By Charles Mowry

From a veteran’s vision to a neighborhood institution, the Family Barber Shop has reliably serviced the Uptown community of New Orleans for over a century. 

Originally opening in the 1920s, the shop has been one of the oldest operating businesses in the Riverbend area. Located near the corner of South Carrollton Avenue and Oak Street, this venerable building has remained while watching nearby banks transform into the neighborhood coffee shops and corner stores. 

Pictures of the barber class of 1946 hang from the tall wooden walls. Mementos have filled the mirror with memories from the war and years past. Sharp razor blades hit hot shaving cream to finish the cut. There are patched holes in the dark maroon and emerald green leather chairs, and below the second chair in the shop lie three visible layers of tile flooring from decades apart. It is undeniable that the rich history has remained apparent after the first step into the building. 

However, this history would not be possible without Commander Sergent Major Lynward “Bud” J. Adams, the longtime owner of the shop before he passed away a few years ago from health complications. 

Bud Adams was born in New Orleans in 1923, and he quickly dedicated his life to service after enlisting in the war. After returning from World War II, Bud’s father encouraged him to get a barber’s license as he had done and to join him in the family business. Bud obliged, as other job opportunities seemed bleak, and within six months, he was working with his father a few blocks away on Oak Street. He was with his father’s shop from 1946-1966, ironically competing for business with the previous owners of the current shop. Eventually, after 20 years of work with his father, Bud decided to purchase the shop down the road. Since then, he has forever transformed it into the institution that is standing today. 

For his entire life, Bud altruistically served those around him. He lived to be a 98-year-old war veteran, depicted as “Happy and enjoying life for every second of it” by a current barber in the shop, Ahmad. From nobly serving his country to always lending a smile and meaningful conversation with a haircut, Bud created a positive atmosphere that lingers in the shop today. 

“He [Bud] kept a sign behind his chair that said ‘96 and never worked a day in my life’, and that perfectly described who he was as a person. Always came in with his easy-going spirit.” – Ahmad M.

Now, the business is in the respected hands of Alan Seals, a longtime barber of the shop. Alan has continued to run the shop in Bud’s legacy with the help of Ahmad and Cassie, two experienced barbers. They have worked together to maintain the familiar environment that Bud had originally fostered, and they have proudly looked to keep his vision alive.

After getting a haircut and speaking with Ahmad about the shop, he embodies the same ideals that Bud had displayed. Ahmad has thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people, and he has loved what he does for a living, two traits that Bud exemplified in his lifetime. For Ahmad, being a barber at the shop can feel like a home at times, and his customers can be “Seen as friends to him” after years of service.  

Ahmad came to the shop a few years before Bud passed away, and he learned about cutting hair from folding towels and shampooing hair in his mother’s shop. He realized there at his mother’s shop what he continues to love about being a barber today: the comradery and friendships that this one place can foster are unparalleled. 

The Family Barber Shop has mimicked this memory, and it is a landmark that has embodied the sentiment as well. 

When Bud opened the shop over 55 years ago, haircuts were only $1. Now at $25, the Family Barber Shop has persisted in offering prices well under local competitors such as Mason & Binder and Modern Men, and in some cases, at 50% less cost. They have stayed loyal to the residents of uptown New Orleans. This dedication to their customer base while preserving an affordable price for the community allows for an intricate connection between the shop and the surrounding neighborhood. 

The Family Barber Shop is an experience filled with wonderful conversation and a sense of hospitality. From surviving economic crises and wars to enduring disease and disaster – this long-standing staple in New Orleans’s history has steadily had an incredible impact on their community.