Morrison barber bounces back following coronavirus challenges

MORRISON – Life as a barber has been challenging lately, with a pandemic cutting into barbers’ bottom line, but those in the profession are still eager to do what they do best: get behind their chair and take care of people’s hair.

The owner of the only barber shop in Morrison is no different.

For Ben Witt, owner of Ben’s Barbershop at 205 E. Main St., being able to reopen has been a welcome change from the vacation he was forced to take while the state-ordered lockdown was in effect. But since then, it’s back to business – though not as usual, but at least enough to feel a rebound and put a little extra spring in Witt’s step.

Witt, 32, reopened May 29 after nearly 3 months of the state lockdown, but only by appointment – and his shaggy-haired clientele couldn’t wait to have him take a little off the sides.

He had a flurry of customers the first few weeks, people who hadn’t been able to get a haircut after pandemic put a hold on businesses across the state. He’s had to adjust how he does business, taking care to make sure everything’s cleaned and disinfected regularly.

Another change he was forced to make, but one that wasn’t all bad: his shop had been taking walk-ins only before the pandemic, but now it’s appointment only, and that’s just fine with Ben. in fact, he said he plans to keep on filling the appointment book.

But he’s just happy to be back in business.

While most of his returning customers have been on the younger side since he reopened, Witt is confident his older clients will eventually return once they feel more comfortable venturing out.

Ben’s offers haircuts, hot lathers and a straight shave, and beard trims.

Growing up in Clinton, Iowa, Ben hadn’t really thought of a career path that would take him into his own barbershop. He had a “couple stints” in community college, worked at IPSCO in Camanche before getting laid off, and eventually enrolled at Ray’z Barber School in Moline, where he graduated in 2016, opening his own shop the same year. He chose to practice his trade in Illinois, since it takes less time to get the state license than it does in Iowa.

He marked four years at his business in May; he was encouraged to give the town a try thanks to his uncle, Tim Rebelsky, who works at a local car dealership.

“Barbering is what I want to do. I had to first convince my wife, but she finally took to it,” he laughs.

He’s not the only one in the family who’s sharpened his skills with hair. Barbering runs in the family – well, sort of, but it runs the other way for the Witts. Ben’s dad, Jeff, owns the Fulton Barbershop in nearby Fulton. He chose to follow in his son’s footsteps after deciding he wanted a job with a less stressful pace.

Ben’s shop is a pleasing mix of sports décor and nods to the past. He has an antique National cash register given to him by his parents after he graduated from barber school. A barber pole is mounted out front, giving the shop a nostalgic vibe, and a retro radio sits on the counter. Bears and Cubs memorabilia adorn the walls, as well as Morrison Mustang gear. For those waiting for a haircut, he has a row of seats salvaged from an old theater in Platteville, Wisconsin, which he found through Craigslist.

For the little shavers, Ben’s has a barber chair that’s just the right speed: It’s an old push-pedal tractor given to him by his grandparents that he’s retrofitted as a barber chair.

Ben and his wife, Jenny, are the parents of Kennedy, 11, Hadley, 5, and Oliver or “Ollie,” 2, and the family lives in Clinton, Iowa, where Ben was born and raised. Like countless other people, Ben found himself with extra time on his hands when the pandemic forced him to put down the clippers. He kept busy, though, spending time with the family, doing some house repairs, painting, yard work, even putting in a patio.

He said Morrison has been an ideal location for his shop. He likes the small-town atmosphere and close-knit community, and with his shop located downtown, there’s always activity.

“Morrison gives you all you need. It’s the benefit of a big town without the headache,” he said.

Like any small-town business owner, Ben gets to know his neighbors – and he knows one of them especially well: his twin brother, Brian, who Ben helped connect with a job at the law office down the street.

Ben knew there was an opening at Holesinger Law Office, and his brother had just received his law degree and was looking to find a practice he could join, so Ben encouraged him to look into it, and he got the job. Before long, that job became a partnership in the law office, which is now Holesinger-Witt Law Offices.

Friends, family, loyal customers – as far as Ben’s concerned, they put Morrison a cut above other cities, and he’s happy he’s found a place his business can call home.

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving now – it’s too cool,” he said.