As told by Jason Cauthen
History and a Haircut - Norman Stewart’s Style-O-Rama
There aren’t many businesses that last 10 years in San Francisco, let alone 20. But if you’ve been fortunate enough to have your hair cut by Norman Stewart - you have experienced a sole proprietor who has successfully operated a business in San Francisco for more than a half a century.
Stewart’s Style-O-Rama is an unpretentious barbershop in the classic style. There are stacks of magazines to flip through while you wait, the TV is tuned to news or sports, and Norman Stewart is always happy to share his thoughts and wisdom on whatever it is you’d like to chat about that day while he expertly cuts hair to your precise specifications.
Stewart was born in Texarkana, Texas where his parents ran a grocery store. As a young boy, he moved with his family to San Francisco - where the prospects were better in the grocery business (Texarkana had recently gone dry). In the fifties and sixties, Stewart attended Brett Harte Elementary, Franklin Junior High, Galileo High School, City College and finally Moler College where he graduated in 1962. In 1964, he opened a barber shop on Haight which he served clients including Jimi Hendrix and Joan Baez. After being refused by the racist policies of the all-white barbers’ union he created his own; and went on to run what he believes was the “first integrated barber shop” in the country when he hired a white employee.
When Stewart’s landlord tried to raise his rent in 1975, he bought his current location on Hayes at Ashbury. There he battled with the city regulators to install a pool table in his shop, a battle not settled until Supervisor Harvey Milk interceded in Stewart’s favor. Since the seventies, the demographics of the clientele have shifted as has the surrounding neighborhood; and Stewart is proud to have a diverse set of clients that “look like America,” the oldest of whom (Mr. Wilson) is over 100 years old.
While he has taken the COVID closures in stride - the shop has been hit just as many businesses have. Style-O-Rama is currently open for business and keeps things safe by limiting it to one customer at a time (there is no indoor waiting space) and by following all of the mask and glove protocols. So if you are getting tired of your COVID-shag look, grab your mask, and pay Norman a visit and he’ll get you looking sharp again.
Stewart’s Style-O-Rama is open from 10-6 Tuesday-Saturday at 1918 Hayes (at Ashbury) and takes walk-ins. If you want to call to see if he’s busy - you can reach him at (415) 666-0203.
