About US

Our STORY

KEMPT was founded on the idea that men deserve a better grooming experience. We knew that there had to be a better option than traditional salons designed for women, barbershops that focus on speed and high volume at the expense of customer service, or undesirable discount chains. But there wasn’t, so we created KEMPT.

MEET THE TEAM

RICHARD SPROUT// Co-Founder / CEO

Richard is the co-founder of KEMPT. A native of South Africa, he brings more to the team than just a great head of hair. His ability to analyze, strategize, and execute (skills honed as a veteran firefighter), allow him to facilitate daily operations from behind the scenes, ensuring that KEMPT delivers the simple, but significant experience our clients appreciate.

Hometown: George, South Africa
Age I first cut hair: 18, I cut my friends’ hair, leaving a signature long spot in the crown that they could never see….
Best Dad Joke: What do you call a guy who used to like tractors? An extractor fan!

Melissa SPROUT// Co-Founder / Educator / Stylist

Melissa is the co-founder of KEMPT and a men’s hair enthusiast. After graduating from UC Irvine, she continued on the creative path as a hairstylist. Inspired by her husband and son, Melissa’s interest in men’s hair quickly developed into her passion. She knew that in order to to create the perfect haircut and experience for male clients, something more was needed. This motivated her to create KEMPT.

Location: Irvine/ Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: San Bernardino, Ca
Age I first cut hair: 3, it was my own (my sister declined my offer), and my mom cried – not tears of joy.
Best Dad Joke: Why do you never see elephants hiding in trees? They are really good at it.

KATIE// TEAM LEADER / STYLIST

Location: Irvine / Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: Mission Viejo, Ca
Age I First Cut Hair: 10. I tried to cut my own bangs. Needless to say, it didn’t go well.
Best Dad Joke: What’s Forrest Gumps’s password? 1Forrest1

SUE// LEAD STYLIST

Location: Irvine / Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: Baldwin, NY
Age I first cut hair: When I was 8 I gave all of my Barbies haircuts- ruined them all!
Best Dad Joke: Want to hear a joke about paper? Nevermind- it’s tearable.

Kailana// STYLIST

Location: Irvine / Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
Age I First Cut Hair: I was around 3 or 4. I had this strange fixation with cutting MY OWN hair. Not just one time, but MANY, MANY times over. Thinking I was “slick” I would hide my curly locks in weird places around the house. You could say my passion and love for cutting hair started pretty early on.
Best Dad Joke: What kind of phones do turtles use? Shell-ular phones.

Viet// STYLIST

Location: Irvine / Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: Nha Trang, Vietnam
Age I First Cut Hair: When I cut my own hair at 15.
Best Dad Joke: Singing in the shower is fun until you get soap in your mouth. Then it’s a soap opera.

EMI// STYLIST

Location: Irvine / Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: Costa Mesa, California
Age I First Cut Hair: 13. My cousin needed a haircut and asked me to do it. It was not terrible!
Best Dad Joke: What are there pop tarts but no mom tarts? Because of the pastriarchy!

whitney// STYLIST

Location: Irvine / Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: Huntington Beach, California
Age I First Cut Hair: 7 years old, cutting my barbie’s hair. Lots of bob cuts 🙂
Best Dad Joke: What do you call a girl in the middle of a tennis court? Annette.

ken// STYLIST

Location: Irvine / Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: Fountain Calley, California
Age I First Cut Hair: I started to cut my brothers hair when I was 12 years old.
Best Dad Joke: “Dad, did you get a haircut?” “No, I got them all cut!”

annie// STYLIST

Location: Irvine / Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: Santa Ana, California
Age I First Cut Hair: 10 years old, I cut my fringe straight across and way too short.
Best Dad Joke: “Dad, did you get a haircut?” “No, I got them all cut!”

char// STYLIST

Location: Irvine / Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: Costa Mesa, California
Age I First Cut Hair: I was 16. It all started with garage cuts for teens who couldn’t afford nicer haircuts.
Best Dad Joke: People are usually shocked when they find out….I’m a bad electrician.

Devan // STYLIST

Location: Irvine / Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: Long Beach, California
Age I First Cut Hair: 17, while I was in beauty school, I cut the back of the hairline so short you couldn’t see it when he wore a hat.
Best Dad Joke: Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing!

Marlene // STYLIST

Location: Irvine / Costa Mesa at South Coast
Hometown: Downey, California
Age I First Cut Hair: Back in cosmetology school, a lady with a very short bob came in wanting a trim. Two hours and a million snips later, she became my very first pixie cut. Thankfully, she was a great sport!
Best Dad Joke: How do you teach kids about taxes? Eat 38% of their ice cream.

Testimonials

What People are Saying

“First impression walking into Kempt was awesome. ”

"They provide t-shirts to change into as well as offer beverages from water to beer. The chair was the most comfortable chair I've sat in while getting my hair cut. Love Kempt and would recommend it to anyone."

Matthew M.

“if a salon and a barber shop had a genetically-blessed love child... it would be Kempt.”

" This is a super cool, clean, modern space with stylists who really "get" guys hair, which really is the most important thing! Every time we go to Kempt my son leaves looking like a million bucks. :)"

Mandy J.

“I highly recommend KEMPT for all men who want to have the best.”

"I enjoyed excellent customer service, extremely friendly and high level of professionalism of everyone working there. "

Amin S.

"Great experience!"

"KEMPT definitely goes above and beyond to provide excellent service to their customers. You might be able to find a slightly cheaper haircut somewhere else but you will not get the same attention and expertise. Coco was very knowledgeable and was able to recommend a cut and style that best suited my curly (messy) hair. I'll definitely be returning."

Nolan S.

“I plan on coming back to KEMPT from now on. ”

"I'm picky about my hair so what I love about KEMPT is that every stylist is trained specifically to the standards of this store's owner. As I guy who likes his hair on the longer side, it's important to me that the stylist knows what they are going to do before they start cutting and that they understand what I want. The shop is set up in a simple and modern way. I appreciate being offered a beverage, beer or non alcoholic. The owner makes it a point to say hello and spend a moment at the end with each client even though she may not cut their hair personally. "

Brian L.

“Loved the whole experience from start to finish and everyone around me approves the haircut!”

Roman C.

“I have been looking for a stylist for a very long time, and I believe that I found her at KEMPT. ”

"Sue was very professional and cut my hair exactly the way I asked her to do it. KEMPT has made a customer for life."

Matthew G.

"I’ve been to many men salons and this one is great."

"Melissa was excellent. Before I even sat down she had a quality opinion about my hair and how she could style it.Not all guys know how exactly to style their hair. It was nice to get an opinion and a good style from an expert. "

Clint P.