It was the right time to buy!
A business opened in lockdown wins award
ANTONY ZEIN set up his hair salon on St John's Road about two and a half years ago when he bravely bought the business during the first part of the lockdown in 2020.
But he joked: "When is the right time to buy a business?"
The Syrian barber now employs three members of staff who work alongside him in the refreshed surroundings. He did not train, but learned to cut hair alongside his
“big cousin” in Syria and worked in Dubai and many other countries before settling in Scotland.
Recently his hard work has paid off with an accolade from Scotlands Business Awards for Best New Barbers. The nomination to the awards was made anonymously but Antony decided to enter the business allowing his customers to vote using a QR code supplied.
Just a week before the ceremony the Director of the awards body visited the premises and explained they had had a mystery shopper. He outlined details of the awards ceremony but Antony has a three month old baby and was unable to attend the event in Glasgow.
The award was sent through in the mail and Antony says he is really pleased with it. He said: "This is another chapter in the story. I was in Carrick Knowe for eight years or so and left to go to the Gulf to start an adventure. Two days after I arrived in Qatar the whole country was in lockdown and I was stuck in a hotel room for 72 days. I eventually made it back to Edinburgh in one piece and then this business came up for sale.
"I had to get through and studied many online courses to keep my mind going. Everybody said to me that it was not the time to buy a business but I went ahead and then of course there was another lockdown in December 2020. Being a new business I was entitled to zero support, but I took that time to refurbish the whole place inside and out, making the barber shop an interesting place to be."
Antony found old photos of the car showroom which used to be on the site and he has put these up on the wall along with other photos of its previous existence as a branch of the Union Bank of Scotland.
He tries hard to make it a bit different from the usual barber shop offering free coffee tea or even a single malt. He said: "I like to treat people in the way that I like to be treated, and we go the extra mile here."
Antony Zein offers all the usual services for men's hair and beards. And now ladies hairdressing is offered by Ina, a fully trained Ukrainian hairdresser who arrived in Edinburgh about three months ago and who is building up her clientele.
Antony Zein Hair Salon is located at: 102 St John's Rd, Corstorphine EH12 8AT
To set up an appointment, call 0131 334 7726 www.antonyzeinhairsalon.co.uk