Walk into 18|8 Fine Men's Salon in the Promenade of Wayzata, next to The Hotel Landing, and you won't find the fast, in-and-out haircut model a lot of guys grew up with. Owner Andrew Hulse built the business around a longer appointment, a real consultation, and a stylist who actually knows your hair. Nine years into serving the Wayzata community, that approach has made 18|8 one of the go-to names in men's grooming on the lake.
The Best Haircut of His Life
Before hair was ever part of the plan, Andrew was running organizations with revenue in the hundreds of millions, and burning out on corporate America. He started looking for a franchise that would let him step off the grind, working through a long list of business models that sparked his interest. Hair salons, he admits, weren't anywhere near the top.
“I'll be honest, hair salons were on about page three of my list,” Andrew says. He then flew out to the original 18|8 store in California and got a haircut from a trained stylist. “It was the best haircut I'd ever had in my life.”
While 18|8 is no longer a franchise, that single appointment changed his perspective on men’s grooming. Andrew started digging into the industry and found that nearly a third of men were going to women's salons just trying to get a decent cut. There was a real gap in the market. He just didn't know if it would translate from California to Minnesota. Twelve years and two successful locations later, it clearly did.
A Skill They Don't Really Teach in Cosmetology School
Ask Andrew why great men's stylists are so hard to find, and he'll tell you it starts in school. “Cosmetology school primarily teaches women's hair, and then they spend significantly less time on men's hair,” he explains. “A lot of cosmetologists don't necessarily think of men's hair as a career, because of how much time they spend on women's hair in school.”
It also comes down to burnout. A lot of men's cuts run on a high-volume, get-them-out-fast model, which wears stylists down over time. Andrew built 18|8 to run the opposite way: longer appointments, set schedules, and fewer hours per stylist per week. It's part of why several of his stylists have been with him for a decade.
The Cut That Grows Out Right
The technique matters just as much as the schedule. Most salons cut with clipper guards, which follow the shape of a man's head. At 18|8, stylists use a clipper-over-comb technique instead, working with the shape of the head rather than just tracing it.
“Our haircuts will last longer and look personalized to you,” Andrew says. “Yes, you may be paying a higher price, but your haircut's going to look better for a longer period of time.”
The same philosophy applies to color. Grey blending, 18|8's most popular color service, takes about 30 minutes and fades naturally over four to six weeks, a fraction of the time of a traditional coloring appointment. Andrew notices more and more guys in their 30s asking for it these days. “You can get grey hair at almost any age,” he says. “A lot of guys aren't ready for that yet.”
What's Trending on the Lake
Andrew's watching a shift right now. After years of tight fades dominating, hair is trending a little longer again, part of a cycle he's seen come and go over the years. Beards have held steady for about six years running. And the Wayzata clientele itself is anything but one type of guy: students, professionals, and retirees all walk through the door looking for the same thing, a cut that makes them feel like themselves.
Andrew still thinks about one client in particular: a mom who brought her son in right before he left for college. He'd had the same haircut since freshman year of high school. An hour later, he looked like a completely different person, more grown up, more confident. “The mom grabbed the stylist and hugged her, and was just in tears,” Andrew remembers. “When you've got a good haircut, you look better, you feel better, and you perform better.”
Before You Book
First time in? Andrew recommends booking the New Client Executive Cut, which builds in extra time for a real consultation. And don't hold back in the chair. “It's okay to ask questions,” he says. “Use that consultation time to come up with something you both understand is what you're looking for.”
Nine years into Wayzata, Andrew still credits the community for the salon's success. “We've just had a wonderful experience here, and we really appreciate the support this community has given us over the years.”
Our haircuts will last longer and look personalized to you.