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103-year-old barber shop in Ann Arbor struggles amid pandemic

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer claims the last businesses to reopen are the ones whose existence depends on close contact.

RELATED: Michigan Gov. Whitmer mulls short-term stay-home extension, but reopen plan in works

Many of those businesses are the most vulnerable as the shut down lingers on.

Update April 22 -- Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 33,966; Death toll now at 2,813

Barber shops, salons, massage practices and movie theaters depend on a lot of foot traffic – and there hasn’t been any for at least a month.

For one Ann Arbor barber, Tiffany Royal, the shut down is slowly killing her shop.

"We get paid, obviously, based on the amount of haircuts we do,” Royal said.

Royal is as unique as her shop – Arcade Barbers, located in Nickels Arcade near the University of Michigan campus. The shop as been an Ann Arbor staple since it opened in 1917.

The shop employs nine other hair-stylists.

"We're blowing through the savings pretty quickly,” Royal said. “Obviously, there's no mercy on your mortgage or the rent I'm paying for my store. You still pay some rent."

The only thing keeping her afloat right now is a GoFundMe set up to keep the shop alive.

She said her business is everything to her and anticipates a dramatic life change in order to save it.

"If i had to choose my business or my house, I would choose my business because I can go find a tiny apartment somewhere and start over in that sense and function,” Royal said. “But if it was my business? That is my nest egg, my world, my way of putting my kids through college.”

She said her entire staff has applied for every loan and assistance possible and have not received anything back yet.

To donate to Arcade Barbers’ GoFundMe, click here.

Anyone who believes they might have coronavirus should follow the CDC guidelines. Michigan.gov has a list of resources available to those concerned about COVID-19.

More information on coronavirus (COVID-19):


About the Authors
Dane Kelly headshot

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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