The Crown Dr. Barbershop is a Palmerston North barbershop owned and run by Julz Ruaine-Prattley, a barber with more than ten years of experience in the industry. From 33 Matamau Street in Palmerston North Central — the shop's home from the beginning of 2026 — Julz offers a focused menu of men's cuts, fades and beard work, with dedicated services for kids, high school students and senior citizens.
The haircut list covers the fundamentals: a Men's Classic Haircut with a short back and sides and a scissor-cut top, an all-over Men's Scissor Cut, and a Zero/Skin Fade Haircut for zero, skin or taper fades with a scissor-cut top. Hour-long combo services pair either cut with a beard trim, shape and neck and cheek line up, while a standalone Beard Trim & Line Up keeps beards tidy on their own schedule.
Appointments are booked online, and the shop asks clients to book the correct service and double-check the time and date before confirming. Cancellations and reschedules can be made online up to 24 hours before the appointment start time; inside that window, phone or social media is the way to go. The shop is cash only. Hours run Monday to Wednesday 9:00am–5:30pm, Thursday 8:30am–7:30pm, Friday 8:30am–5:30pm and Saturday mornings 9:00–11:30am.
The Crown Dr. Barbershop is the work of Julz Ruaine-Prattley, a Palmerston North barber who owns the shop and runs every chair in it. Julz brings more than ten years of experience in the barbering industry to each appointment, and her pitch to clients is refreshingly simple: she strives to provide her best professional service and is confident in all haircuts and styles. Whatever you're after — a tidy classic, an all-over scissor cut or a tight skin fade — the ask is the same: sit down, say what you want, and put your trust in an experienced pair of hands.
The start of 2026 brought a big change for the shop: a new location at 33 Matamau Street in Palmerston North Central. If you haven't been in since the move, double-check you're headed to Matamau Street before your appointment — and remember the shop is now cash only.
The service list sticks to what a good barber does well. The Men's Classic Haircut is the anchor — a classic men's style with a short back and sides and a scissor-cut top, booked as a 30-minute appointment. For a softer, all-over finish, the Men's Scissor Cut uses scissors from start to end. When you want the edges tighter, the Zero/Skin Fade Haircut steps up to a zero, skin or taper fade on the sides with scissor work on top, and gets a 45-minute booking to do it properly.
Beard care sits alongside the haircuts. Two hour-long combo services cover everything in a single visit: the Men's Classic Haircut & Beard Trim pairs the classic cut with a beard trim and shape, while the Zero/Skin Fade Haircut & Beard Trim builds a full fade into the mix. Both finish with a neck and cheek line up. If the hair can wait, the standalone Beard Trim & Line Up tidies the beard with crisp cheek and neck lines.
The Crown Dr. is set up to look after whole families. Kids have their own Kids Classic Haircut — short back and sides with a scissor-cut top — while high school students can book the High School Classic or go for the Zero/Skin Fade HighSchool/Kids Haircut, which brings proper fade work to younger heads. Senior citizens get a dedicated Senior Citizen Haircut: a standard short back and sides with a scissor-cut top. Whatever the age, the menu keeps it straightforward — choose the cut, book the time.
Appointments are made online through the shop's booking page, and Julz asks clients to make sure they book the correct service and double-check the time and date before confirming. Life happens, though: you can cancel or reschedule online up to 24 hours before the start time. Inside that 24-hour window the online system no longer handles changes — instead, get in touch by phone or through one of the shop's social media platforms and it will be sorted from there.
The week runs Monday to Wednesday from 9:00am to 5:30pm, with Thursday the late night — the shop opens at 8:30am and stays open until 7:30pm. Friday runs 8:30am to 5:30pm, and Saturday is a short morning window from 9:00am to 11:30am before the shop closes for the weekend; Sundays are dark. If your weekdays are crowded, Thursday evening is the standout option, and the 8:30am Thursday and Friday opens suit anyone who likes an early appointment.
You can follow The Crown Dr. Barbershop on Facebook and Instagram for updates, with services, staff and booking all handled through the shop's online booking page. Between a decade behind the chair, a focused menu and services spanning kids to seniors, it's a straightforward proposition: good haircuts, done properly, in Palmerston North.