At The Barber Suite, faith & skill come together for a fresh cut

NORTH SMITHFIELD – Andrew Pannullo, known professionally as Drew Scott, recently opened a barbershop called The Barber Suite at 63 Greenville Road, which was formerly known as Joe’s Hairstyling for the last 50 years.

The standalone residential property has been around for 70 years, and has also been an ice cream shop and a restaurant, among other things, Pannullo said.

“It’s like a landmark,” he said. “That helps a lot. I’m glad it can still be a barbershop. I like the old school style.”

Pannullo, 41, of Smithfield, has been cutting hair professionally for 28 years. Growing up in Johnston and Cranston, he started doing his younger brother’s hair, and the hair of all the kids in the neighborhood beginning when he was 12, he said.

“It all started when I was young. My brother is two years younger than me, and I was outside with a pair of red safety scissors and I remember just thinking ‘I wonder if this can cut anything else besides paper?’ So I cut my brother’s bangs,” Pannullo said. “And I did a pretty good job according to the barber that my mother brought him to to fix it. That’s when I had a feeling of what I wanted to do.”

Pannullo started keeping a pair of clippers under the sink to fix the haircuts he got at the barbershop, he said.

“I would critique the barber and do my own sideburns,” he said. “I got brave and I’d use a hand mirror to do the back of my hair. I was bald more often than not because I’d get carried away. But I practiced on my brother and the kids in the neighborhood, and repetition is the best way to learn.”

After Pannullo got his barber license, he apprenticed under another barber and thought about going to barber school, he said.

“But you really need hands-on training to learn,” he said. “And at the time the industry was changing from the bowl cuts of my youth to fades and temps and stuff like that.”

Pannullo worked at different salons until he realized he needed to stay in one place for a while to build a client base, he said. So he stayed at Precision Cuts in North Smithfield for 16 years.

One day he was browsing Facebook Marketplace and Craig’s List to see what was available for rent for a place of his own, and he found the 63 Greenville Road location, he said. 

“I just love the location. I used to drive by here and think that I would love to open up there,” he said. “It’s a standalone, it has its own parking lot, which is great. Parking is always an issue. And people can see the parking lot when they drive by and see how busy it is. It was just such a blessing. I’ve been praying about this for a while. I think it’s awesome.”

The Barber Suite opened on January 6, with Pannullo and another barber, Chris Crofwell, with whom Pannullo cut hair 20 years ago, he said. 

“It’s going good. We are starting to see a lot of new faces, so it’s good that people are starting to check it out,” he said.

Pannullo said he strives to give his customers a good experience every time they come in for a haircut.

“I try to give people something positive to walk away with. From having music on, a good vibe in here. I’m not a big talker, I like to let the people sit and relax. I remember growing up and getting a cut and falling asleep, or just zoning out, it’s so relaxing,” he said. 

“I also think it’s really important to be attentive to people’s time. I make sure their appointment is right on time, and people appreciate that,” he said.

Pannullo also enjoys cutting children’s hair, he said.

“That’s one of the best things I like to do, kids cuts. There’s so many places you’ll see where the kid is restrained, you have to move with them. It’s fun, I like it,” he said.

Pannullo added that his favorite part of his job is serving others.

“Watching people’s whole mood change after a haircut, it makes them feel fresh – it’s so rewarding,” he said. “My faith in Jesus is the driving force that has opened these doors for me to do what I love, and to then in return show that love to others is the ultimate fulfillment.”