It felt natural: 19-year-old Clayton Arena opens barbershop in New Concord

NEW CONCORD − The building at the corner of North Liberty and Main streets has a new look, purpose and owner.

Arena Cuts, a new barbershop opening in New Concord, has revamped the old Village Garden Florist location to make it all its own. The owner is Clayton Arena, a longtime New Concord resident and 2022 graduate of John Glenn High School.

After high school, Arena attended Zane State College, pursuing a career in social work. He soon realized that college wasn't the path for him and knew he needed to make a change.

After attending Prince's Barber Academy in Zanesville for a year and passing his state boards, Arena took the chance on himself and embarked upon opening Arena Cuts. "You gotta really sit down with yourself. I kinda realized what is best is me."

Arena's mother, Jillian, has been a huge part of the process from the beginning. "I always kind of knew that he liked fashion and hair and everything, and so we just kind of talked about it. We just decided to jump and he's loved it from day one. He really has," she said.

When asked about the one piece of advice Jillian would give her son she said, "Realistically, just never lose yourself. Always be humble and put God first. You can't go wrong there."

When Arena purchased the location, many changes were needed to transform the space into what it is today. A slick new black and white finish to the floor complements the 3D black wall tiles and honeycomb-shaped light fixtures.

The shop has an edgy vibe, with a clean black, white, and silver theme running throughout. One of the décor highlights is a large mural of a pair of black and white angel wings with a halo painted on the back wall.

Arena partnered with local artist Cheyann Fehrman for the mural work. Fehrman has done pieces for other local businesses including Guernsey Brewhouse and Wildly Rooted in Byesville to name a few. The piece took roughly 57 hours over a few months. "I've done several in the area, and this is my first one in downtown New Concord," Fehrman said.

"This is my first set of angel wings and I love it so much," she added.

The shop has three chairs and will offer two barbers and a cosmetologist for clients.

Starting a new business at 19 may seem daunting to some, but to Arena, it just felt natural. "I've never really been good talking to crowds, but I'm good to people one-on-one, and individually. I feel like I've always clicked with people in that way. With me being able to be there for them as well as cut their hair and give them a good service, I said why not do it? I feel like I was meant to do it," Arena said.

Pricing will vary based on the service selected but guests can expect to pay $30 for the full service that includes a hot towel, a hair wash, a massager for the hot towel and the haircut or beard trim.

Arena Cuts, 42 E. Main St., New Concord, will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The shop will be closed on Sundays.

For more information about Arena Cuts visit www.arenacuts.com or call 740-630-4693. For more information about the mural or work by Cheyann Fehrman, visit her Instagram page, Chey Creative Co.; or visit her Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Arena Cuts barbershop opens in New Concord