Neighborhood Notes

My martini is just out of reach. It sits on the ledge in front of me, but my stylist has a lock of my hair clamped in a straightening iron, and I can’t move.

Yes, the idea of a salon that serves cocktails is what lured me here, to the new Bishops outpost in the Pearl District (1011 N.W. Everett St.)

A local minichain, Bishops has five barbershops in Portland, plus this new, fancier salon. The funky barbershops offer free bottles of Miller High Life to their customers; the sleek salon offers vodka drinks to its clients.

Of course, free beer is one of the oldest tricks in the book when you’re trying to attract a crowd. But there’s a new trend in marketing that is inspired by bars yet isn’t really about offering freebies, or lowering the inhibitions of potential money-spenders.

Read the full story at the Portland Tribune...