Finds home in former ‘Bob the Butcher’s’ old barber shop

Dark Harbor Barber Company expands with second location in Waldoboro

Thu, 05/11/2023 - 7:00pm

WALDOBORO – The faces of Waldoboro are changing and we mean that literally; heads, too, for that matter. Dark Harbor Barber Company has established a shop at 904 Main Street.

Sam Weldon, (owner/barber, opened the original barber shop in Rockland, currently at 436 Main Street. Bringing on D.J. Jones as a partner/barber, the two enjoyed immediate success in the Rockland area.

Something exclusive about the barber shop is that it does not sport the traditional red and white barber pole, but is distinctive with a black stripped barber pole.

Weldon described it as a modern aesthetic and he said it fits their vibe.

“It was a little bit of independence against the grain,” he said. “And we just gravitated to it. We wanted everyone to know we were a barber shop, but unique in the community in a big way.”

Weldon says he loves the new shop in Waldoboro and could not be happier with the reception.

“It’s been a very welcoming community,” he said. “Everybody has been nothing short of fantastic. I’m very, very grateful to the community at large and their response to us since we opened.”

Roger Grotton is one of the barbers in the Waldoboro shop who originally worked in the Rockland shop.

“I’m one of the newer Dark Harbor barbers,” he said. “I’m from South Thomaston and was excited to be able to join the team.”

Grtton is finishing up his apprenticeship as a barber.

“I love it here. It’s a great environment with great people and everyone has been super supportive.”

John Stanton, of Waldoboro was the person occupying Grotton’s chair. When asked how the haircut was going he said with a chuckle, “I let you know in a few minutes.”

He added: “They’re a nice bunch of guys in a convenient location. They should do well.”

Brian Williams, barber at Dark Harbor Waldoboro, is from Waldoboro.

He said it feels good to be back home and see all his old friends.

“I’ve seen a lot of people I haven’t seen in years,” he said. “They come in for a haircut and we get talking about our old roots and the A.D. Gray Middle School, that was actually closed in 2009 and they are getting ready to tear down.”

Williams said he and his friends would walk from the middle school down to the old five-and-dime. He said that was back in the days when everything seemed a little simpler.

“This was actually a barber shop when I was a kid growing up,” he said. “We called him Bob the Butcher. Bob the Butcher’s old barber shop. I can’t remember his last name, I was too young, but I remember we called him Bob the Butcher. Everyone came in here and everyone got the same haircut.”

Discounts are available for seniors, children, military and first responders. From Classic gentleman’s cuts to bald fades, tapers, blow outs, and crops, boardroom to baller status, Dark Harbor Barber Company has got you covered.