THE QUEENS
AUGUST 2020
Astoria barbershop owners adapt to serve community during COVID-19 pandemic
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Well Kept Barbershop’s co-owners Luis
Concha and Ruben Molina breathed a
sigh of relief when they found out they
could reopen their Astoria shop, almost
three months aft er COVID-19 hit the city.
Th e two Queens natives decided to
close up their sleek shop, located at 30-11
32nd St., as soon as Mayor Bill de Blasio
announced schools would close, indefi -
nitely, starting March 16. Gov. Andrew
Cuomo didn’t mandate barbershops and
other businesses to close until March 22
as part of the New York PAUSE program
— but Concha, 29, and Molina, 33, are
both fathers and husbands.
“I remember telling my guys, ‘If they
close the schools, we’re going to close the
shop,’ because most of us here are fathers,”
Concha recalled. “Obviously coming to
work was going to be tough when kids are
home from school. And if they close the
schools it means it’s gotten out of hand or
there’s something to worry about.”
Concha, who is of Colombian descent,
born and raised in Jackson Heights, said
they thought the lockdown would only
last two weeks anyway. But as two weeks
became months of staying home, doing
their part to slow the spread of the virus
by keeping the shop closed and taking
care of their families, bills began to pile
up.
“I was scared,” Concha said, adding that
in March they began to apply for several
federal, state and city programs to aid
small businesses.
Th ey didn’t qualify for the Paycheck
Protection Program, and didn’t hear back
from most of their applications, but they
were able to secure a small grant from
the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Th at grant covered their bills through
April and May. Th en came June, and they
were back to square one, with no funds to
pay that month’s bill as the state remained
on lockdown.
Luckily, they received another SBA loan
in mid-June that allowed them to pay
some of those bills, while negotiating with
their landlord.
“Th at loan saved the shop,” Molina said.
Well Kept Barbershop fi rst opened up
in 2018, and have since gained a sustainable
following thanks to their combination
of skilled barbers and top-notch
customer service. On both their Google
and GenBook pages, they’ve maintained
a fi ve-star rating. View this post on
Instagram Concha and Molina became
partners aft er years of following each other’s
work on social media and developing
a real life friendship. While they both take
clients, Concha takes care of the administrative
aspect of the business and Molina,
who is also of Colombian descent and
grew up in Jackson Heights, takes care
of the shop’s look. Both are award-winning
barbers with substantial followers on
Instagram.
“Th e community has really embraced
us,” Concha said, speaking of their clientele
and fellow business owners. Even
before they were given the OK from the
state to reopen at the end of June, Molina
began re-designing their space to comply
with social distancing guidelines and
procuring personal protective equipment.
When you enter the shop while wearing
your mask, Jennifer Gualotuna, Molina’s
wife, greets you and asks to take your temperature
with a no-contact thermometer.
Gualotuna sits at a front desk, which wasn’t
there before COVID-19, with hand sanitizer
(that smells uncommonly great) and
extra masks. Gualotuna explained that she
decided to help out at the shop once they
reopened, given that her own family business
has been out of work since March.
“I’m here to support them,” she said.
“Right now, nobody has enough, we’re all
trying to pay debts and we understand it’s
a huge toll.”
On the shop’s second level, plexiglass
sheets, with their bow-tie logo on each
sheet, separates the barbers’ chairs and
stations while they wear their masks and
face shields — although Concha admitted
the face shield isn’t all that comfortable
and has a bit of a glare.
Th ey ensure the barber chair, clippers
and other tools are sanitized between each
client. Th ey also installed two air purifi ers
to fi lter the air all day.
Th e state guidelines require shops to
maintain 50 percent capacity, which
means instead of having eight barbers like
they used to, Well Kept has four barbers
a day. Th ey can’t off er beard grooming or
anything related to people’s faces, which
means their earning potential per customer
is cut down by $15 to $20.
Regardless, they said the fi rst few weeks
were the busiest they’ve ever been, and
have kept busy since. Th ere have been
some clients who don’t want to wear
masks, but they comply when the barbers
explain they don’t want to get fi ned.
Th e state can fi ne and even shut them
down if they don’t comply with COVID-
19 guidelines.
Th ey’re also all mandated to take
COVID tests every two weeks. But the
fear of having to close again if COVID-19
fl ares up remains.
Concha, who has two kids, recalled having
to apply for unemployment, which
he received almost seven weeks aft er he
applied in April. Being that they’re selfemployed,
he received the minimum payment.
In addition to that, his wife lost her
job aft er being furloughed.
“I started to tap into my savings,” he
said. “And when that stimulus check came
in April, it was gone as soon as it did. It
wasn’t enough.”
Molina was able to take some house
calls by setting up a makeshift station
in his backyard in Jackson Heights.
Although it was tough, Molina chose to
look at the bright side.
“Th e silver lining was spending time
with my son and my family,” Molina said.
Keeping their business alive is their top
priority, though, so they’re meticulously
following COVID guidelines.
“For us, this isn’t a job. Th is is what we
do. Th is is our lives,” Concha said. “When
you come here, you ground yourself in
Photos by Angélica Acevedo/QNS
that station for 10 hours a day, and you
know you’re going to see 10 diff erent clients
and be in contact with lots of people,
but these are the people who make your
life go by. People come see you to look
good, to feel good.”
Before the pandemic hit, Concha and
Molina always looked for ways to give
back to the community. In the past two
years, they’ve hosted Christmas toy drives
to take to the Variety Boys and Girls Club.
When they fi rst opened, they had a
back-to-school special off ering kids a free
haircut. On their one-year anniversary
of opening, they had a celebration with a
DJ, food and purchased 50 bookbags with
school supplies to give to the kids walking
by the shop.
“It was a big event. We had about 10
bags left over and were hoping to do it
again this year,” Concha said. “Th e only
thing I’m worried about now is if we can
actually do it.”
Th e business owners are hoping for the
best and paying attention to the news
every day. In the meantime, loyal clients
keep coming back.
Fernando Colato, 22, has been getting
his hair cuts from Molina since he was
16 years old. He drove all the way from
Long Island to get his fi rst hair cut in three
months a few weeks aft er they reopened.
Colato, an essential worker who commutes
to Manhattan, recalled a bad hair
cut experience in which a barber cut his
hair line too far back. He said he left the
shop in the middle of the cut and was
waking home, trying to fi ght back tears.
But on the way he ran into Molina, who
off ered to fi x him up.
“I look up to him as a man and as a person,”
Colato said. “I’m excited to be back.
Th is is like my second home.”
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