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Young, humble barber Bobby Gutierrez keeps 60-year-old shop in business
www.SouthernMinn.com | Wednesday, March 30, 2022 | PAGE B14 Young, humble barber Bobby Gutierrez keeps 60-year-old shop in business
By SHAYNA LEWIS shayna.lewis@apgsomn.com
From hair cuts to beard trims, hair salons and barbers help people feel good,
Thee Barber Shop
Prior to Gutierrez owning the shop, it was once called, Johnson’s Barber Shop, and the original fresh and ready to take on the world. Bobby Gutierrez, the owner of Thee Barber Shop, is originally from Texas. He came to Minnesota in 2001 after his parents separated. His maternal grandmother lives in Mankato, and that is where Gutierrez currently resides. As a child, Gutierrez would spend six months in Minnesota with his mother, and six months in Texas with his dad. Growing up, Gutierrez always saw himself owning his own business. He watched his dad, taking inspiration from him, as he was a owner of a restaurant in Texas as well as another business. “I would see what my dad did, and so from a young age I knew I wanted to own a shop,” Gutierrez said. “I knew it was going to take some time and work, but I got there.” Gutierrez went to school to be a barber, where he attended a nine month program, completing 1,500 hours. When he first started, he perceived it as you are always cutting hair, but that wasn’t always the case. “You have to be there all day, six days a week,” Gutierrez said. “Somedays you might get two to three haircuts, and some days you don’t get one at all, but you have to be there to complete the hours.” owner, Gary Johnson, opened the shop in 1959. “I’ve been in this industry for 63 years,” Johnson said. “A long time.” Johnson knew Gutierrez from previous work experience. Gutierrez worked part time at the shop before exploring more options. “I worked almost two months straight without a day off,” he said. “I got burnt out.” Around the time of the pandemic, Gutierrez was ready to open up his own shop. Johnson, who now works part time at Thee Barber Shop, called Gutierrez and told the young man if he was looking to buy a shop, Johnson had the space available. Gutierrez became the owner of Thee Barber Shop on Sept. 15, 2020. “It’s going pretty good,” Gutierrez said. Thee Barber Shop takes clients through walkins, no appointments needed. “I’ve been coming here since I was a child,” one client said. “Mr. Johnson used to cut my hair.” According to Gutierrez, he tries not to have clients favor one person over another. Although that can sometimes be difficult when a client knows that a specific barber has mastered a specific style. “We all cut hair. Someday I might be on vacation, so they’ll have to go somewhere else,” Gutierrez said. “I’m not the Kardashians; I don’t have money to fly you to me.” George “Loco” Castaneda-Samaniego went to school at Moler Barber School in Columbia Heights and now works for Guiterrez. “It’s awesome working here,” CastanedaSamaniego said. “I love it. It’s the best job I’ve had.” Castaneda-Samaniego has been working at Thee Barber Shop for about four months. “George is a great stylist,” Gutierrez said. “Everyone here is very talented.”
Bobby Gutierrez, George Castaneda-Samaniego and Gary Johnson cut hair side-by-side. Although the inside of the building has changed, the atmosphere is still one to enjoy, just as it’s been for more than six decades. (Shayna Lewis/ southernminn.com)
Thee Barber Shop hours
Sunday: CLOSED Monday: CLOSED Tuesday-Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m. to Noon If you have questions, give Thee Barber Shop a call at 507-124-7830
Clientele
Gutierrez’s favorite type of client is when they want their whole head shaved; the “Dr. Phil” special. According to Gutierrez, it’s not necessarily his favorite, it’s just the easiest. He likes a bit of a challenge to see how far he can take or do something. The stylists do their best to make sure that the client is satisfied, but since most people just want easy haircuts, Gutierrez said it’s hard to mess it up. “I still make mistakes as a barber, I just don’t want people to think we do it on purpose because that’s far from it,” Gutierrez said. “We give haircuts as if we
Thee Barber Shop has been owned by Bobby Gutierrez since Sept. 15, 2020. Gutierrez worked at Johnson’s Barber Shop part time while Gary Johnson was still the owner. (Shayna Lewis/southernminn.com)
Gutierrez
Continued from page 14 ourselves were in the chair.”
