To call 23-year-old Brandon Burdine an old soul might be an understatement. Tucked among the bail bondsmen near City Market, his new business—strapping and Spartan—is just seven months old but handsomely flecked with treasures of a bygone era. The twirling barber pole dates to the 1950s. Two chairs, one upholstered emerald and the other brick-red, hail from the 1920s. The cash register, a monolith that rests on a custom-made hardwood counter, is more than 100 years old and is as anchored as its owner’s conviction: “Doing things the classic way is the right way,” says Burdine.
Visitors to Brick & Mortar—mostly downtown professionals in their 20s and 30s—are treated to $20 cuts (mainly side-parts and pompadours), $30 straight-edge shaves, $15 beard trims, and, more important, a lesson in what works and what doesn’t.
While Burdine’s aesthetic is fixed, Brick & Mortar is still evolving. He recently hired Marcus McMahon, a veteran of super-hip Austin, Texas, barber shop Shed. Later this year, Burdine hopes to add a third chair, and wants to unveil a line of housemade beard oils, pre-shaves, and aftershaves still in development to sell alongside wood razor handles ($30 and up) turned on a lathe in the shop. Eventually, he even plans to sell men’s clothing and homegoods. 126 N. Delaware St., 929-1179, brickandmortarusa.com
This article is part of Indianapolis Monthly’s May 2016 Shear Genius barbershops package. For more slick advice, a crop of local grooming products, and buzzworthy barbershops, click here.
