Vandals target Phat’s

If you’ve been thinking of getting a haircut in the coming weeks and are uncertain where to go, consider the Best of Halifax-winning Best Barber Phat Luong’s place (2170 Windsor Street, 423-6596). He could use an influx of cash at the moment. The large glass window of his establishment was broken by vandals back in December, just before the holidays. “A great Christmas present for Phat,” he says, ruefully. But in the 14 years he’s owned the business, he’d never had such a thing happen, and wasn’t expecting it to happen again anytime soon.

But then, this past Friday evening, at some point long after close, someone, or a couple of someones, hurled rocks through the recently replaced glass. The window costs $1,200 for the glass and another $400 for the business name to be printed on it. “For $1,600 a family in Vietnam can live for six months,” says Luong, putting it in perspective. He has no idea why he might be targeted as opposed to other businesses on the street. “Why do they do it? I don’t understand. I’m the only one who gets hit.” He says once he raises the money, he’s going to have the window redesigned, with a board and gate to protect it. "Maybe it's someone who doesn't like the haircut I gave him," he says.