Zine Soussi waited years before arriving where he is today, running Chicut Barber Studio in Cary’s Tryon Village.
Soussi’s business opened in November 2019, offering a high-end barber experience, including haircuts, beard trims and shaves for all hair types and hair styles. The slogan for his business is ‘It’s more than a haircut,’ and for the 42-year-old Morrocan-born barber, it is.
“We make sure that every single client walks out the door very happy,” Soussi said. “We are part of the community, and we do the best we can to make the client happy and we focus on the details.”
Soussi first became interested in cutting hair when he was growing up in Morocco. He trimmed and styled his own hair because his family couldn’t afford haircuts. Though he’s always known he wanted to be a barber, he didn’t have the opportunity to pursue formal training until he moved to North Carolina from New York City in 2016.
“I was waiting to get everything done right professionally,” Soussi said. “I never got the chance in New York City. I was busy working different jobs because I had a family. I have four boys, so it was hard in New York City to go to work and go to school at the same time.”
Shortly after settling in the Triangle, Soussi enrolled in the Wake Technical Community College Barber School full time. A year later, he graduated in the first class to come from the program, and Chicut Barber Studio became the fruit of that labor.
“It was not easy, but I’m glad I did it,” Soussi said of going to barber school. “That’s how we grow; that’s life skills. If you don’t go for it, you can’t get it.”
The interior of Chicut Barber Studio, located in Cary’s Tryon Village.
When he opened the business, Soussi reached out to Wake Tech to partner with apprentices in the program as a way to give back to the program. Student barbers must apprentice with a licensed barber for at least a year before applying for a license themselves.
“I didn’t think I was going to be able to go to school if Wake Tech class wasn’t available, because it’s very expensive,” Soussi said. “That’s why I want to give back to Wake Tech. I want to give back to the students — everybody.”
Like many barber shop and hair salon owners across the state, Soussi has struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. A few months after opening Chicut Barber Studio, state and local mandates shut down his business for months at a time.
Now that he has reopened the business with safety precautions in place, Soussi says business has been picking up again. After quite a journey, the Cary business owner is just happy to be doing what he loves again.
“It’s getting better,” Soussi said. “I know it’s a process and I know it’s not something easy. It’s the first time ever, and we understand we’re in a pandemic. It’s something that’s not easy, but the good thing is we’re still alive.”
The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., by appointment.
Chicut Barber Studio
8204 Tryon Woods Drive, Suite 104, Cary
(919) 900-8423
chicutbarberstudio.com
