The Barber Lounge’s Closure

COVID-19 causes business to temporarily close.

Barber Lounge in Richmond closed due to COVID-19, could lead to permanent closure.

COVID-19 has negatively affected the world in many ways. One of the most prominent is the closure of many businesses. The only stores that are allowed to be open are ones like grocery stores and stores where people can get essential supplies. Any other business that isn’t that is deemed “non-essential” and must be closed. While this has been the way to reduce the amount of people that get infected, many people have become unemployed. 

Those who have been affected most are small businesses, from the workers to the managers themselves. Small businesses aren’t like large corporations so being closed for so long will have long term effects on them.

The Barber Lounge is located in Richmond, California. The shop is located on one of Ricmond’s most busy streets, 23rd St. The shop would always be full with appointments as well as walk-ins. But since the stay and home order, the shop had to close to abide by the order.

The shop is run by Juvenal Virruete, as well as his younger brother, Alejandro Virruete when Juvenal isn’t around. The brothers decided to have their own shop since they are in control of the hours that they work and it makes them a good income. 

The shop opened up back in 2015. And with about seven to eight barbers working at the shop, The Barber Lounge always had many clients coming in for haircuts.

“It was one of the newest barber shops so everybody wanted to try it out. And we were full, we were fully staffed. Everybody was there, all the chairs were picked up and everyone has the clientele, you know? It was popping,” Alejandro Virruete said.

That came to a stop on March 13 when the shop had to close. Juvenal Virruete would get $170 each week from the barbers in order to pay for the rent but he has not gotten that but that does not mean that the shop’s rent won’t be paid. 

Alejandro Virruete had made the decision to start cutting hair from home since barbers aren’t able to do haircuts at The Barber Lounge. Instead of charging $30 per haircut, he has raised his price to $40. Virruete does have requirements for those who do decide to get a haircut during the pandemic.

“Come clean; showered. Wear a face mask, I mean, might as well take precaution. I don’t let people use the bathroom at my house, just come by yourself,” Virruete said. 

“It has been successful but not like how it used to… I’m not getting walk-ins, I’m not getting a lot of people coming in. So I advertise on Instagram and that’s how I get some people but walk-ins, people passing by, driving by, I don’t get that,” Virruete later added.

Even though the stay at home order is still in place, The Barber Lounge “opened” on Tuesday, May 5. The only clients that are getting haircuts are family and friends of the barbers since the shop is not supposed to be open at all.

“I cannot afford it, I cannot afford that they come in and give me a fine,” Juvenal Virruete said. 

Virruete explained that he thinks agents from the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology could come to give him a penalty on his license.

Unfortunately, like many business owners, Juvenal Virruete is unsure how he will pay the rent for next month. 

“… My landlord is not going to wait, you know? Because he’s also buying the building, he got a mortgage to pay too,” Juvenal Virruete said.

Juvenal Virruete at this time has applied for the SBA’s Disaster Loan Assistance. After four weeks, his application has not progressed, he has received an email that confirms that he submitted the application with a confirmation number. Virruete got a second email after that apologized and thanked Virruete for being patient. He may have to wait another five to six weeks to know if he will be approved for the loan.

“I hope this month goes fast and they reopen because if they keep extending it, I’m gonna lose everything, I’m gonna lose all my business, all my income. I’m gonna lose everything, everything that I’ve worked for, for the last five years…,” Juvenal Virruete later added.