Creating a space for a changing community
For Nick Shaker, investing in Herne Bay has always been about more than opening a business. It has been about creating a space that reflects the community around him and playing an active role in the town’s future.
Nick is the founder of SHAKERS HAIR, an all-inclusive hair and art space that has been part of Herne Bay’s town centre since 2016. Ten years on, the business has become an established part of Bank Street, offering a welcoming environment where everyone can feel comfortable, while bringing a distinctive creative identity to the high street.
In 2026, SHAKERS celebrated its tenth anniversary on Bank Street – a significant milestone for an independent business and a reflection of Nick’s long-standing commitment to the town.
A business built around inclusivity
From the outset, Nick wanted SHAKERS to be different from a traditional hair salon.
His vision was to create a space that reflected an increasingly diverse community, where everyone could feel welcome and comfortable. This included introducing a gender-neutral pricing structure and creating a space where couples, friends and individuals could have their hair cut together.
“My inspiration for starting the business was simply to create a space for an ever-diversifying community.”
That ethos remains at the heart of SHAKERS today, ten years after Nick first opened the doors.
Why Herne Bay?
Choosing Herne Bay was a personal decision for Nick as well as a business one.
It is the community where his children are growing up, and he wanted to play an active role in its future – contributing to the regeneration of the town and creating a positive asset for the local area.
His previous experience working in Soho also influenced his thinking. Despite being in the heart of London, Nick loved the sense of community between businesses and residents and saw something similar emerging in Herne Bay.
“When I worked in Soho, it was like a small town in the middle of London and I loved the sense of community between businesses and residents. I feel Herne Bay has a similar feeling.”
For Nick, that sense of community was a key part of why Herne Bay felt like the right place to establish and grow his business.
Evolving while staying true to its roots
While the core of SHAKERS has remained the same since opening in 2016, Nick has continued to evolve the space.
Following the pandemic, the salon introduced street art into the business, adding another creative dimension to the environment. The addition has proved hugely popular with customers and has helped reinforce SHAKERS’ distinctive identity as both a hair and art space.
The result is a business that brings something different to the town centre while staying true to the inclusive ethos Nick established from the beginning.
After ten years on Bank Street, reaching the milestone was a proud moment.
“We have just celebrated 10 years on Bank Street. That feels like quite a milestone.”
Investing in Herne Bay’s independent future
Nick believes the future of Herne Bay’s town centre is closely linked to the strength of its independent businesses.
For him, there is a real opportunity for more small, owner-occupied businesses to establish themselves in the town – bringing new ideas, investment and personality to the high street.
“I feel The Bay is crying out for more small independent owner-occupied businesses.”
It is a sentiment that reflects the wider opportunity in Herne Bay: a town with a strong community identity, an evolving independent sector and a high street where businesses can make a genuine contribution to its character and future.
Ten years of making a difference
SHAKERS’ decade on Bank Street demonstrates what can happen when an independent business puts down roots and invests in the community around it.
By creating a distinctive, inclusive and creative space, Nick has built more than a successful hair business. He has created a place that reflects the character of the town and contributes to its evolving high street.
For businesses considering investing in Herne Bay, SHAKERS is an example of how putting down roots, understanding the local community and bringing something different to the town can create lasting value.
Ten years on, Nick Shaker is still investing in Herne Bay – and believes there is plenty more potential to come.
