TUCSON, Ariz. — Owning a barbershop is something Martin McCoy always wanted to do.
“A barbershop is a place where you can come across a bunch of different resources, a bunch of different things. And I was like why not incorporate everything together. And it’s working,” said McCoy, owner of Martin’s Barber & Bodega.
Combining his love of being a barber with his love in interesting snacks that don’t originate in the US - that gave this barbershop and bodega a cool twist.
“I’m into weird stuff like that. And why not give the people something that they really can’t find around here to add to the experience,” said McCoy.
This new business opened for the first time in the midst of the pandemic, August of last year. McCoy says opening during that time was a gut feeling.
“I just celebrated 13 years of being in the business, so I felt like I owed it to myself and my customers and my customers and my friends and my clients to take that leap of faith. And here we are,” said McCoy.
It has been a rollercoaster, but McCoy says he wouldn’t change a thing while crediting his support system for staying afloat.
“Because without them there would be no me. They are the greatest people. They stood by me throughout the pandemic, throughout the shutdowns,” said McCoy.
And with the allure of these hard to come by snacks, such as Lays chips from China, Kit-Kats from Japan, and differently flavored sodas from several countries, business is going well. He is looking to hire barbers to help him out in the shop.
“Definitely need the help right now. Business is picking up and I need some help with the influx of people,” said McCoy.