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The Master. “Hair Magician.” Therapist. All of these titles have been at various times bestowed on Moses Moreno, a barber who will close his Menlo Park barber shop, Moses Hairstyling, on Jan. 29, after nearly 30 years of operation.
Mr. Moreno plans to retire and close out his 52 years as a hairdresser. “It’s time for the next chapter of my life,” he said. “I feel now it’s time to go smell the roses.”
Moses Hairstyling will be the second barbershop in downtown Menlo Park to close within the month. Golden Shears closed on Jan. 10 after 53 years in business. Mr. Moreno said a new hair salon will go into his shop’s current location.
Mr. Moreno was voted favorite barber in the Almanac Readers’ Choice polls in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Raised in Salinas
Moses Moreno was raised farming and ranching in Salinas. His father, who was a farmer, told him: “Learn a trade. Believe in God and in yourself. Be the best you can in what you do.” So, he said, “I chose to become the best barber I ever could be.”
He began his career as a barber in San Jose, where he worked for two years before moving to the Golden Shears in Menlo Park, where he worked for about two decades. He launched Moses Hairstyling in 1987.
He started this business after his clients insisted they’d follow him from the Golden Shears. His clients even helped him pick out the name. “Casa de Moses,” “Mi Casa Tu Casa” and “Moses Parts Hair” were all suggested before landing on “Moses Hairstyling.”
“My vision for Moses Hairstyling was to make my clients feel and look their best. I tried!” he said.
In retirement, he said, he plans to travel with his wife, both for pleasure and for service. He wants to go to Panama first, but also wants to travel on missionary trips with his denomination, United Pentecostal Church International.
In the meantime, though, he said, “I want to end it right.”
“I would love to leave on my last day with peace and satisfaction that I tried my best,” he said.
He plans to donate the current furnishings of his shop to the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop on Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park.
“I think the main thing that I will miss about the shop is the relationships I had with my clients,” he said. “It was more than just cutting their hair.”
Several clients offered superlatives on the friendships they’d developed with Mr. Moreno over the years:
“He’s the best hairdresser on the Peninsula,” said John Field.
“I’ve never met a nicer man,” said Richard Popp.
“When my wife got ill, he and his wife made us dinner on a couple of occasions,” said Rusty Griner. “He remembers your family, your kid’s name, the trials and tribulations we all deal with, and,” he added, “He gives great bear hugs.”
Moses is an exceptional man, a true professional. He will be sorely missed by his hundreds of clients. While combining a rare ability with his razor cuts, he also was an interesting conversationalist, and was always ‘chipper’. He is a genuinely happy man and made his clients happy with their haircuts.
I just had my very last haircut from Moses yesterday. I’ve been a customer for 27 years. I know he has a few customers who have been with him for 50 years! He deserves such loyalty as he is a true friend, a first class gentleman and a great barber.
He will be missed very much and I wish him well in the next chapter of his life.
And yes, he gives great bear hugs 🙂
Moses goes out at the top! Best barber so far in 2016 as well! You will be missed here. Thanks for everything over the years.
Moses is the only person to have cut my hair in the twenty years I have lived in Menlo Park–he is going to be a tough one to replace.
What a hard worker and all-around wonderful guy. Good luck with the next chapter in your life, my friend. We will miss you!
No one like Moses! I had a lot of hair when I first met Moses in the back room at Golden Shears when I was at SRI. When he moved to Crane Street, I moved with him and have been coming to his shop ever since – less hair but what was left has been well tended by the Master. He will be missed.
Best wishes to Moses for a happy, fruitful and blessed “retirement”.
Congratulations to Moses, but darn at the same time. He does a great job on my hair. He’ll be missed. Best of luck Moses!
I will miss Moses (15 yr. customer). Great person, wonderful conversationalist, fabulous barber! All the best to him and his family.
Not to be a heel, but aren’t there about four of these kinds of high-priced old timey barbers along Santa Cruz Avenue alone? I’m surprised they can all stay afloat (not that I’m complaining we have them around, price aside).
You think this guy is actually closing his barber shop because he WANTS to and not because he has been forced into retirement by the rising prices in the area? How adorable.
Trump:
what an apt handle. You’re a jack ass. You do understand where we live and the cost of living here, right?
Moses is the best! A combination of skill and charm that I enjoyed for 25 years. All the best to you Moses for a great retirement!
Had my last haircut from Moses Wednesday evening. Great as usual! Don’t know where I’m going to go now. Moses did such a great job.