From Italian Barbershop to Madison Avenue: How Barberino’s is Building the "Ferrari of Men's Grooming"

Ellis Island, 1910…

A young Italian steps off the boat and makes his way to Boston, where he becomes THE go-to barber for the Italian American community. They nickname him "Barberino" - meaning "little barber" in Italian.

That barber was Michele Callegari's great-grandfather.

About a century later…

Michele is grinding away as an investment banker. But something's bugging him - he couldn’t find a single luxury men’s grooming brand that spoke to him as a consumer.

Together with his co-founder (another reformed finance bro from Milan), they spotted a massive opportunity: blend Italian luxury with men's grooming, targeting the kind of guys who "drive Ferrari, wear Armani, and live in penthouses."

They immediately went to work, building Barberino’s in Italy. And in 5 years Michele says they’ve become the #1 luxury men's grooming brand in Italy.

They accomplished this by first building out a network of barbershops across Italy.

• 16 owned locations

• 70 master barbers

• 75% revenue from repeat customers

• 30%+ store-level profits

Their secret sauce? Creating an experience so good, customers can't help but come back. "What we want to bring to the United States is a true heritage brand with DNA in Italy," Michele explains.

The Billion-Dollar Grooming Boom

The luxury men's grooming market in the U.S. alone is on track to hit $10–15 billion by 2030, driven by a new generation of affluent men who care deeply about self-care and luxury experiences. Barberino’s isn't just entering a market—it's riding a wave.

And their first splash is on Madison Avenue.

Making it in Manhattan

Their Madison Avenue flagship store hit breakeven in just six months. But here's the real flex—they convinced Eric Malka, founder of the iconic men’s grooming brand Art of Shaving (acquired by P&G in 2009), to invest.

It was Eric’s first-ever investment in another grooming brand. Why Barberino’s?

Experience is everything

Unlike most grooming brands—who either sell products or operate barbershops—Barberino’s uniquely combines luxury services and heritage products in one seamless experience.

But instead of pushing products right away, they lead with luxury services - haircuts, shaves, and facial treatments that make you feel like Italian royalty. Their stores aren't just shops; they're brand temples where customers spend an average of 36 minutes in the chair.

"The stores are not the business," Michele explains. "They are the foundation for building up the brand, because they inspire emotion, they create connection, and they foster a real community."

Show me the money!

• Store size: 1,000-1,250 square feet

• Build-out cost: $500K

• Target revenue: $2M per store

• EBITDA margin: 30%

Barberino's wants to open 15 flagship stores across major US cities, targeting $50M in revenue within five years.

And still… it’s not about the barbershops.

Barberino’s plans to grow aggressively online and in retail, selling its signature grooming products—luxurious colognes, premium skincare, shaving creams—in stores like Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, and exclusive boutiques nationwide.

Ultimately, they see the barbershop as the customer acquisition engine to build the brand and turn affluent men into repeat customers of Barberino’s products.

What The Pitch investors said...

The VCs loved the unit economics on the products, but they wondered:

• Will the capital intensive nature of the stores prevent the business from scaling quickly?

• Can Barberino's authentically tell their heritage story in America?

• Would scaling too fast dilute the brand’s unique charm?

The plot twist!

Just as founder Michele was about to leave The Pitch room…

He dropped a bombshell—they had a Barberino's chair set up just outside, with an Italian barber ready to deliver the full, luxurious experience.

"We bring the experience and animation to their premises" Michele explains, sharing how they've crushed it with department stores in Italy.

Suddenly, everything changed.

The VCs were locked in, immediately brainstorming new avenues for growth:

• Pop-up Barberino’s experiences at luxury retailers like Nordstrom and Saks.

• Exclusive Barberino's corners inside corporate offices, hotels, and high-end clubs.

• Mobile grooming experiences at major events, making Barberino’s the go-to brand for luxury grooming nationwide.

Elizabeth Yin summed it up perfectly:

"You're very impressive... you have learned all about this industry and been able to execute very quickly and find great people."

One question remains, is this business venture scale? Or simply a good story of a clean-shaven Italian man with a dream.

Watch Michele’s full pitch on YouTube and Patreon OR listen in your favorite podcast player 🎧

A free Italian shave?

Michele is offering a free service at Barberino’s on Madison Ave. Just show The Pitch episode on your phone!