Store Around the Corner: Crossover Cutters

Lena Lemon and Ken Schwartz blend traditional styling techniques with modern looks at Crossover Cutters hair salon at 5620 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

The salon isn’t the only place they’ve showcased their talent for mixing old and new. The salon is named after a band they played in together in Michigan, called Crossover, which blended classic rock, country and jazz.

“Our music was a crossover of genres,” says Lemon. “In that same way, our salon combines old techniques like straight razor haircuts and classic shaves with newer ones, like hair extensions.”

Schwartz and Lemon opened Crossover Cutters in October 2009. Sick of the cold weather and economic climate in Kalamazoo, Mich., they moved to Longboat and bought the former location of Boone’s Barbershop.

“We’re both taking a chance and starting over in life,” says Lemon.

While the location may be new, cutting hair is something that Lemon and Schwartz have been doing most of their lives. Lemon grew up doing her siblings’ hair and became a professional hair stylist right after high school.

Schwartz began his career at the age of 5, selling donuts in the barbershop where his father worked. Not only was his father a barber, so were two of his uncles. Now Schwartz, his two brothers and his sister are all hair stylists.

Crossover Cutters offers a full range of services, including haircuts, coloring, traditional barbershop techniques, shaving and manicures.

Basics
Name: Crossover Cutters
Location: 5620 Gulf of Mexico Drive
Established: October 2009
Hours: They take walk-ins from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, but will also schedule appointments outside of those hours. Open 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays and closed Sundays. They also make house calls.
Services: Haircuts, coloring, styling and manicures
Employees: Two
What’s unique about them: Schwartz offers traditional barbershop services, while Lemon specializes in more contemporary techniques. Their range of services and skills allows them to cater to every age, ethnicity and style.