When Wayne Wright opened his Wright Cut barbershop on South Salina Street in Syracuse in September 2018 he knew right away what it meant to the city.
He had worked in various shops for 20 years and recognized the welcoming environment he wanted to foster at his new venture.
“The barbershop is the community. And without the community you wouldn’t have the shop,” Wright told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard in March of 2019. “The community has definitely shown me love, so I’ve got to show it back.”
That meant reaching out to the local art community.
Wright began by hanging some of his late sister’s artwork in his shop. To honor her memory, he put out a call for more Black art that could be displayed there.
“I love art. I love seeing art,” said Wright. “So, I figured it was a way of displaying all the artists’ work in one area. Kind of give them their own little showcase.”
Wayne Wright was a Syracuse entrepreneur, successfully running two Syracuse businesses. He was remembered just as much, though, for his smile and sense of humor.
“He would holla at me from time to time since (my time in) Syracuse,” former SU basketball great Etan Thomas wrote on Facebook. “Usually about something I posted. Every message would come with a punchline and anyone who knew him knew he always had all the jokes.”
Wayne Lamar Wright passed away suddenly on Wednesday, October 29. He was 54 years old.
The Syracuse native was born on Sept. 6, 1971, and was a proud graduate of Corcoran High School.
According to his obituary, Wright “was a devoted member of Living Water Church of God in Christ and faithfully served the Syracuse community as a licensed professional barber for over 30 years.”
In 2017, he co-founded Time 2 Eat Catering, LLC with his business partner, Lenny Mitchell.
Wright, a self-proclaimed ‘foodie and grill connoisseur,’ poured “his passion for food into building a top-tier full-service catering firm serving churches, boardrooms, and galas throughout Central New York,” his obituary said.
The business’ website tells its origin story:
“As a licensed barber and owner of his own barbershop, Wayne was no stranger to entrepreneurship. Wright would hang pictures of the dishes that he made on his wall, folks would always want to purchase dinners from him or ask ‘Hey! let me know when you’re cooking again…I need a plate!’
Wright “took the leap” with Mitchell and the rest, they said, was Syracuse “BBQ history.”
Under his leadership, Time 2 Eat became the “sole full-service MWBE (Minority-owned, Women-owned Business Enterprise) catering company in Upstate New York, earning New York State certification in 2022, his obituary said.
The company proudly served prestigious organizations including The CNY Community Foundation, Syracuse University, The Gifford Foundation, Upstate Minority Economic Alliance, Onondaga Community College, Community Bank, OneGroup Insurance, Syracuse City School District, and many others.
His passing was noted by many on Facebook.
“Always thinking about others,” Skaneateles businessman Jeff Knauss wrote. “Always doing what was necessary to help his neighbors. Man was a legend. Wish we had more time with him.”
“His warmth, kindness, and the positive impact he made on others will be remembered by all who knew him,” Alfonso Davis wrote.
Wright is survived by his devoted wife, Chiara; son, Malik Wright; bonus son, Koby Rivers; granddaughter, Ava; mother, Frances Wright; mother-in-law, Evelyn Bradshaw; brother, Donald Wright; sisters, Larissa (Desi) Johnson and Rashida (Terrence) Cunningham; nephews, William Wright, Davieon Johnson, and Orryan Hirry; nieces, Lyrical Johnson, Ontayeya Wright, Tyler Thomas, and Teryn Cunningham; great-niece, Otorie Knighton; and a host of other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his father, Herbert Wright, and sister, Octavia Wright.
Calling hours are Friday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to noon, with a funeral service immediately following, at Bethany Baptist Church.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
