Twin Palms Barbershop is a modern barber for the modern gent. Founded by friends, Adrian Mezzina and Tim Persley, they have truly thought of it all – be it the contemporary design, hot towel refreshes to complimentary whisky, their expert team and even creating a Twin Palms product range.

We chatted with Adrian and Tim, to get to know the duo and their thought process, inspiration and the key ingredients to creating a memorable barbershop experience

Adrian and Tim, what were your professional paths that lead to starting Twin Palms Barbershop and how did the vision for Twin Palms Barbershop come about?  

We’ve been close friends since high school and had worked successfully together during our years in hospitality. We both always loved the idea of setting up a contemporary barbershop attached to a whisky bar but after research and business planning we made a decision to focus solely on the grooming while still attempting to bring a lot of those same principles of good service and hospitality into what we were doing. 

The barbershop oozes cool Californian vibes, what struck you both about the region as inspiration for the barbershop?

We are both interested in that mid century modern design and the culture of that era – Frank Sinatra’s famous home in Palm Springs is called Twin Palms. We worked with Local designer Alexa Nice who helped bring that look to the space.

Twin Palms Barbershop creates its own range of products, what three items must every guy have in their cupboard?

The Twin Palms Matte Paste is lightweight, giving a natural look whilst adding texture to all types of hair – without the greasy look. Perfect for Brisbane’s weather. The peppermint shampoo and conditioner leaves you feeling refreshed and renewed and was formulated to help with dry/itchy scalp using pure peppermint botanicals.  We are currently working on expanding our product range including beard oils and also skin care. All locally made here in QLD.

What are the key ingredients to a memorable barbershop experience?

We have always strived to keep things nice and simple, and consistent. A relaxed and comfortable environment, good music, friendly service and barbers who are passionate about their trade. A client’s visit should be a time to switch off and relax, something to look forward to – rather than a regular chore or hassle. 

Adrian and Tim, it’s said the secret to entrepreneurial success is constant learning – where do you both go or who do you look to, to learn from?

Firstly, each other. We both bring different life experiences and skill sets to the table and compliment each other in that regard. We aren’t shy in challenging each other which has ultimately led to the success of the shop. We have also learned so much from our talented team who like us want to continuously improve which ultimately will result in the best experience for our clients. We are big believers of keeping momentum up, learn, make mistakes, but move quickly to find the right rhythm, which took the best part of the first two years in this business. 

What’s next for Twin Palms Barbershop?

We are now looking forward to shop number two along with a stronger focus on our product range. 

Meet Tim Persely:

Who are you listening to at the moment? A bit of everything, but house/disco is probably most listened to genre.

We are giving you the weekend off – where are you heading? Probably just to the coast to work on my iso-tan.

Who has the best hair? Hair is not a competition but hopefully a lot of our clients think they have the best hair.

What does support local mean to you? There are so many great operators on our doorstep in James Street, from food, fashion to retail – friends and locals who are passionate about what they do and who are extremely talented. It’s important that we support local operators, artists, businesses not only because of the genuine, quality product that they offer, but by supporting them it helps build a culture within an area, within our city that we want to be a part of.

Meet Adrian Mezzina:

Who are you listening to at the moment? Flight Facilities, Leisure, Parcels, The Internet, Young Franco.

We are giving you the weekend off – where are you heading? Noosa for a park run, golf and a fish. Maybe a couple of Negroni’s at Locale.

Who has the best hair? No brainer, Tim has a fan page for his doo. Not even lying. 

What does support local mean to you? Supporting local operators and precincts like James St, which celebrates so much talent and hard work while contributing to the culture and vibe of the city.