Royal Rhino Club Barbership & Lounge
Columbus, Ohio
royalrhinoclub.com
Owner: Charles Penzone
Salon style: Eclectic, elegant, welcoming
Square footage: 1,746
Stations: 8
Equipment: Collins Manufacturing
Furniture: Options Plus Furniture
Total Design Investment: $500,000
Retail lines: Reuzel, Daimon Barber, Imperial Barber
Design by: Meyers & Associates
Architects: Meyers & Associates
Photographer: Jennifer Schaaf, Larry Hammil and Nick Fancher

Located in the Italian Village neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, the Royal Rhino Club Barbershop and Lounge is a sight that’s hard to miss. An enormous, hand-crafted metal rhino-head sculpture perches above the storefront.

“We wanted our exterior to communicate that we were more than just a barbershop, and a barber pole outside our window wasn’t enough,” says owner Charles Penzone. “Shipping a 370-pound sculpture from Montana was no easy feat, nor was the installation, but the rhino is an undeniable design feature that has the neighborhood buzzing.”

The barbershop’s target market is men looking to enjoy a high-end experience that is more than a cut or shave.
Beyond double, sliding wooden doors is a guest favorite—an enclosed lounge, ready to entertain with a bar, pool table and comfortable seating, perfect for a bachelor party or business meeting.

Inside, guests are greeted with a cold beverage or the shop’s signature Rhino Bourbon while catching up on a sporting event on one of the multiple flat screen TVs.

“The lounge and bar adds to our profitability,” Penzone says. “Not only are we able to host events, but we’re able to elevate the experience of every person who comes in the shop, and guests come in early and stay after appointments to spend a little longer in the lounge.”

An architectural platform above the barbering stations catches the eye with an eclectic mix of art and design inspirations from Penzone’s personal collection. There’s even a CHIPS-inspired motorcycle hanging from the ceiling. The memorabilia and celebrity photos spill over onto the vibrant red brick walls of the space.

After kicking back, guests are escorted to red, old-world-style barber chairs for their cut or straight-razor shave. Richly stained, built-in wooden shelves house the men’s haircare products right at the stations.

A vacuum system located underneath the station’s lower cabinets makes it easier to keep the space clean.