Temple salon creates line of men’s grooming products
DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE
A popular Temple hair salon located a block west of 57th Street offers more than the latest hair styles — owners Julia and Jacob Rodriguez also produce a line of men’s beard, skin and hair-care products.
Jacob opened Dapper & Dashin’ Salon & Shop four years ago.
“I moved to Temple when I was in the fifth grade, and I graduated from Temple High in 2006,” he said. “I went to cosmetology school in Killeen and started working as a licensed hair stylist in 2007. I worked at Alicia’s Salon until we opened here.”
Dapper & Dashin’ quickly built a following and was doing quite well, then that pandemic thing hit in March 2020.
“I had seven employees before COVID, and when we came back to work I only had three,” he said. “We had distancing requirements — we could only use every other chair for a while. It was tough, but God got us through. By the end of 2020 we had made up our losses.”
Today, Dapper & Dashin’ employs 12 people, including three front-desk coordinators. The business is open 8 to 8 Tuesday through Friday and 9 to 5 on Saturday.
“We’re averaging about 800 customers a month and that number is growing,” Jacob said. “About 65 percent of our clients are repeat customers.”
The business is not in a highly visible location, and that worried Jacob in the early days. The salon is located in an office park off Scott Boulevard about a block west of 57th Street.
“I wasn’t crazy about this location at first — it’s kind of tucked away,” he said. “But we are very active on social media, and people have found us.”
Yes they have, and business is going so well the Rodriguez’s plan on expanding in January.
“We’re going to remodel the shop and expand from eight hair stations to 16,” he said. “That will require 16 stylists. Our stylists average about 70 clients per month, so we will be able to accommodate right around 1,100 customers every month.”
In addition to hair cuts, hair styles and beard grooming, the shop also sells more than 200 products, including the Dapper & Dashin’ men’s care line.
“We have four products right now,” Jacob said. “My wife is actually the chemist, and she makes the products in our Temple home. We sell them here and at 1st Street Roasters in Downtown Temple.”
Jacob said the products are infused with natural essential oils and have a light rosemary fragrance.
“Our products aren’t strong or overbearing,” he said. “They are very natural. We make Beard Oil, Beard Wash, Beard Butter and Skin & Hair Tonic.”
Beard Oil is made with mustard seed, rosemary and castor oils, and the product is designed to strengthen and condition hair to promote growth and shine. Beard Wash is a pure Castile soap that includes peppermint and lavender. It packs a powerful, yet gentle, punch.
Jacob said Beard Butter is a combination of seven different oils combined with mango and shea butters to create a deep moisturizing butter customers love. Skin & Hair Tonic is pure rosemary water and alcohol-free witch hazel that provides antibacterial qualities. Aloe adds moisture and vitamin E and frankincense fight the signs of aging, he said.
The Dapper & Dashin’ line is among the salon’s top-selling products.
Along with dozens of hair, skin, body and beard products, Dapper & Dashin’ also sells a line of branded merchandise including several styles of t-shirts and caps, wine that is produced by Kissing Tree Winery in Eddy, and even a custom whiskey flask.
