Want A Doughnut? Get A Haircut!

I remember getting my hair cut as a boy at Elliot's Barber Shop in Chamblee Plaza. Mr. Elliot was one of the first men to ever cut my hair, and my dad took me to his shop for years.

A friendly "Come in" from Mr. Elliot would greet every customer as they walked into his shop. A longtime member of the local Masonic lodge, Mr. Elliot was a Chamblee icon, and I worried when he passed that his shop would fall by the wayside as so many other Chamblee Plaza businesses have done.

But Elliot's Barber Shop has remained a Chamblee mainstay. James Ramlow is the owner of Elliot's now, having bought it many years ago from the Elliot family.

The shop is partnering with the new owner of Chamblee Plaza, Trinity Development Group, to establish a new Saturday tradition. Starting on Jan. 5, customers who get a haircut at Elliot's will get a free doughnut from Dunkin Donuts in Chamblee Plaza.

"Trinity approached us with an idea of getting more traffic and interest in the complex, and we thought this was a good idea," said Ramlow, whose father worked in the shop after Mr. Elliot passed away.

Ramlow said he never thought about renaming Elliot's Barber Shop after himself. "That would be like changing the name of a McDonald's," he said.