MEEKER | When a sleek black-and-white bus pulls up in Meeker on a Friday afternoon, it’s not delivering packages or passengers — it’s delivering haircuts, conversation and community.
Behind the wheel of that bus is Chris Mattox, a Grand Junction barber who turned an old shuttle bus into a mobile barbershop, complete with a barber’s chair, mirrors and solar power. Every few weekends, Mattox makes the three-hour drive to Meeker to serve clients who don’t have access to a traditional barbershop.
“I got into barbering because it was like a purpose for me,” Mattox said. “I’ve been going to barbershops my whole life, and when I saw a commercial about barber school, it just clicked. Everything I’d done before suddenly made sense — it was what I was meant to do.”
At 45 years old, Mattox left behind a string of other careers — the military, the railroad and security work — to pursue a dream that felt more like a calling than a job.
After opening Distinguished Barber Studio in Grand Junction, Colorado, Mattox began thinking about how to reach smaller towns without barbershops of their own.
“I noticed when I did security in different cities, there were so many towns without barbers,” he said. “Once I became one, I knew that’s where I needed to go.”
With help from his wife, Lori, and stepson, the Mattox family transformed a former party bus into a full-service barbershop on wheels.
“We pulled everything out of the bus and started from scratch,” Lori said. “It used to be a party bus. We insulated it, built new walls and made it so everything could be taken in and out easily if needed. My son even installed solar panels on the roof, so the whole bus runs on solar power.”
The mobile shop includes everything needed for a traditional haircut — a chair, mirror, sink and pump system. On Mondays and Tuesdays, Mattox parks in Rifle, and on Fridays and Saturdays he heads to Meeker.
He partners with local businesses such as Ducey’s Electric in Meeker and Old Blue’s Car Wash in Rifle, whose owners allow him to park and set up shop.
For Mattox, the barbershop — mobile or not — is about much more than cutting hair.
“It’s not just cutting hair,” he said. “It’s about giving people a good experience and making them feel better about themselves. This is the only job I’ve ever had where I make someone feel good every single day I go to work.”
His connection to Meeker began with local resident Bryce Ducey, who encouraged him for nearly a year to bring his services to town.
“I was thinking Aspen at first,” Mattox said with a laugh. “But I came down one weekend, and that was all it took. The people here are incredible — friendly, humble, just good folks. We’re blessed to be part of this community.”
At Distinguished Barber Studio, Mattox and his team pride themselves on offering an old-school barbershop feel — including straight razor shaves and hot towels.
“The treatment is part of the haircut,” Lori said. “A lot of barbershops don’t do the hot towel anymore. When men can just lay back, relax and get a clean shave, it really makes them feel good.”
Mattox summed up his business philosophy simply: “At Distinguished Barber Studio, we don’t just cut hair — we change lives.”
He doesn’t take appointments, preferring the casual, social atmosphere of traditional barbershops where people drop in, talk and connect.
“It’s about more than the haircut,” he said. “It’s about chopping it up, being real and building relationships. I’m nothing without the people.”
After eight years in business, Mattox and his family continue to grow. A new location in Rifle is on the horizon, and the black-and-white bus keeps rolling through small towns like Meeker.
What began as a single barbershop in Grand Junction has become something much more — a mission built on connection, craftsmanship and community. Each weekend, the Mattoxes bring more than a haircut to Meeker; they bring a sense of familiarity and pride to a place that values both.
As the black-and-white bus hums down the highway toward the next town, it carries with it a simple purpose — to serve, to connect and to remind people that even the smallest communities deserve to feel distinguished.
