In 1928, when a barbershop first opened at this address on 11th Street, Houston was smaller, quieter, and still figuring out what it would become. The shop was practical and unassuming, built for a neighborhood that needed a place to sit, talk, and get cleaned up. Nearly a century later, the street has changed almost completely. The barbershop has not.
Doug’s old waiting chairs (photo courtesy of Doug’s Barbershop)
Doug’s Barbershop is not the oldest barbershop in Houston. Its distinction is narrower and more fragile: a barbershop has operated continuously in this exact location since 1928. Names have changed. Owners have changed. The chairs have been replaced over the years, but the purpose of the room has remained the same.
“There has always been a barbershop here,” said Jeff Armstrong, who bought the shop in 2014. “That’s the constant.”
For much of its history, the shop existed without much notice. Then, in the late 1990s, it briefly entered popular culture.
In Rushmore, directed by Wes Anderson and starring Bill Murray, the shop appears during a quiet, uncomfortable moment. Murray’s character, Herman Blume, sits in the barber chair as the barber works around him. They exchange sparse, slightly awkward conversation — a scene about loneliness and routine more than grooming.
« Rushmore» (1998)
Wes Anderson
Stars: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams |
For the film, the production dressed the shop for the screen, enhancing the space while keeping its character intact. It looked fuller and sharper than it had before, still unmistakably a working barbershop, just briefly polished for the camera.
Barbershop scene from “Rushmore” (1998), a Wes Anderson movie. (Photo courtesy of Doug’s Barbershop)
When Doug bought the shop in the early 2000s, it had recently had that brush with fame. Inside, however, it was still plain. The previous owner, Don Willis, had kept it functional and undecorated.
“Doug saw it as a blank canvas,” Armstrong said.
Doug filled the shop with photographs, objects, and collections, each tied to a story he liked to tell. Over time, the walls became dense with meaning. Customers asked questions. Doug answered. The shop slowly took on his personality.
Doug has since passed away, and many of his stories passed with him. What remains is a space full of artifacts that still invite curiosity. Barbers share what they remember. The rest lives in the feeling of the room.
Armstrong took over the shop in 2014 and views himself less as an owner than as a caretaker.
“I’m really curating Doug’s life work,” he said.
For years, the shop resisted modernization. It stayed cash-only. Walk-in only. No appointments. No cards. The routines inside felt protected from the changes happening outside.
That began to shift in 2019. Credit cards were accepted for the first time. The change was simple, and it worked. That same year, the shop experienced one of its most unusual moments.
A couple deeply attached to Rushmore asked to be married inside the barbershop. About 35 guests packed into the space. A crepe vendor set up on the sidewalk outside. The couple even designed postcards inspired by the film scene shot there.
An 87-year-old barber cuts hair (photo courtesy of Doug’s Barbershop)
Then, in 2020, everything stopped. The pandemic forced the shop to close for six weeks. When it reopened, business dropped to roughly ten percent of normal.
“We were living off savings and prayers,” Armstrong said.
On Jan. 1, 2021, customers returned. The chairs filled. The rhythm resumed.
“It was like it never happened,” he said.
Today, the shop serves a wide range of customers: neighborhood kids, longtime regulars, and newcomers drawn by reputation. There is no single type. The unspoken rule is how people treat one another once they sit down.
Politics, religion, and sex are avoided. Conversations stay grounded — trips, holidays, births, deaths. The barbers listen. They remember.
Outside, Houston continues to rearrange itself. Bike lanes now run past the storefront. Traffic backs up near Heights Boulevard, slowing cars long enough for drivers to notice the shop. The landlord does not allow rooftop signage, so the shop relies on presence rather than promotion.
Inside, the responsibility remains the same.
“A great haircut is about trust,” Armstrong said.
Licensed since 1986, he knows when to pass a customer to another chair. Irene and Amber handle detailed fades. Long hair often comes to him. The point is not perfection, but care.
In 2028, the shop will mark 100 years of continuous operation at the same address. Armstrong plans to celebrate, even as he remains protective of what comes next.
“I’d hate to see someone dismantle what Doug created,” he said.
For now, the shop continues quietly, just as it always has — a place from a movie that never stopped being real.
Doug’s Barbershop is located at 219 E 11th St. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit dougsbarbershop.com.