Keith Kill, right, owner of Keith’s Kuts barber shop, with haircutter Bradford Miller. (Staff photo by Bill Sanservino.)
Stepping into Keith’s Kuts in the Birmingham Plaza on Parkway Avenue is like take a trip down memory lane. And owner Keith Hill, Sr. is the epitome of a classic old-fashioned barber.
“I enjoy people,” he said. “You’re one-on-one with numerous people all day. There are no wrong conversations. The barbershop is the last place in America where you can speak your mind.” You don’t have to agree with what is being said, but you are allowed to say it at Keith’s Kuts.
Hill is the fourth owner of the barbershop, which opened in 1953, as well as the second generation owner. In 2000 he purchased the business from his father-in-law, Tony Gibilisco, who purchased it in 1986. The business was originally located on Parkway Avenue near Olden Avenue. After the original shop burned down in 2004, Hill moved it to its current location in the Birmingham Plaza.
“I was in soda sales for 20 years. I had my license to cut hair,” Hill said. “I was tired of corporate America. He [his father-in-law, Tony] was looking to semi-retire. In September 2000, I bought the business from him while he worked three days a week part-time. He worked until he got too sick. He liked being with people.” Gibilisco passed away three and a half years ago.
“My father-in-law trained me,” said Hill. “I went to Mercer County Vo-Tec at night to get my license in 1996. I left Pepsi in 1998 to work full-time.”
For the past seven years, working with Keith is Brad Miller. Hill and Miller only cut men’s hair. They aspire to be a “3-peat and 3rd generation” barbershop. They want new customers to come in for at least three haircuts with the hope that someday they’ll come back with their grandchildren and be cutting the hair of all three generations. They do flat tops, skin fades, military high and tight, children’s haircuts and regular gentlemen’s haircuts.
“We want to make certain that you walk out of our shop a happy customer,” Hill said.
“It is a very good business. We have very good clientele including locals, those who work in the area, TCNJ and Rider students.” With back to school time brings the college students. “They come two or three at the same time in the same car.”
“Every customer is different,” Hill said. “Every conversation is different.”
Outside of work, Hill is into hunting and fishing, so some conversations go that way. His sons play football and other sports, so he talks about that, too. “Politics, religion, all of that stuff, it doesn’t matter. They tell you not to talk about that at barber shop school. But everyone is entitled to their opinion.”
Miller went to Ewing High School, and many of his friends come to Keith’s Kuts. “It is nice having local people,” said Miller.
The shop’s oldest customer is 97-years-old and continues to drive himself to Keith’s Kuts. Its youngest customers are around one-year-old sitting on their parents’ laps as they receive their first haircut. For those, he hill said he tries to “get off what you can as quick as you can.” He always saves a bit of the baby’s hair and puts it in a baggy for the baby book.
Haircuts are $18 for anyone over 10, $14 for seniors, and $16 for children 10 and under. Keith’s Kuts is a walk-in business, with no appointment required. They are open six days a week, as Hill puts it “closed on Sundays just like Chik-Fil-A.” They are open until 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday nights.
Keith’s Kuts, Birgmingham Plaza, 1410 Parkway Avenue. (609) 883-4033. On the web: keithskuts.com.
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