When Ed Maddox decided to bring a new salon to Ohio State, he had three things in mind: consistency, affordability and simply being “hip.”

“We’re trying to be a cool, convenient place that’s going to be consistent,” said Maddox, 44, owner of Crazy Mullets Salon. “And it’s not like some chop-shop. We have great service at great price.”

Crazy Mullets, located at 1896 N. High St., opened Feb. 6 and features an ’80s-style look, complete with bright green walls, a zebra-skin bar as the front desk, Craftsman tool boxes for hair product storage and hand-painted murals of caricatures sporting mullets.

“I wanted to be interesting – fun, young and hip,” Maddox said. “I don’t feel like a lot of salons are doing that. They’re very posh places with plain walls. There’s no substance to it.”

As for the name of the salon, Maddox, who does not have a mullet, came up with it while having a few drinks with his business partner.

Maddox suggested Funky Mullets, which morphed into Crazy Mullets. The salon’s motto is “embrace the shame” of the mullet.

Despite the name, the salon offers a wide variety of cuts ranging from a men’s buzz cut to a longer women’s cut. Prices for these services run from $15 to $32. It also offers highlights, waxing, coloring, washing and styling.

Maddox said more men are currently frequenting Crazy Mullets, but not by a large margin.

“I’d say it’s probably about 65 percent male. I had to get the males involved,” Maddox said. “But at the same time, it’s a place where you walk in and it’s not too masculine. I think women will like it.”

Carmen Uetrecht, a freshman in fashion design and merchandising, is a stylist at Crazy Mullets and enjoys the laid-back atmosphere.

“I love it. It’s pretty easy and it’s a job that I actually like,” she said. “I like that it’s a trendy little shop and I get to talk to a lot of students and it’s relaxed.”

Uetrecht, whose ultimate goal is to work on photography campaigns in the fashion industry, said she is learning valuable skills from working at the salon.

“It helps with keeping up on the styles – keeping up on all the different trends,” she said. “And customer service and just keeping up on my skills.”

Kim Burkart, 22, manager of the salon, said the ’80s trends have been a great base for Crazy Mullets.

“We’re just trying to make it a real relaxed atmosphere where we’re poking fun, but we’re also embracing the fact that those styles and trends are totally back,” she said. “It’s vintage – it’s leggings, the swoopy bang and perms.”

And with the name Crazy Mullets, Maddox said he frequently has customers who expect only one type of haircut to be offered – the mullet.

“They tell me ‘It’s a cool place, but I don’t have to get a mullet, do I?’ I laugh,” Maddox said. “I sit back and say ‘No, it’s not like that.'”

Even with the motto “embrace the shame,” Maddox and Burkart said they have both cut fashion mullets for customers.

And although this is the first Crazy Mullets, Maddox also owns and operates Fast Eddy’s Chop Shop, a salon founded on similar principles in Cleveland.

Maddox said he plans to open several more Crazy Mullets in Columbus, depending on the response from the community, which Maddox said has been positive so far.

“It’s a fantastic location and it’s one of the biggest schools in the nation. I like the whole vibe,” he said. “It makes me feel good to know we’re going in the right direction.”

Eric House can be reached at [email protected].