Chris “DaBarber” Flores cuts the hair of Brandon N. Halligan, 18. Flores wheels his Big Shots Mobile Barber Shop to different locations on the Northwest Side to serve his clients Wednesday.
The heat felt like a blast from a furnace when Julio Garanzuay, 39, brought his sons Ramiro Villy, 12, and Julio Garanzuay, 8, for haircuts from Christopher “Chris DaBarber” Flores.
Inside Flores’ Big Shots Barber Lounge, it was chilly.
The 46-year-old barber, wearing a dark blue New York Yankees baseball cap, welcomed the trio. Flores clicked on his silent clippers to first trim Ramiro’s shock of hair as his brother tapped away at a game on a cellphone.
“They call me little Julio; he’s big Julio,” the youngster said with a nod to his father. The older Garanzuay gazed around the barbershop on wheels.
The 14-foot-by-7-foot trailer was parked at a lot at Potranco and Loop 1604. It has a silver, diamond-plated sheet metal floor. A flat-screen TV, connected to WiFi, anchored a corner near the door. Jars of Johnny B. Mode styling gel and Pacinos styling paste rested on bookshelves. A portable air conditioner, powered by a mini-split, two-ton generator, cooled the white-walled space. Bolted outside is the barbers’ calling card — a red, white, and blue striped barber pole.
“It’s a clean setup,” Garanzuay said. “It’s pretty impressive. It’s more personal, one on one, no distractions and more access to more clients.”
On ExpressNews.com: ‘Still at it’: San Antonio running community supports coach Eddie Hernandez
Flores’ lounge is a reflection of the coronavirus-changing times. It’s one of several mobile salons offering haircuts on the go across San Antonio. Flores cuts his customers’ hair six days a week at parking lots on the Northwest Side. He posts spots where he’ll be on social media, including Instagram and Facebook. Longtime and new clients flock to his black mobile grooming trailer pulled by a white Dodge Ram truck.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
Chris “DaBarber” Flores cuts the hair of Brandon N. Halligan, 18. Flores wheels his Big Shots Mobile Barber Shop to different locations on the Northwest Side to serve his clients Wednesday.
Chris “DaBarber” Flores cuts wheels his Big Shots Mobile Barber Shop to different locations on the Northwest Side to serve his clients Wednesday.
Chris “DaBarber” Flores cuts the hair of Brandon N. Halligan, 18. Flores wheels his Big Shots Mobile Barber Shop to different locations on the Northwest Side to serve his clients Wednesday.
Before the pandemic, Flores had a fixed location near the South Texas Medical Center, with a robust roster of clients. Offering haircuts on the move became an option when the virus brought business to a halt.
In January, he started thinking about food trucks around him and wondered if he could customize a shop on wheels. Flores said he consulted with The Fud Trailer Co. He wanted a trailer gutted of inside appliances, built to his design.
He saved up for the first payment of the double-axle trailer that runs between $13,000 and $18,000. The only remnant of a food truck on the custom trailer was a service window. A friend mounted a 12,000-watt generator that powers the unit. On May 19, Flores picked up the trailer. After 30 days of preparation and paperwork, he rolled his grooming station onto the road.
“I wanted to create something different,” Flores said. “More of a come-to-you service.”
A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning.
On ExpressNews.com: ‘My Way’: Dare helps San Antonio retiree find calling as professional singer
He became interested in the art of grooming as a little boy when his grandfather took him to a barbershop in Nacogdoches. Flores was captivated by the barber, Mr. Arriola. The man, in his 60s, wore sharp, ironed clothes. He used clippers attached to a clear plastic hose that vacuumed up shorn hair. But the most impressive thing about the barber was his two-tone 5.0 Mustang, a gray-bottom, blue-topped clean machine parked outside.
Flores learned to listen without prejudice, not interrupt, and store information away for future access. Arriola let Flores use his first clippers to touch up hair of the regulars. His lessons took place under the unblinking glass eyes of a deer’s head mounted on a wall. The two-chair shop’s carpet captured the scent of blue hair tonic and white talc from the barbers.
Ten years ago, Flores moved to San Antonio and worked at Ray’s Barber Shop on the West Side. He said Ray Gonzalez taught him about life and how to use money to make money. Flores shares those lessons on his YouTube channel titled “Big Shots Barber Lounge.”
“I’m letting other barbers know this is the future,” he said. “I want to show there are plenty of opportunities out here. Saving time and gas is a real convenience for customers these days.”
On ExpressNews.com: High-flying falcons and hawks regular visitors to San Antonio couple’s high-rise apartment
After Flores finished Ramiro’s hair, Garanzuay motioned for little Julio to climb into the chair. The youngster grimaced as the barber fastened the cape around his neck. As he finished, Julio was ready to get out of the chair.
“You want some gel in your hair?” Flores asked the youngster.
“No, I’m fine,” Julio said.
His father said, “You need some gel.”
“Yeah,” Flores added, “let’s see how it looks with some product.”
The barber combed blue gel into the boy’s hair. He leaned back, like an artist eyeing a painting, and inspected the smooth locks laid to the right, above shaved sides.
“Whoooo!” Flores said. “That’s fresh!”
Chris “DaBarber” Flores wheels his Big Shots Mobile Barber Shop to different locations on the Northwest Side to serve his clients Wednesday.
Julio looked in the mirror and gave his approval. As 5 p.m. stop-and-go traffic packed lanes on 1604, Abel Orta, 42, walked in with his son Matthew, 16. The teen wanted a taper fade cut. The Ortas have followed Flores for a few years, happy with his style of grooming.
“I love to see him get better and prosperous in the business,” Orta said. “He’s a go-getter.”
Driving to get styled by Flores is not a problem for the father and son.
“He’s been my guy,” Matthew said. “I cannot go anywhere else.”
Vincent T. Davis started at the San Antonio Express-News in 1999 as a part-time City Desk Editorial Assistant working nights and weekends while attending San Antonio College and working on the staff of the campus newspaper, The Ranger. He completed a 3-month fellowship from the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University in 2003 and earned his bachelors degree in communication design from Texas State University in 2006.