Bobbie Lee Favaron
Owner/Operator/Stylist
Bobbie Favaron Hair Unlimited, Inc.
9766 Jefferson Hwy #100
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225.295.0807
Those who know how will always have a job; those who know why will always be their boss — Author Unknown
Bobbie Favaron is not only the owner of Hair Unlimited, Inc., but also an operator and stylist at the salon, which is a corporation licensed as a barber shop. He is licensed as a Barber; his employees, licensed cosmetologists. The salon’s main focus is on hair cutting, styling, highlighting, coloring and permanents. “We do hair,” Favaron says when asked to describe his business, “Everything you can do to hair we do, except extensions.”
Favaron enjoys working with his clients. “I am a people person. When you cut and style hair, you help people improve their feelings about themselves. It is uplifting to give someone a positive attitude about their appearance. A stylist can make or break a person’s day”.
Bobbie Favaron graduated from Livonia High, entered New Orleans Barber and Beauty College and in 1964 became a licensed barber. Six months after becoming licensed, Favaron realized his plan of taking over the practice of his mentor wasn’t going to work. He wanted to be able to offer a full range of hair care, including women’s hairstyling. During the 60s, barbers were only allowed to cut hair; working with chemicals for permanents, coloring, etc. was not allowed. Cosmetologists were licensed to handle chemical hair products, though not permitted to cut hair. It wasn’t until the 70s that the State of Louisiana passed a law lifting the restrictions on barbers and cosmetologists duties.
In the early 60s, Favaron had an offer to move to Plaquemine to work in a salon whose clientele was 70% female. Eager to serve a variety of clientele, he jumped on it. He later moved to Baton Rouge in 1966 to become a partner in the Ideal Barber Shop. To advance his education, he took night classes in men’s hair styling. He also became an educator/guest artist for Redken Laboratories, working Trade Shows and doing seminars on hair care and styling. Eventually buying his partner’s share, he continued to operate the Ideal Barber shop until selling it in 1975. He then opened Hair Unlimited in the Southdowns Shopping Center, the first unisex salon in Baton Rouge. Hair Unlimited offered a single location for the whole family, cutting and styling both men’s and women’s hair.
In 2011, Bobbie Favaron was chosen Barber-of-the Year by his peers, the Barbers Association of Baton Rouge. When Board President James Adams asked, “Who inspired you professionally, sending you reeling with such passion for the barber profession?” Bobbie said, “I first took the OLT Training Program under J Wayne Daigle. I admired who he was and how he did business. Wayne was the epitome of where I wanted to be in the hair business.” After that, Bobby started training and doing platform work for Redken, traveling across the country with the Sassoon Company working the shows in New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and more. He worked the Seven State hair show in Kansas City with more than 10,000 attending and was voted by his peers as the stylist they wanted to see more of. “I believed, and still do, in precision, as well as natural hair cutting, but quickly learned to love disconnected hair cutting. That sent me spinning in lots of directions in the business.”
Favaron was appointed as board member to the State of Louisiana Board of Barber Examiners in 1998 and served 12 years. During his tenure, he served as chairman of the Board’s Educational Committee, Financial Committee Chairman, and two years as emcee of the Instructor Workshop and four years as floor emcee. Bobbie’s also served as member and chairman of the Board’s Personnel Committee on which he was a formidable force. He worked tirelessly on the examination process and procedures of instructor examinations, and formulated apprentice training classes and state board examinations for board licensing. He belongs to the Baton Rouge Round Table and acts as organizer for their Crewe of Knights’ float in the Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade. He enjoys his membership in Les Bon Vie, a men’s dining club, which also does charity work.
Favaron likes to think of Baton Rouge as “the largest little town you will ever live in.” He explains that Baton Rouge has become the largest city in Louisiana, but has not lost the small town feel. “Baton Rouge has an opportunity here after the hurricanes to be a very progressive, upbeat town – Not that it isn’t now, but this is our opportunity to grow.”
In his spare time, he and his wife, Glenn, like to spend time on their Sea Ray pleasure boat, “a sort of a motor home on water“. They look forward to relaxing weekends on it and often host Sunday pleasure cruises for friends and family. Bobbie and his wife Glenn have seven children, the last of whom (Kayla) just graduated from Healing Place School of Ministry with a degree in youth ministry. She has made two mission trips to Haiti and presently aspires to do mission work in other needy countries.