On Gutierrez’s very first day as a barber, he had to cut a five year old girl’s long hair — and he had to shave it off completely. According to Gutierrez, the little girl was crying and it broke his heart. He went home that day and spoke with his wife, saying he wasn’t sure if cutting hair was for him.
“I didn’t put a razor on it, I just used my clippers,” Gutierrez said. “The parent’s wanted me to use a razor, but I felt like then I had to step in and say something, like this is as much as I can do.”
Gutierrez said even if he was in an accident that would cause him to lose his memory, he would still remember that incident.
Gutierrez explained that his wife is very supportive in his career, reminding him after that first day that he went to school for this and should keep trying, not letting one person ruin his day.
“I’m scarred for life. I was hesitant to go back the next day,” Gutierrez said. “But I toughed it out, and now look at me.”
Although cutting hair may seem like an easy job, there are challenges that they face every day. Clients will come in and have an image in their mind, but with different types of hair, sometimes it’s not going to turn out the way the client expects.
“No matter how much I tell people that it’s not going to happen, I feel bad,” Gutierrez said. “But everyone is different, and not all hair is the same.”
Gutierrez shared a story of how a client went into the shop, showing a picture of a boy with waves in his hair. Because of the clients hair type, the style wasn’t going to work.
“I wish I could snap my fingers and give him what he wants,” Gutierrez said. “But you have to deal with reality.”
2022 hair trends
According to Gutierrez and CastanedaSamaniego, the most popular trend that people are trying out is the mullet. From celebrities to residents in Owatonna, everybody rocks the mullet differently.
“Mullets are definitely coming back,” Castaneda-Samaniego said.
“I can never look at a mullet and think, that ain’t right,” Gutierrez said. “Just because you see one you don’t like, doesn’t mean it’s wrong. That’s just the way the person wanted it.” sure he is doing his job right, and he enjoys talking with the clients. Thee Barber Shop staff consider themselves as diaries and counselors; they listen to their clients, but for Gutierrez, his main reason is he sees cutting hair as art.
“Everybody’s hair is different, and you have to shape the hair to how they want it,” Gutierrez said. “I never get bored with it. When someone comes in with a different type of hair, it can be challenging, but you have to give it a shot.”
Inspiration
Gutierrez is inspired by everyone around him. From the people he grew up with to the clients that sit in his chair, he is always learning new things.
“In an industry like this, you have to have an open mind,” Gutierrez said. “You can’t go in thinking you know everything, because you really don’t. You’re always learning.”
Johnson, the previous owner, inspires Gutierrez. At 82 years old, he said Johnson never misses a beat. According to Gutierrez, he wants to be like him in the way that he wants to keep working and keep busy.
At the moment, Gutierrez said works quite a bit and doesn’t see his kids as much. He explained that when he’s older he’ll spend time with his grandkids and when they are older and don’t want to visit him as much, he doesn’t want to be just sitting around.
As for Gutierrez’s hopes and dreams for the barber shop, he’ll one day open a shop in another location or two. He tries to please everybody, and that’s a very difficult job to do because her said it’s simply not possible. According to Gutierrez, he goes to sleep at night knowing he gave it 110% on a daily basis.
Johnson’s Barber Shop was established in 1959. Gary Johnson, the owner at the time, has been in the industry for 63 years. He now works part time at Thee Barber Shop at 82 years old, working for the new owner Bobby Gutierrez. (Photo courtesy of Gary Johnson)
Bobby Gutierrez, George Castaneda-Samaniego and Gary Johnson cut hair side-byside. Although the inside of the building has changed, the atmosphere is still one to enjoy, just as it’s been for more than six decades. (Shayna Lewis/southernminn.com)
