Instead of heading for a front door, customers step out of a box truck owned and operated by William "Siddiq" Sanders.
Sanders runs Nice Cutz, a fully outfitted mobile barbershop built inside a 16-foot-wide box truck. The space includes a shampoo sink, a television, hair products, and a large LED sign that flashes "OPEN."
"Right now, I'm a small shop," Sanders said.
Some customers say the setup rivals brick-and-mortar locations.
"Some of the barber shops in the area, you will see that this is actually better than some of the shops," one person said.
Sanders learned to cut hair as a teenager, but the idea for a mobile shop came during the pandemic. He said the shutdowns pushed him to rethink his business model.
"The pandemic that trickles down. And then, you know, the clients, barber people asked me to come back, so I didn't like, did any more after making that kind of money," Sanders said. "I didn't like the idea of going into a barber shop and paying somebody for rent or anything like that. Everything in here is off my generator now. And so this is like my only expense, a generator for water for my shampoo bottles. Everything is in the room."
Regular customers know to find him at Broad and York streets, and new clients often spot the brightly lit truck from the street.
"Sometimes when I'm here at night, this truck is really lit up, so just driving by at night," Sanders said. "You know, oh, what's that?"
Beyond daily cuts, Sanders uses his mobility to serve the community.
"I do go out and do events," he said, adding that he participated in several school events and a fall carnival in the neighborhood.
As he works, the sounds of clippers and conversation fill the truck.
For Sanders, the truck offers more than convenience - it creates a space for connection with every person who sits in his chair.