By Christina Goodman
When a patron walks into Black Label Artistry, located at 1313 N. Center St. in downtown Stockton, they’re greeted with music blasting, people saying hello and physical interaction once their name is called.
The energy is positive vibes and welcoming to everyone at the barber shop.
Black Label has four barbers that started as friends and ended up becoming brothers in a career they love forming a family.
Owner and head barber Alex Gonzales has been a barber for 10 years, but didn’t get his license to cut hair until his fourth year in barber college.
“Being able to give them exactly what they wanted and seeing them happy with the outcome,” Gonzales.
Gonzales’ clients come in ready for a cut, but walk out feeling a certain way about themselves.
“I feel more confident, obviously fresh and I feel good and it’s something I do for myself,” said Jose Pantoja, a Black Label Artistry regular.
Pantoja has been coming to Gonzales for 15 years.
“I’ve been going to him since he started in his parents’ garage,” said Pantoja.
Loyalty is a theme that runs through the shop, as is a feeling of familiarity.
Customers typically come in knowing what they want in terms of a style. Some had got low fades, bald fade, hair shaved completely off and some had a line-up.
Services also include cutting and trimming beards. Hot towels are wrapped around a patron’s face, then they sit for a few minutes. Some processes are not quick in-and-out deals, but can take up to 45 minutes. This includes cutting/trimming the beards. Haircut prices range from $30 for children and $45 and up for adults.
Hector Sosa, another client of Gonzales’ who has been coming to the barbershop for years and is always happy with the services provided.
“Alex is my boy and I’m always pleased with my hair, he knows how I like my hair. When I sit in that chair I know for a fact he’s going to get it right,” said Sosa.
When they’re finished cutting hair they spin the clients around so they can make sure everything is okay to get the final look.
“This is something we do to make sure everything is done correctly,” said Pantoja. “I noticed that all the clients smiled afterwards showing their satisfaction with the outcome.”
The barber shop has something of a man cave vibe, but is welcoming to women to all, including those bringing their children for haircuts. It’s clean and upkeep. Each station has a mirror with a light around it and cozy chairs with the name of the shop on them. Each barber each has their drapes to cover clients so nothing gets on their clothes.
Black Label barbers display their licenses on their stations, with combs sitting in the disinfectant, flanked by sprays, and different types of clippers.
Throughout the years Gonzales and the barbers at Black Label Artistry built their names by building a strong foundation in the community. When you step into the barbershop you’re going where everybody knows your name.
But it wasn’t always that way. Gonzales said he’d tell his younger self “don’t hesitate on any ideas I had hesitated on before” getting in the way of where he is now.
Black Label Artistry is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, or after hours by appointment.
