New owner opens barbershop at YMCA

Photo by: Geoffrey Hauschild

The Vindicator (Youngstown)

Photo

Holding the first dollar he made at his new job, Paul Gonzalez Jr., of Youngstown, stands in his barbershop on the second floor of the Youngstown YMCA.

Photo by: Geoffrey Hauschild

The Vindicator (Youngstown)

Photo

Paul Gonzalez Jr., of Youngstown, graduated from Akron Barber College in 2005. Gonzalez recently opened his barbershop on the second floor of the Youngstown YMCA.

By MATT STROUD

Special to The Vindicator

YOUNGSTOWN

When Paul Gonzalez Jr. left a job cutting hair at a Mahoning Avenue barbershop in July, he didn’t know where his career would take him.

All he knew was that he wanted to work for himself, to own his own business.

Gonzalez, 34, is a lifelong Youngstown resident and a Chaney High School graduate. He was out of work for two weeks, looking for places to open his own shop before a friend confirmed rumors that the downtown YMCA on North Champion Street had an opening for an in-house barber.

“You get to know a lot of people while cutting hair,” he said. “I had customers who would come to Mahoning looking for a new barber because the man who [operated] this place wasn’t around very much.”

The Young Men’s Christian Association has a history of barbers operating in that building — which also features a state-licensed preschool, swimming lessons, a cafeteria, workout room and other amenities, events and activities for the local community.

The barbershop is on the second floor of the building, a short walk from the cafeteria.

Eric Buckingham, YMCA membership director, who helped Gonzalez through the process of opening his shop in the Y, has worked there for three years. Buckingham said as many as three barbers once operated at various spots within the YMCA, but that it downsized to one in recent years.

It turns out that the one remaining, longtime barber at the Y, Joe Bratek — who cut hair there for 15 years — had become ill. By July, he was unable to work.

“Joe was a popular guy,” Buckingham said.

Reached by phone, Bratek’s wife, Yvonne, would not go into further detail about her husband’s illness, but she confirmed he had become ill and, as of July 30, was no longer operating the Y’s barbershop.

“It’s been a rough year,” she said. “Joe had been [cutting hair] downtown for almost 28 years,” moving locations three times during that span before ending up at the Y.

“He was very popular, and I’m sure he’ll be missed there,” she said.

Joe’s history — and the Y’s history — does not escape Gonzalez.

“I think this is the best job in the world,” Gonzalez said. “I want to keep people coming here.”

Gonzalez graduated from Akron Barber College in 2005 after years of automotive-repair gigs, working at restaurants and performing other odd jobs. “You name it, I’ve done it,” he said.

Gonzalez cut hair for neighbors and friends while growing up on the West Side and decided to be a professional barber when he was in his late 20s.

He opened his place at the Y on Nov. 24.

The traffic has been varied. One day the week of Nov. 29, more than 20 people showed up to get their hair cut, he said. But on Dec. 1, only three people stopped by.

“Things will get better,” he said. “Once people start to hear that I’m here, I’ll get more customers. You just gotta be patient.”