Former gamblers open luxury Raritan barbershop featuring $1,000 scissors, marble floors
Just a few years ago, Piscataway residents Thom Kho and Ross Causing were getting kicked out of casinos for card counting and netting five-figure payouts, like a scene out of Martin Scorsese’s “Casino.”
Now the former professional gamblers’ 9-to-5 is a lot tamer, but just as luxe.
In spring, the longtime friends co-opened The Willman barber shop at 17 E. Somerset St. in Raritan, offering high-end men’s cuts with $1,000 Japanese steel scissors and $600 Dyson hair dryers surrounded by a PS5, espresso, marble floors and free whiskey shots for loyal clients.
“You don’t have to drive to Hoboken or Manhattan to get our type of service,” Kho said.
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Kho and Causing spent $70,000 to renovate the former Razor's Edge, the barber shop that was at 17 E. Somerset St. for decades.
At The Willman, they use Bleu de Chanel cologne, moisturizer and aftershave on every client, and save their customers’ haircut photos in a database so they can refer back to them. Haircuts cost $55, or $65 with a beard trim.
After Kho and Causing met at Piscataway Magnet School’s cosmetology program, they had the idea to make extra money playing blackjack once they saw the movie “21.” Their side hustle turned full-time as the chips stacked up.
“I didn’t think it would be anything big,” said Kho. “I was just gambling and I didn’t know anything other than card counting (keeping track of what cards have been played), but Ross was the brains of helping me figure out the missing pieces of the game. And when we figured it out, we were like, ‘Let’s see where we go with this.’ "
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But after nine years, they felt that it was time to do something more fulfilling.
“You’re trying to find the edge and beat someone," Causing said. "But when you’re doing other businesses, you’re trying to figure out how you can provide for someone. I didn’t want to go around anymore thinking, ‘How can I beat this person and take money from them?’
“And even though you’re making money, you’re sitting at a casino in Oklahoma at 3 a.m. with degenerates who are losing thousands of dollars while your family is enjoying birthdays or vacations. That’s not the lifestyle I wanted to be around."
When it came time to name their new barber shop, they named it after the two men with the best character they knew: William is Kho’s father’s first name, and Manuel is Causing’s grandfather’s first name.
Manuel was also a big fan of a good cut before he passed away in 2009. He is buried less than 2 miles from where The Willman is now.
“Going with him to his barber in Jersey City is one of my fondest memories,” Causing said. “Even though we moved to Piscataway, he would still drive all the way there to his old barber. And he had a good, full head of hair.”
Go: 17 E. Somerset St., Raritan; 908-210-9516, thewillmanbarber.com.
Contact: [email protected]
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, although she's a lifetime Jersey girl who considers herself an expert in everything from the Jersey Shore to the Garden State's buzzing downtowns. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Luxury barbershop The Willman is open in Raritan