Root & Runner: Where creativity finds its community
New office, cohort for Appleton’s start-up ecosystem
June 29, 2026
FOND DU LAC – Central Barber has been a fixture in the Fond du Lac community for more than six decades, with roots dating back to 1960.
Current Owner Vanessa Werner said the shop was founded by Dick Berenz, who ran it for many years before it was later purchased in 1990 by Gary “Red” Muellenbach.
She said Muellenbach operated the business for more than 30 years before officially passing the torch to her in 2025.
To officially mark her first year of ownership, Werner said Envision Greater Fond du Lac hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony that brought together her team, Envision members and longtime owner Muellenbach.
Werner said Muellenbach remains involved in the shop – currently serving as the only male barber at Central Barber, alongside her and barbers Karissa Dums and Danielle West, who joined her from their previous shop.
“I was working at a different barbershop in Fond du Lac – Salon for Men – [when] I met Red…,” she said. “Red and I crossed paths one day, and we eventually got to know each other.”
During one of their conversations, Werner said he mentioned he was looking for someone to buy the barbershop.
She said they clicked right away and, as a self-proclaimed risk-taker, she decided to go all in on the opportunity.
“The rest was history,” she said. “We’re two completely different people in love with what we do. Red offered me a chance in a lifetime. He’s an awesome person. I’m very blessed to have been given this opportunity to stand alongside him and continue the business and tradition.”
A scary, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Though owning and running a business can be rewarding, Werner said it also comes with uncertainty.
She said she was initially nervous about giving up stable income, benefits, a 401(k) and insurance, calling it a major concern early on.
“I had just had a new baby – she was about six months old when I bought the barber shop,” she said. “So, losing my insurance, along with losing that steady income and not knowing what the future was going to bring, made me super nervous.”
At the same time, Werner said she was worried about the opportunity slipping away.
She said her family’s support helped push her to move forward.
“Buying an established business with the former owner staying on to help me out made a huge difference,” she said. “Red said he wasn’t going to let me fail, either. Those things made all the difference in the world. I couldn’t have done this without the help and support of my family, Red and my friends. There were even people clapping for me who I didn’t even know were clapping for me.”
In many ways, Werner said the shop feels like a second home, as she spends much of her time there.
However, she said she doesn’t mind, adding that she loves her work and enjoys spending time with colleagues she also considers friends.
“It’s just like I’m hanging out with my friends, and we’re cutting hair,” she said. “It’s that old-school barbershop feel. You have all the old guys in here, and they’re sitting around chatting, and your friends are staying and chatting, and that’s what I wanted. I wanted to keep it a local, old-school vibe.”
Werner said traditional barbershops have long served as social hubs where men gathered to talk about their lives and the world around them.
She said she has carried that same atmosphere forward at Central Barber.
Though some customers were initially unsure about a woman-owned shop staffed mostly by female barbers, Werner said that hesitation has faded over the past year.
“I think it was kind of an uncomfortable change for some of the older gentlemen, because they’re used to barbers being men,” she said.
Early on, Werner said some customers were unsure whether they could be themselves in conversation, including joking or swearing as they might in a traditional men’s barbershop.
“So, they were a little wishy-washy at first,” she said. “But now, being in here and seeing that we can joke around with them, and razz them just like any male barber could do, and seeing we are all as good of barbers as male barbers, all of that has disappeared.”
Refreshed look, feel
Werner said she has also updated the interior of Central Barber, moving away from its sports-heavy decor featuring Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers items to an outdoors-focused style highlighting hunting and fishing, including deer mounts and fish such as walleye and bass.
“Think of what a man’s cabin up north might look like,” she said. “That’s kind of what I wanted my theme to be. It’s very outdoorsy.”
Sadie Howell, president and CEO of Envision Greater Fond du Lac, said the shop’s refreshed space blends new energy with the classic barbershop experience that has made Central Barber a trusted downtown destination.
“Small business ownership transitions are important milestones for our community, and we’re excited to celebrate Vanessa [with] this new chapter,” she said. “Central Barber has a long-standing reputation in downtown Fond du Lac, and it’s wonderful to see that legacy continue while embracing a fresh vision for the future.”
Why barbering?
Though she spent around eight years doing women’s hair, Werner said she found more satisfaction doing men’s cuts.
“But my lifestyle is more manly in some ways,” she said. “For example, I like hunting and fishing and motorcycles and things like that. And I felt like I clicked more with men.”
Plus, Werner said she “loves doing” men’s haircuts.
“They’re usually in and out within 20 minutes,” she said. “You can have a good conversation with them, and there’s never any drama behind the chair with men.”
Werner said she currently rents three chairs to Dums, West and Red, and though a fourth chair is available, she is not ready to fill it yet.
“We all get along so well, and we’re like a small family, even though we’re all in our 30s and Red is 78,” she said. “We just all click with each other, and I worry about renting out the other chair and then finding the person doesn’t mesh with the rest of us. So, for now, I’m fine with just keeping that chair empty. But it’s an opportunity if I find someone I like.”
Located at 4 N. Main St., Werner said Central Barber has been a fixture in the community for generations and is among the city’s longest-running businesses.
And though she is the only woman to own the shop, Werner said she does not let that distinction weigh on her.
“I’m just trying to do the best job I can and finding different ways to grow the business,” she said. “Having Red next to me to learn from is wonderful – I get a lot of comfort from that. I keep telling him I may have bought the building, but he’s still running the show.”
Looking ahead to the future
Beyond growing the business, Werner said she hopes to follow in Red’s footsteps and spend decades behind the chair, honing her craft over a long career.
She said it’s too early to know whether her daughter might eventually take over the shop, given her age.
“I hope to be here for a long time,” she said. “And then at such a time that I plan to retire and hang up the scissors, if my daughter doesn’t want to go into the business, I would hope to find someone like Red did in me, who wants to take over the business and keep it going, continuing the legacy.”
Werner said the shop’s long-standing history in Fond du Lac is what sets it apart from other barbershops in the area.
“Besides that, we’re just local people trying to support our passion, and we love what we do,” she said.
Werner said Central Barber offers a traditional barbershop experience with a refreshed look, conversation and a focus on detailed service – emphasizing craftsmanship and attention to detail across all grooming services.
Those services, she said, include men’s haircuts (which feature a shampoo, conditioner, brief head massage and warm towel); kids’ haircuts; beard trims; and ears, nose and eyebrow waxing services.
Find Central Barber on Facebook for more details and hours of operation.
Looking back on where she was several years ago and what she has accomplished since, especially in the past four years, Werner said she feels humbled and grateful.
She said she values the people who have supported her along the way, both personally and professionally – summing it up with: “Broken roads lead to beautiful destinations.”
