Barbershop Offers Discounts to Young Clients Who Read Out Loud

Boys who come to The Fuller Cut in Ypsilanti, Michigan receive more than just a sharp-looking haircut. By taking advantage of the barbershop’s literacy program, they get to spend some quality time with a good book while trimming $2 off their bill in the process, NPR reports.

Ryan Griffin, who has worked at The Fuller Cut for two decades, got the idea after learning of a similar reading-based discount offered by a barbershop in Harlem, New York. The Michigan establishment now provides stacks of books in its waiting room for kids to choose from and read out loud during their cuts.

Because the shop caters to young black men, Griffin told The Huffington Post he went out of his way to fill the reading selection with “positive images of African-Americans.” Astronauts, detectives, and baseball players are a few of the characters kids can read about during their visits.

Barbershops around the country have adopted programs in the same vein. At one barbershop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, kids who read get their hair cut on the house—plus a free book to take home. What makes the offer at The Fuller Cut unique is the emphasis on education: After kid clients read their books, the barbers will ask them questions to test their comprehension. While not every kid is eager to read during his or her trip to the barber, more than 100 have taken advantage of the program in the past year.

[h/t NPR]

All images: Instagram

Know of something you think we should cover? Email us at tips@mentalfloss.com.