates whitespace in a recession resistant, $42 billion industry, with no signs of slowing down. We bring the same brand building, design thinking, lifestyle marketing mentality to the haircare industry that other verticals have seen immense success in. If our competitors are The Gap, we’re Urban Outfitters.

Bishops provides an executive, semi-absentee, franchise model that’s been perfected for over 15 years. Operations are simple to execute with minimal inventory. With low startup costs, we’re set up to scale. Haircare has stable, recurring revenue cycles and since we’re not positioned as a value brand, our shops have stellar unit economics.