After more than 40 years of service, barber and stylist Chris Gabriel closed the doors of Mr. Chris for the final time. 

Mr. Chris — known for hair care and for the roadside sale of  Christmas trees, firewood, lawn furniture and even garden pavilions – was a fixture on Route 28 across from the police station. 

Now, Gabriel has sold the 2512 Cranberry Highway property and will be working part time from rented space at Looks Unlimited at 137 Main Street.

For decades, Gabriel watched families grow. Children who received their first haircut from Gabriel have brought their own children to him for their first cuts.

“My customers have been so loyal,” Gabriel said. “I'm so grateful for the people that have supported me.”

However, he said, he had been struggling with staffing for a while and decided it was time for him to “slow down.” 

Down but not out. “I am probably going to do it for another 10 years,” he said for his hairstyling plans

Gabriel said he loves the way he can make people “look better” and “feel better.”

The Wareham hairdressing fixture notes that he has trained multiple other hairdressers, including three of the five located on Main Street.

Looking back at his tenure as a shop owner, Gabriel said he has shared many memorable moments with his customers and employees.

In 1998, before he became a police officer for the Wareham Police Department, Chris Conner worked for Gabriel and met his wife while selling Christmas trees.

Conner and his wife would later bring their kids to get haircuts from Gabriel. 

Gabriel said he is also “very proud” of the haircuts he was able to give to those who couldn’t afford them. 

Mattapoisett’s Bob Todd said he was one of those individuals.

“Like many shops, yeah, you get a cut along with the local talk of the town, but Chris also supplies a personal touch,” Todd said, adding, “He gave me free cuts when I was between jobs so I looked good for interviews.”

Even outside of the business, Gabriel was serving the community.

Around the year 2000, after the American Legion baseball team no longer existed, Gabriel’s salon helped get the program back on its feet. Gabriel even took on coaching the team for as long as he could.

“[I’m] very proud of the fact we gave a lot of young men the availability to play ball and colleges would notice them,” he said. 

“It's been wonderful,” Gabriel said of his time owning Mr. Chris. “It's been a really good time in my life.”