Simon Bazelon Photo
Jeremiah, post-Wolverine look.
ANSONIA — Jeremiah took the first chance he got Monday to shed the Wolverine look.
Jeremiah was one of the customers who headed to GoodFellas Barbershop on Ansonia’s Main Street as it reopened for business Monday.
Owner Luis Palacios said he was “excited to get back to work” on the first day that Gov. Ned Lamont lifted the two-month-old ban on salons and barbers doing business during the COVID-19 pandemic. His was one of several Valley shops to open on the first allowed day, and was reaping the benefits.
The closure was “tough” on his business, said Palacios, who has has owned and operated GoodFellas for the past six years, and says the forced closure was “tough” on his business.
“I’ve been cutting hair for 22 years,” he said. “Since I was sixteen years old, that’s what I’ve done.”
Palacios said he’s “not worried about getting coronavirus,” and his two coworkers reiterated that sentiment.
“We keep the shop clean, “ said barber Jota (who declined to give his last name).” The chairs are all 10 feet apart. At most six people are in at a time. I’m not really concerned about getting it.”
Jeremiah, who has been a GoodFellas regular for two years, said it “was killing me looking … like Wolverine. When I heard [GoodFellas] was opening, I called real quick to get an appointment.” With his beard trimmed, a taper cut on the sides, and a 5 on top, Jeremiah declared, “I feel like a new man.”
After “two and a half months without a haircut, it was getting to the point where I was embarrassed to go out in public,” said another customer, who declined to give his name. “Every man needs a good barber. It’s great that these guys are getting back to work.”
To make up for being able to service fewer customers, and to capitalize on high demand for haircuts, Palacios said that he has raised the price of a cut from $25 to $30. He also said that GoodFellas received no support while his shop was closed from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. “We tried to apply for a loan from the government, but they made it difficult to get the money,” he said. “Luckily, we had some savings, and our landlord was willing to accommodate us.”
Busy In Shelton
Alex Foley, newly shorn.
Spirits were high as well at the City Stylez barbershop in Shelton, where manager Sam Villanueva said he’s booked up completely for the next few days,. “My phone’s been ringing off the hook,” Villanueva said.
Reduced capacity demanded by the governor’s order doesn’t help.
“Usually, I see 10 – 12 customers a day, during normal times. Now, I’m only going to be able to do around 6,” because of limits on occupancy and time spent disinfecting.”
Asked how he felt about not being able to get a haircut since Gov. Lamont ordered salons and barber shops closed on March 19, customer Alex Foley didn’t mince words: “Honestly, it sucked.”
Foley declared that he’d been “waiting for this moment for two and a half months.” “Now that I’ve got this cut,” he said, “I can’t stop looking at myself. A fresh cut is like therapy, man. It changes how you feel about yourself.”
Like Palacios, Villanueva said he had not received any government aid, other than the $1,200 stimulus check. “I did some house calls, and that helped, but thank god I’m a huge saver,” he said, “because that saved me.”
No Mask Fan
Pepe: Following the rules.
Over at Ansonia’s Male Shoppe, they checked my temperature before allowing me inside.
Franny Pepe (pic above) is the owner of the Male Shoppe. Penny Marganski is one of the stylists.
Pepe has owned at the Male Shoppe since 1986, and said she’s “never faced anything like this two month shutdown before.”
“It was frustrating,” she said, “but we got through it.”
Pepe didn’t apply for any loans to keep her salon afloat. “I own my building, so I didn’t have to worry about rent. One of my employees was able to file for unemployment, and the other has another full time job,” so seeking government assistance to cover payroll wasn’t necessary. Still, she said, two months of lost business “took a toll.”
And while she understands it’s necessary to ensure the safety of her clients, she finds wearing a mask while working difficult: “It makes it hard to breath, and my glasses fog up.”
She wasn’t keen on the governor keeping salons closed while other establishments opened sooner. “I’m not a very strict person, so while I understand the law is what it is and we have to follow it, I didn’t necessarily agree with it.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article transposed names and misidentified the owner of The Male Shoppe in Ansonia.
