|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
In the era of chain salons and impersonal “in-and-out” services, ToppCuttaz — a small, family-oriented personal care business — embraces both craftsmanship and community.
With a passion for personalized service, owner Michael Stephens says ToppCuttaz was “a concept based on a necessity.” Stephens envisioned a one-stop-shop that would encompass all the services offered at other grooming facilities: the typical separate hair salon, barber shop, spa and nail bar. In 2013 he established an operation to fulfill all these needs. The brand he founded has now grown to two locations, with the original shop located at 19874 N.W. 27th Avenue and ToppCuttaz 2.0 at 17227 on the same street.
“Mom, Dad, children and even the grandparents can get their beauty fix here,” he said. The shops offer a myriad of services ranging from unisex mani-pedis, men’s and women’s cuts, facials, expert braiding, natural hair and loc services, fades, tapers, hi-def designs and more.
Aside from the skilled hands that care for your hair, ToppCuttaz also offers a haven where every client becomes part of a close-knit community. From offering a stack of free takeaway books at both locations to incentivizing academic success in exchange for discounted or even free services, ToppCuttaz has established a commitment to supporting Miami Gardens’ youngest residents. The shop hosts annual book bag giveaways at the start of the school year, as well as mentoring programs to support both the academic and personal development of the City’s youth.
Stephens and his team also sponsor, arrange and / or host other community efforts, like financial literacy seminars and organized voter registrations. They are also avid proponents of mental health awareness, advocating for and organizing events to provide information and resources to those in need. “We are committed to elevating our community,” Stephens proudly boasts.
Looking to the future, Stephens is excited to introduce “The University of ToppCuttaz,” a comprehensive beauty and barber institute that will offer vocational training for at-risk youth and people re-entering society after incarceration. In its 10 years of operation, ToppCuttaz has become a pillar of the Miami Gardens community, and the impact they create reaches far beyond their salon walls.
