How a chance phone call brought Intermissions Barbershop to downtown Green Cove Springs, and why Jay thinks the conversation matters as much as the cut.
The sign was lying on its side. It looked like someone had stuck it in the ground, walked away, and forgotten about it.
Jay was working in Fleming Island at the time, newly moved to the area, when he spotted it: a For Rent sign, tipped over and half abandoned. Plenty of people would have kept driving. He called the number.
The space was still available. And when he saw it, he says, the location was “so beautiful. Right in the heart of the town.”
That space became Intermissions Barbershop, at 305 Spring Street in downtown Green Cove Springs. It also came with a bonus Jay had not planned for. The shop is close enough to home that he can ride his bike to work on a nice day, taking in the morning on the way in and a night breeze on the way back.
From a Mountain Town in Puerto Rico to a River Town in Clay County
Jay grew up in a small town in the mountains of Puerto Rico, the kind of place where, as he puts it, “a lot of people know each other” and connect “through bad and good.”
Green Cove Springs gives him some of that same feeling. He serves clients from all over Northeast Florida, from Jacksonville and St. Johns County to Starke. But having his shop here, in a town where neighbors share the same concerns and are grateful for the same things, is different.
“There’s a sense of home I can have here,” he said.
Personality First
Ask Jay what happens when someone new sits in his chair, and he does not start with clippers or fades. He starts with personality.
His approach is to treat a first appointment the way you might treat meeting someone new at a get-together or a dinner party, instead of jumping straight to business. People want to feel like their barber is approachable, he said, and for him, talking and cutting hair go hand in hand.
Why Kids Relax in His Chair
That philosophy matters most with children. Many parents know the routine: a nervous kid, a stranger with scissors, and a haircut that feels like an ordeal.
Jay’s answer is to meet kids where they are. He asks about their video games, their books, the movie or show they cannot stop talking about. Kids, he said, want to talk to someone who is not like their mom or dad, someone who will “make goofy jokes” and actually care about what they are into.
Jay keeps my daughter entertained the whole time, listening to all of her stories, and still gives my son the best haircut. He is so good with kids.
Alina Penjiyeva, Clay County mom and ClayFLNews.com publisherHe knows that is harder than it sounds. Adults tend to grow out of those interests, and not every barber finds them interesting. Jay does, and he sees the payoff.
To a child that is trusting a stranger that is older than them, it’s probably one of the most beautiful things to see. When that child realizes how comfortable they can be just being themselves.
Jay, Intermissions BarbershopEvery Snip Has a Purpose
Customer reviews often mention Jay’s attention to detail, and he has a one-word explanation for it: intentionality.
Every pass of the comb, every brush, every snip and clip should have a reason behind it. He wants clients to understand that, too. When they know why he is making each move, he said, they come away with a more realistic sense of what their finished haircut will look like. The same thinking applies to products, which he chooses based on a client’s hair texture and style.
What His Customers Say
Jay’s approach shows up in his online reviews. On Facebook, his page showed 100% of reviewers recommending the shop, based on 18 reviews at the time ClayFLNews.com checked. A few comments from his public Google reviews stand out.
“I moved over to Tallahassee but whenever work brings me this way I make sure to schedule a little extra time to get a hair cut with Jay.”
“Me being a barber my self I’m picky all I can say is he earned a client for life.”
“Jay was talkative and very friendly, made us feel like regulars.”
Review excerpts are quoted from public Google reviews. These customers were not interviewed by ClayFLNews.com.
No Comparisons, Just the Work
When asked about giving back to the community, Jay was quick to wave off the idea. “Giving back to the community is such a heavy word,” he said. He does not see himself doing it as much as he would like. To him, it is simpler than that: he does his job, he loves it, and he loves making people feel good about what they leave with.
He also keeps his attention on his own chair. He does not worry about how other barbershops are doing, and he shared a phrase that has stuck with him: comparison is the thief of joy.
And he does not see the job as only cutting hair. Depending on the day, he said, a barber can be a therapist, a friend, or an advisor. Often, he added, he is the one learning.
Sometimes or even most of the time I am a student simply learning from the world.
Jay, Intermissions BarbershopIn His Own Words: A Conversation With Jay
ClayFLNews.com asked Jay six questions about his shop, his craft and his community. His answers appear below in full, lightly edited for spelling, punctuation and clarity.
I was working in Fleming Island when I moved here. One day I saw a sign that said For Rent. It was kind of tipped over on its side, like it was just left there, but I took the chance and called the number. Thankfully the place was for rent, and the location was so beautiful. Right in the heart of the town. And close to my house, where I could ride my bike on a beautiful day, taking in an amazing morning, or on the way back home enjoy a night’s breeze.
First thing is personality from the jump. People want to feel like you are approachable. Sometimes talking to people as if you were meeting someone new at a get-together or a dinner party is a better approach than jumping straight to business. Especially with young children. They want to talk to someone that isn’t like their mom or their dad. They want to talk to someone that’s gonna make goofy jokes and ask them about things that they’re interested in. Conversation and connectability are very vital in this line of work. Talking haircuts and cutting hair, for me, falls under that umbrella.
Intentionality. Every comb through the hair, every brush through the hair, every snip and clip has to be for a purpose. When I talk about someone’s haircut with the client, they need to understand that every motion and move I make with the tools I have in my hand is for a specific purpose. It also allows them to receive their product more realistically. That includes using products. I have products that are used on certain textures and styles of hair. So I think what separates a good haircut from a bad haircut, or should I say a good barber from a bad barber, is intentional passion behind every motion toward that final product.
I think the most important thing when it comes to giving a haircut to a child, whether they’ve been to a barbershop or not, is simple conversation and connectability to passions that they may hold dear to them. Whether it be a video game, a book, a cool movie or show. We find ourselves as adults growing out of interest in those things, so it may be hard for a lot of barbers to be able to find joy and intrigue in a lot of those things. But to a child that is trusting a stranger that is older than them, it’s probably one of the most beautiful things to see. When that child realizes how comfortable they can be just being themselves.
You know, I try to cater to as many people in as many areas as I can. From Jacksonville to St. Johns County to Starke, including Clay County. But to be local, not just in Clay County but in Green Cove Springs, there’s a sense of home I can have here. There’s a sense of connectivity I can have with my clients. And it’s also good to be able to have mutual concerns and mutual interests in things that we may want to better in our community, or things that we may feel grateful for about our community. Being from Puerto Rico, I am from a small town in the mountains, so a lot of people know each other. A lot of people connect with each other, through bad and good. More than likely, I think there is a sense of humbleness I have, being around people that are in the same place as I am.
You know, giving back to the community is such a heavy word. I don’t really see myself doing that as much as I would like to. To be honest, as flattering as it may be to hear someone say that I give back anything, it’s as simple as me saying, I just do my job. I love what I do, and I love making people feel good about what they get. What I try to do to keep my focus on the people is to never worry about what other barbershops are doing, or how they are progressing, or if they’re progressing. I once heard a phrase: comparison is the thief of joy. And as long as I am joyful at what I do, and passionate about what I do, it’s easy for anyone to get something positive out of what I do. And be happy with what they get, with not just a haircut but also a therapist, a friend, an advisor, and sometimes, or even most of the time, I am a student simply learning from the world.
Visit Intermissions Barbershop
Intermissions Barbershop with Jay the Barber
305 Spring Street, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
intermissionsbarbershop.square.site
View Prices & Book an AppointmentCurrent services, prices and open appointment times are listed on Jay’s booking page.
