BOSTON — Robert Dello Russo is scrambling to get his tattoo parlor back up and running now that the governor has allowed those businesses to reopen Monday as a part of Phase 2.
“I have artists sitting at home just dying to get back to work,” said Dello Russo, who owns Boston Barber and Tattoo Company in the North End neighborhood of Boston.
He’s ready to welcome back six tattoo artists to his newly renovated tattoo parlor. The construction was abruptly halted during the pandemic, but now he’s hoping to be ready to reopen sometime next week.
Dello Russo said he’s surprised tattoo shops couldn’t reopen when barbershops could because of all the sanitary precautions they already take.
“Other than wearing a mask, I mean it’s the most sanitary thing in the world. I mean everything is wrapped with plastic,” Dello Russo said. “Every time we open up a needle, it’s in a package; they wear gloves all the time, it’s one on one.”
>>>MORE: Here’s what part two of Phase 2 will look like in Massachusetts
Under the new guidelines, workers will wear masks and gloves while constantly cleaning each space. The biggest change, Dello Russo said, will be limiting the number of people who come in and not allowing customers to bring friends.
“Sometimes they bring three, four friends, you know it’s like a big thing,” he said.
Dello Russo added that they’re already getting hundreds of calls for tattoo appointments, and he expects that part of his business will be a much bigger comeback than what he’s seen in his barbershop downstairs.
“They’re super loyal, I mean you think people are loyal to their barber, which they are. People, as far as your artist, you’re not going to [see] anybody else, especially if you trust someone with putting something permanent; your hair grows back,” Dello Russo said.
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