WACO, Texas — As local hairdressers and barber shops reopen as part of the next phase of the state's recovery plan, the barbers at Parkdale Barber Shop have seen a surge in business.
When they reopened Friday morning, Parkdale had more than 30 customers waiting in cars outside.
One barber said he saw more customers on that day than he normally does over the course of an entire week.
"So that tells me how anxious people were and ready to get back," Parkdale barber Cody Pirelo said.
In more than 60 years of business, Parkdale has not been through anything like the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We've never shut down more than an week," Pirelo said. "We may have shut down for a family funeral, but never for months at a time."
Parkdale applied for small business loans under the C.A.R.E.S Act, but so far they have not received any money.
As they cut costs and stayed home during the shutdown, they said one of the hardest parts was not seeing their clients.
"It hurts, really, to not see your friends, your family," Pirelo said. "That is what we think of our customers, and it wasn't easy to go without seeing them."
Pirelo anticipates it could be a month before the demand begins to fade.
"It speaks volumes as to how much we appreciate them and they appreciate us," he said.
Parkdale has not changed their prices since the pandemic, despite the increased demand.
However, they have stopped offering razor trims in order to prevent potential virus transmission.
In addition, Parkdale barbers are wearing masks.
"We don't want any blood-to-blood contact or anything with a razor," Pirelo said. "We're just taking extra precautionary measures to make sure everyone stays safe."
The shop is closed Sundays and Mondays, but they expect to be busy again when they reopen on Tuesday.
