Lazarou Hair Celebrates 60 Years in Business
This October marks a very special milestone for our family as Lazarou Hair Group proudly celebrates 60 years in business. What began in 1966 with two brothers and a small salon in Riverside, Cardiff, has grown into a family hairdressing tradition spanning three generations, with salons and barbershops serving communities across South Wales.
Over the past six decades, we've watched Cardiff change, welcomed generations of customers and seen countless hairstyles come and go. Through it all, our passion for hairdressing and the friendships we've formed with the people who visit us have remained at the heart of what we do.
As we mark our Diamond Anniversary, we're looking back at where it all began, celebrating those who helped build the Lazarou name, remembering loved ones and saying a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us.
Where It All Began in 1966
On 4 October 1966, our grandfather, Paraschos Lazarou, guaranteed the lease for his sons Steve and Jimmy, who opened the family's first hairdressing salon in Riverside, Cardiff. The brothers went on to train their younger siblings, laying the foundations for a family business that continues to thrive 60 years later.
Their brothers Laz, Tass, George and Mario, along with their sister Androulla and other family members, followed into the profession, helping the Lazarou name become a familiar part of hairdressing and barbering in Cardiff and beyond.
The family later purchased the original premises from the landlord. While exploring our archives for this anniversary, we rediscovered the 1966 lease, a treasured piece of family history that brings those early days to life.
Growing Across Cardiff and South Wales
As the years passed, the family's ambitions grew. Salons opened in Cardiff city centre, including Morgan Arcade, and in Caerphilly, with further locations in Cardiff and the surrounding communities following over the decades.
Different branches of the family now operate their own salons and barbershops, each contributing to our shared history and reputation. Along the way, members of the Lazarou family have achieved success in British and Welsh hairdressing competitions, earning recognition for their skills and dedication to the profession.
A landmark location for the family business is Lazarou Hair on Duke Street, directly opposite Cardiff Castle. One of the largest hairdressing salons in Wales, it shows how far the Lazarou name has come since that first shop in Riverside, while remaining one part of the wider family's story.
One of the most remarkable parts of this anniversary is that some of the original brothers are still working in hairdressing today, alongside younger generations of the family. Six decades on, the same love of the craft continues.
Six Decades of Familiar Faces
Throughout our history, we've welcomed countless customers, including some of Wales' best-known faces. Sporting icons, professional athletes, singers, musicians and entertainers have all visited Lazarou salons over the years.
While we're proud to have looked after so many familiar faces, it's the loyalty of our everyday customers that means the most. Some first visited us as children and now bring their own children and grandchildren. Others have returned to the same hairdresser for decades.
The conversations, friendships and trust built over those years are what make our business special. Whether you've visited for the first time this year or have been coming to Lazarou for much of your life, we're grateful for every appointment and every recommendation.
Supporting Cardiff On and Off the Pitch
Our connection with the community has always reached beyond the salon chair. Since 1985, the family has sponsored the Lazarou Cardiff Sunday Football League, supporting local grassroots football for more than four decades.
The league has brought generations of players, teams, supporters and volunteers together. We're proud that the Lazarou name has been associated with Sunday football and the sporting life of Cardiff for so many years.
Our teams have also supported charitable causes through events such as 24-hour Hairathons, donating their time and skills to fundraising, and through support for organisations including Dreams & Wishes. Being a local business has always meant playing a part in the community that supports us.
Remembering Tass Lazarou
As we celebrate this milestone, we also remember those who helped build the Lazarou name but are sadly no longer with us. Among them is the late Tass Lazarou, whose hard work and dedication remain an important part of our family's history. His passing was also reported by WalesOnline.
Tass ran our salons in Morgan Arcade and Birchgrove, helping the Lazarou name grow in the heart of Cardiff. His son Barri now carries that part of the family's tradition forward at our Birchgrove salon.
We remember Tass with affection and gratitude, alongside all the relatives and colleagues whose contributions helped make the next generations' opportunities possible.
Rediscovering Our Grandfather's Remarkable History
Ahead of this anniversary, we've also been exploring the remarkable life of our grandfather, Paraschos Lazarou, who came from a village in the Larnaca district of Cyprus. Before helping his sons start the first salon, he had lived through the Second World War and been held as a prisoner of war in what was then Czechoslovakia.
While researching our family history recently, we discovered records in the National Archives identifying Stalag IV-C as his prisoner-of-war camp and 94842 as his prisoner-of-war number. Finding these documents has brought another part of his story into focus.
Our grandfather also wrote books about his life and experiences in Greek. We plan to translate them into English and publish them so future generations can read his story in his own words.
When WalesOnline marked our 50th anniversary in 2016, it explored the wartime connection behind our family's journey to South Wales. Ten years later, discovering more of our grandfather's story has made this Diamond Anniversary especially meaningful.
Three Generations and Still Going Strong
From Steve and Jimmy opening the original Riverside salon, to their brothers and sister developing businesses of their own, and now their children and grandchildren carrying the family tradition forward, hairdressing remains at the heart of the Lazarou family.
Although individual salons are operated by different members of the family, we share a heritage built on hard work, professional standards, customer care and pride in the Lazarou name. Our businesses have evolved with new trends, techniques and specialist services, but those values remain just as important today.
Thank You for 60 Wonderful Years
Reaching our Diamond Anniversary is a proud moment, but we know it belongs to far more people than our family alone.
To our customers: thank you for your loyalty, friendship and support. Whether you've visited Lazarou for decades or have only recently discovered one of our salons, you have helped make this anniversary possible.
To our employees, past and present: thank you for your hard work, professionalism and dedication. Generations of talented hairdressers, barbers, apprentices and colleagues have helped shape our business and the relationships that sustain it.
To our family: thank you to everyone who has built upon those early beginnings. We remember with gratitude those we have lost and celebrate those who continue the family tradition today.
And to Cardiff and the wider communities of South Wales, thank you for welcoming and supporting our family businesses for six incredible decades.
From one small salon in Riverside in 1966 to three generations of family hairdressing in 2026, what an incredible journey it has been. Thank you for being part of our story. Here's to the next chapter.
With love and gratitude, The Lazarou Family.
