When award winning hair stylist Mark Cain and his sister, Marie Cain, looked at expanding their successful salon business, Head Studio, the decision was not to add more seats in the current salon. It was to step into a whole new market: a barber shop and café. So was born “Uncle Joe’s” barber shop and “Uncle Joe’s Mess” Café. The business is in an old warehouse and is styled with a bit of a take on a military industrial look. In fact, it’s more military industrial than the TV set on Mash, which works well in this urban city alley space. Mark found the old warehouse just a few doors down from their popular King Street Salon Head Studio. The design is a salute to cool and is set up as a perfect man space. The row of vintage barber chairs has a constant lineup of waiting punters, all looking to get their hipster’s fade or a blade beard trim. The concept of a barber shop was a bit of a mind bender for Mark, who has been involved in high-end award winning salons throughout his whole career. To spin into a traditional barber shop was a mental challenge, and he undertook lots of research to get all the elements right. This new concept complements their Head Studio salon, and Mark now has a large following of new wave men looking for that bit of extra grooming or restyling, all in a cool and comfortable environment. Uncle Joe’s Mess Café is now one of Perth CBD’s most popular go to coffee spots; the well trained baristas are pumping out hundreds of coffees daily. The café is using award-winning coffees from local Perth coffee roasters Micrology. Micrology is owned and operated by new kid on the block Daniel Ash, who recently won the single origin section of the world’s largest coffee roasting competition, The Golden Bean.
The fare coming from Uncle Joe’s Mess is amazing, and it was difficult to make a choice from this unique menu. I went with the delectable “Piggy in the Middle” – a warm bagel filled with cola infused pulled pork and crunchy pickled veg salad. The café’s food cabinets are filled with mouth watering treats. An award winning barber mixed with an award winning coffee roaster: a highly successful combination, it seems.
76 King Street, Perth, Western 6000
(08) 9321 4502
