This semester, locally owned barber salon 4.0 Cuts opened its third location, returning to the heart of Texas A&M’s campus with a shop in the Memorial Student Center.
Catering to both men and women, 4.0 Cuts offers a wide variety of services, from cuts to styles to waxing. The barbershop and salon is open seven days a week, offering both scheduled appointments and walk-ins. According to Ramsey De La Cruz, owner and Class of 2003, the original 4.0 Cuts first started at the Northgate location 4 years ago and later opened a Barber and Beauty school before opening the MSC location.
With the new location opening suddenly, few people were aware there would be a barbershop opening on campus, De La Cruz said. But since then, there has been consistent business, even with the lack of publicity. The shop opened on the same day as the first football game of the season, which helped attract more customers, De La Cruz said.
“Construction went by very fast, like less than a month, so people didn’t realize there would be a barbershop here,” De La Cruz said. “Business has been picking up ever since we opened up. A lot of people have been walking by and hearing about us from word of mouth. On game day and MSC open house, a lot of people saw it.”
The location offers both easy access to students and a unique experience for those working at 4.0 Cuts, according to stylist Mary Tipton. She said the atmosphere of working on campus is enjoyable and there has been a consistent flow of students coming to get their hair done since they opened, allowing the stylists to stay busy.
“It’s been really busy,” Tipton said. “This is the first 4.0 Cuts location I’ve worked at and we see all sorts of people. I really like working on campus.”
According to De La Cruz, the majority of clients are students, but they expect more people to come to the new location when they realize it’s owned and operated by the same people. Computer science senior Brandon McCulloh said he’s been going to the Northgate location since his freshman year but has found the new location to offer exactly what he needs, along with being easier to go to after classes.
“It was a little strange at first, going to the MSC to get my hair cut,” McCulloh said. “But it’s definitely up to the quality of the location I’ve always gone to. The convenience makes this place so appealing.”