Combining the comfort and atmosphere of a classic barbershop with the advances of a modern man’s spa, The Grooming Lounge boasts two locations—a flagship in Washington D.C. and a club-like facility in northern Virginia—and a vibrant e-commerce website.
The grooming company was founded about 16 years ago by Mike Gilman, who grew up working in a beauty product distribution company owned by his grandfather and father. Gilman who studied public relations at Ohio State, launched his career at John Paul Mitchell Systems, followed by a stint in a Chicago-based public relations firm. After returning to the D.C. area, Gilman decided to launch a grooming business but at first struck out finding a space to lease, so he started by launching men’s personal care product website in 2000. With a splash of media coverage and a strong growing base of customer, Gilman was able to secure a lease in downtown D.C., and the Grooming Lounge was born.
Today, the two lounges offer classic grooming services, including hot lather shaves to haircuts, skin care, massages, manicures and waxing. A signature line of custom-forumal shave, hair and face and body products, with fun names like Mug Scrubber Face Scrub and Greatest Pits Deodorant—complements a rich assortment of lines offered both in the salon and online.
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