Situated on the historic streetscape of Marshall Avenue in St. Paul, the minimalistic, black-and-white exterior of The Dapper Wolf might look like any other barbershop to the casual passerby. But owner Andy Doan, a Vietnamese American from self-described “humble, blue-collar beginnings,” would be the first to tell you that—in both property and life—there’s usually more than meets the eye.
When I paid a visit to Doan’s shop in early March, he led me past his bright, open studio to a bar and lounge complete with a fireplace, plush leather sofa, and saloon-style swinging bar door—an alcove one might describe as an elevated waiting room. Before I had a chance to scan the bar’s expansive selection of top-shelf whiskey, Doan slid the deceptive “fireplace” door back to reveal a spacious, rentable bar room known as The Den. “A total man cave,” he says, laughing.
Since he was a teenager, Doan has ardently believed in the power of a great haircut, often inviting his friends over after school to give them amateur at-home chops in his childhood bedroom. For Doan, the process is more akin to a transformation than a quick cleanup—boosting confidence and elevating one’s image in a matter of minutes. “It’s a therapy that isn’t often talked about,” he says. “When you sit in that chair, something just happens. You feel so light because you know that someone’s taking care of you.”
It’s clear that caretaking is an essential element of The Dapper Wolf’s ethos—one that led Doan to think beyond just grooming. The result? An intimate gathering space for men to escape and connect as they wait for their seat in that transformative chair. We sat down with Doan to learn more about his unique speakeasy-style escape and how it can benefit the men in your life—just in time for Father’s Day or other special occasions.
The Dapper Wolf is not just a barbershop but an elevated gathering space for men. Did you think the Twin Cities was missing a space like this?
I did. It has always been important to me—style, fashion, and how I carry myself. I wanted to feel taken care of, but I also like to take care of others. It was important to create a space that I wanted to experience myself. It does go beyond just a haircut, because you can just get a haircut at a lot of places. It’s really important to me for you to feel like you had a whole package versus just a chop. It was about creating a space, cultivating a vibe, and a team that has the same values and ideals as myself… to create an experience for every single person that walks through the door.
Your tagline is ‘Transforming the men of St. Paul into dapper gentlemen.’ In your opinion, what constitutes a dapper gentleman? How do you offer this to the men who walk through your door?
My background is very humble beginnings. I worked many jobs and grew up in a blue-collar family. But I loved dressing up, and I loved getting a nice haircut, and most people that walk through this door fit that profile. I really wanted to make sure they could sit down in a chair, have an experience, build the confidence, and then it’s almost like a light switches on when they leave… they’re happy, they’re standing up a little taller. Creating an elevated image of oneself when people come through this door is super important to me.
Can you tell me a little bit about your inspiration for the design here?
As a hair stylist, everybody was told, ‘Hey, wear all black.’ All black is kind of your marker for your image in this industry. So, I love all-dark everything. If I could do this whole place dark, I probably would, but it doesn’t really work well energy-wise. Still, I stuck with monochromatic and natural colors, like leather [furniture] and the terrazzo floors. Just bright and energetic without being too colorful. Also bringing in life with the green. The whole place would be covered in plants if I could keep them alive.
Do you ever have wives or family members of clients come into the space to hang out? Is that something you cater to as an experience-based company?
We do all the time. They come in, and they hang out because they’re running around or they’re going to get lunch or dinner after the appointment, whatever the case. That is one of the most important aspects of creating this space. I want you, if you’re waiting here, to think, ‘This is cool,’ and be happy to come back every single time. And for the record, I can’t take 100% credit for the design aspect, because my home looks like this, too.
Did your wife help you in the design process?
Oh, yeah. She helped choose things, made sure things weren’t too much, too gaudy, or too loud. We’re very alike in the design aspect, so I knew we could come together and work on that. From her perspective, she told me, ‘I just want to sit here and drink scotch.’ Or, you know what I mean, ‘smoke a cigar, if I could.’ It kind of gives off the speakeasy vibe, yeah? But, also, it’s not restrictive to just men.
How can family members take advantage of The Dapper Wolf’s offerings for Father’s Day?
I think it would be really cool to do whiskey tastings, or even just product knowledge classes or styling classes. I get questions every day, ‘Hey, what should I use? What should I do for this?’ Even if they’re not in my chair, I get emails looking for a little advice. There are also online and physical gift cards. I feel like it’s a great Father’s Day, ‘treat yourself’ sort of gift.
What do you hope each client takes away from their experience at your shop?
It’s so important to me that anybody who walks through here is going to have an experience unlike any other. I have a lot of mentors and people that I aspire to be like on a business level, like [owner of Mucci’s Italian] Tim Niver—he is the king of hospitality. Just by going to his restaurants, I think, ‘This is how people need to feel when they come to my space.’ The goal is to just continuously grow and make people feel welcome, but also feel so good about themselves. People need encouragement.
