Katy Barber Shop

The Barretos took a break for five years after Angelo was diagnosed with cancer in 2002. Bernice said the family bought Katy Barber Shop in 2007 and kept the name.

Angelo was previously a dental technician before he worked with his wife as a barber.

“My husband was so good, and he would listen to whatever I said,” Bernice said. “I was so busy all the time and you can hardly find anybody who wants to work and I convinced him, ‘Let’s work together, and we don’t have to hire anybody.’”

The couple worked together starting in 1980, Bernice said. Angelo died in December 2014.

After the Barretos gave their grandson the shop in 2010, Lopez began providing the services he learned in barber school as well as what he learned working with his grandparents, which includes the flattop haircut.

“It’s something that wasn’t taught in school,” he said.

Lopez said he sees between 30 and 50 customers in a day.

There’s a certain appeal to coming to a barbershop, he said. A lot of men like to get their haircut, talk about the news and get out, he said.

“I try to keep it as much of an old-fashioned and traditional barbershop as possible,” Lopez said. “We don’t push shampoos before your haircut. I’m confident that most men in here know how to wash their own hair.”

The old-fashioned approach is also drawing in younger crowds, too, especially for the straight-razor shave.

“The common thing now is bachelor parties, things like that,” Lopez said. “The guys will come in here, they’ll get the groomed shave, [we will] get them all pampered.”

He said he also gets men in their 30s and 40s who come in to get their first straight-razor shave.

“I’d say it’s the male equivalent to a woman getting her manicure and pedicure done,” he said.

Lopez recommends one thing when getting a straight-razor cut.

“As long as you don’t snore or move, we’re good,” he said.