Citrus Heights Sentinel Logo

Meet the father-son team behind this new Citrus Heights barber shop

Fontaine's Fades, Citrus Heights barber shop
Kenny and Chace Fontaine opened Fontaine’s Fades at 7250 Auburn Blvd. last year. // M. Hazlip

By Mike Hazlip—
Opening a barber shop in the middle of a pandemic may not have seemed like a good idea to many, but for Kenny Fontaine and his son Chace the timing was right.

Fontaine’s Fades opened last November at 7250 Auburn Blvd., and the father-son owners say business is good and the two enjoy working together.

“We just had a lot of people in our community that like what we do and how we do it,” Chace Fontaine said in an interview at the shop on Friday. “They were willing to keep it going through all of this madness.”

The shop strives to offer a “traditional barber experience with modern-day hair cuts and up to date style,” as posted on its website. Services offered include haircuts, shaves, beard trims, and “extras,” according to a sign posted inside.

Conversations in the shop revolve around cars, cigars, good scotch, and anything else the customers bring up. During The Sentinel’s visit, one customer was getting a haircut and goatee trim for a family member’s wedding rehearsal that was set to begin in a few hours.

Customers waiting on wooden chairs can watch a survivalist YouTube channel or peruse a book on the street artist known as Banksy. Reclaimed wood and corrugated metal cover the walls, giving this barber shop a decidedly hip aesthetic vibe.

Also on The Sentinel: Three generations of fathers and sons make this Citrus Heights business buzz

The father and son share a bond that goes beyond the business they started. They say their bond helps them work together.

“We’re close,” Kenny said. “We’ve always been together, so it’s not much different. I was the best man at his wedding.”

When not cutting hair, the two like to go fishing together and will typically travel to waterways within a few hour’s drive, Kenny said.

When asked if they fish for anything in particular, Chace quipped: “whatever will bite.”

“Whatever will get in the boat: If it’s got gills it’s my deal,” Kenny added.

Kenny says he’s been cutting hair for 12 years, while his son has been at it for four years.

”I actually used to do this just kind of in my backyard, just for friends and family,” said Kenny. “I was in the automotive industry for a long time and just decided to do kind of what I like to do.”

Asked what he enjoys about cutting hair, Kenny said “I think it’s just the people.”

“We probably have 40, 50 people a day come through here,” he said. “You meet every walk of life, every type.”

A growing collection of police and sheriff’s department patches can be seen on the wall, and the two say they welcome all types of law enforcement and first responders. Law enforcement agencies such as Galt, Anaheim, Red Bluff, Susanville, Marysville, San Jose, and Glenn County hang above the door, with plenty of wall yet to fill.

The two live locally, with Kenny residing in Citrus Heights, while his son lives in nearby Roseville.

“I like it here,” said Kenny. “There’s some stuff that needs to be worked on, but that’s any town.”

Fontaine’s Fades is located at 7250 Auburn Blvd., unit A.  More information can be found online at www.fontainesfades.com.

Like local news? Sign up for The Sentinel’s free email edition and get two emails a week with all local news and no spam, ever. (Click here)