When childhood friends and longtime barbers Raffaele “Ralf” Rispo and Gilberto “Gil” Barron-Nunez opened Ballston Spa Barber Club in August 2024, expansion wasn’t on their minds. But growing demand—and an opportunity brought to them by employee-turned-partner Dylan Capone—changed that.
“One day, I made a joke saying we have to open a new location already,” Barron-Nunez says. “We all laughed it off until a few days later, when Dylan told us of a friend with an available location.”
The trio visited the space at 48 Henry Street in Saratoga and quickly decided it would make a great addition to their flagship shop. Saratoga Barber Club was born, as was a broader brand identity: 518 Barber Club. “What started out as a comment in jest materialized into something pretty big very quickly,” Rispo says.
The Saratoga spot was an especially good fit for Capone. “My client base is mainly from Saratoga, ranging from some of the best jockeys and a few professional athletes to the average Saratogian,” he says. “So I was excited when the opportunity came about to open here.”
Since opening, the trio has earned praise for their hot towel shaves, skin fades, beard trims, and regular and specialty haircuts. Unique perks include complimentary drinks from Schenectady’s Frog Alley Brewing and—being an authorized RedBull dealer—their “beautiful new RedBull fridge,” per Rispo.
With such strong community reception, Rispo, Barron-Nunez, and Capone are already thinking about expanding to one or two more Saratoga County locations in the coming years. But for now, Ballston Spa and Saratoga have their full attention.
