Zephyr Barber has become known for its relaxed atmosphere, intentional design, and commitment to making every customer feel welcome. But long before Kellen Mataafa opened the Birmingham shop, he was simply a college student looking for community, purpose, and a place to belong.

What he found in Alabama would ultimately shape not only his career, but the life he would build here.

Finding a New Home

The story of Zephyr Barber owner Kellen Mataafa begins in California. Raised in San Diego, his first connection to Alabama came through visits to Florence, where his brother, Rich, played college football at UNA. He enjoyed those trips, but initially had no plans to attend UNA himself or eventually make Alabama home.

After graduating high school, he enrolled at a local junior college and joined the football team as a quarterback, though he jokes that he “didn’t actually play.” Before long, he decided to pursue a more traditional college experience and began looking at schools outside California.

UNA wasn’t the only school he considered, but his brother’s experience there helped shape his decision. While attending UNA, Rich had become a Christian through a program called Campus Outreach and invited Kellen to a Campus Outreach-affiliated summer beach project.

Although Kellen’s family identified as Christian, church attendance was rare, and faith was not a significant part of their day-to-day lives. Unsure of what to expect, he agreed to go anyway. “I thought it was going to be a bunch of Southern guys getting together and singing stereotypical church songs on the beach,” he said.

Instead, he found a group of young men who felt a lot like him—people who didn’t fit a particular mold but who shared a desire to follow Christ more intentionally. It was in that same beach town a few years later that Kellen discovered a passion for cutting hair—a story that would eventually shape the rest of his career.

After the trip, Kellen felt at home with the community he found through Campus Outreach. He moved across the country, enrolled at UNA, and began studying finance. To support himself, he worked as a cashier at a local grocery store. After working at a busy Sam’s Club in California, the slower pace was a noticeable adjustment. Later, he took jobs at Starbucks and eventually a local coffee shop, all while continuing his studies.

A few semesters later, he returned for another summer beach project.

From LaCroix Cuts to a Career

On the first day, one of the guys on the trip mentioned that his roommate had brought a pair of clippers and asked if anyone wanted to cut his hair.

“I’ll try it out,” Kellen replied.

The haircut took place in what Kellen describes as “a random laundry room in an old motel that has since been knocked down.” As other guys walked by, several asked if he could cut their hair too rather than paying for one in town, so he gave them buzz cuts as well.

Through that experience, Kellen realized cutting hair was an easy way to connect with people. Since building friendships was one of the reasons he attended the trip in the first place, he quickly became the unofficial barber for many of the guys there.

After that, he decided to spend the rest of the summer cutting hair as a way to meet people and build friendships. He bought the cheapest clippers he could find at Sally Beauty, cut a hole in the middle of a Dollar General shower curtain to create a makeshift barber cape, and started figuring things out as he went.

As it turned out, he was pretty good at buzz cuts. By the end of the summer, he had cut hair for more than 30 people and found that he genuinely enjoyed the work. It combined the hands-on creativity he had developed while making latte art with the customer interaction he enjoyed from working retail.

When he returned to Florence for his final year of college, he set up a small barber operation in his basement. At first, the haircuts were free. Eventually, he started charging $10 per haircut and built a reputation by handing out free LaCroix drinks to customers—a tradition that continues at Zephyr today. Friends jokingly started referring to his services as “LaCroix Cuts.”

As his “LaCroix Cuts” grew in popularity, word eventually reached Greasy Hands, a local Florence barber shop. The owners invited him to shadow their barbers and learn the trade to see whether he wanted to pursue it professionally.

If he wasn’t in class or working at the coffee shop, he was standing inside Greasy Hands watching experienced barbers work. He became skilled at observing techniques in the shop and practicing them later in his basement during his “LaCroix Cuts,” gradually teaching himself the craft.

After graduating in 2018, Kellen moved to Tuscaloosa and began working at Greasy Hands’ location there. Early on, he knew he wanted to open a shop of his own, and he knew Birmingham was where he wanted to do it.

Part of that connection came through his girlfriend, now wife, Abbey, who was attending Samford University at the time. As he spent more time in Birmingham, he began to see an opportunity. Few barber shops reflected the kind of experience he envisioned creating.

To become licensed in Birmingham, he attended Jefferson County Barber School and eventually earned his barber’s license. After several years building experience in the city, he began working toward opening his own shop.

Building Zephyr

In the spring of 2022, he found an available space next to June Coffee, signed a letter of intent, and sat down with the Birmingham branding agency Matey to develop the shop’s identity.

He shared his story and described his vision for a high-end barber shop with a modern, curated atmosphere. Rather than the traditional red-and-black aesthetic often associated with barber shops, he wanted something softer and more welcoming—a place where people could step away from the noise of everyday life for a little while.

Together they landed on “Zephyr,” a word meaning “a gentle breeze from the west.” The name reflected both Kellen’s journey from California and the calm, welcoming atmosphere he hoped to create inside the shop.

The interior was designed with that same intentionality. From the large mirrors and skylight to the soft green color palette and spacious barber stations, every detail was chosen to create a relaxed environment.

Customer experience remains central to Zephyr’s identity. Every guest is greeted personally and offered a drink upon arrival.

“This could be someone’s only interaction of the day,” Kellen said. For him, every appointment is an opportunity to make someone’s day a little better.

When customers leave, he wants them to feel that every aspect of the experience was thoughtfully crafted.

Four years later, that vision has clearly resonated. Zephyr now employs five full-time barbers at its original location and has expanded with a second, more intimate two-chair shop in West Homewood.

While marrying Abbey and building a life together in Alabama cemented the decision, Kellen says the feeling of home arrived much earlier.

He remembers returning from a trip to California during his college years and looking out the airplane window as it descended over Alabama’s rolling green landscape. In that moment, he felt an unexpected sense of calm and belonging.

“Something in the air in Alabama just feels different,” he said.

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