Japan’s QB House barbershop chain has opened its first US outlet, in the heart of New York City.

A minute’s walk from Grand Central Station in midtown Manhattan, the shop offers a haircut for $20, excluding tips, in less than 15 minutes. While the price is more than twice the level in Japan, it is in the lower price range for haircut services in New York.

QB Net Holdings, which is running the brand in the US, is aiming for 30 outlets in five years.

Since opening its first salon in Tokyo’s Kanda district in 1996, the chain has gained popularity for its quick, low-priced services that omit shaving and hair washing. It now has 532 shops across Japan and 115 in other parts of Asia, including Hong Kong and Singapore.

There are three customer seats in the New York store, which covers about 25 sqm. Like QB House shops in Japan, the New York outlet has vacuum devices to remove cut hair, and a three-colour signal that shows waiting times.

“By providing high-quality services, we want to overturn the idea of getting only what you pay for in the United States,” says QB Net Holdings president Ryoji Furuya.