A few years ago, my son, Alex, wanted to try a unique hairstyle he saw online. I asked around for some ideas of where he could get that cut. A friend at work told me he and his son went to Cruz Cutz in Moline, so I made an appointment for Alex and we checked it out..
Alex liked his haircut, and when my schedule didn’t allow me to make it to my barber in Muscatine, Ken’s Classic Cuts, I would get my hair clipped there as well. Cruz Cutz had a great vibe, full of young barbers with a diverse group of clients. I got taken care of by several different barbers there. They all were talented, friendly, and worked hard on their craft.
Recently, Ken closed his shop. I hope he enjoys his retirement. I will miss picking up some words of wisdom from my old friend while getting a good haircut.
So, I began the search for a barber here in town, and someone my son could go to as well. My co worker, Martin, had gone to Cedar Rapids for years to get his haircut and told me about a new young barber in town he had tried and was happy with. Knowing how much vanity Martin had about his hair, I figured this new barber must be good, and he is.
Jorge Duenez, a MHS graduate of 2020, opened Royal Grooming Barber Lounge at 112 East Second Street in Downtown Muscatine in August of 2022 and has been doing well.
Jorge attended barber college in Moline after graduating high school and is licensed in Iowa and Illinois. He decided to open up a shop in Muscatine as many of his peers were going out of town to get a haircut. “Most of my friends were driving to Moline, Iowa City, or North Liberty to get a haircut.”
When I got a haircut there recently, the atmosphere was as good as the service I got. Duenez had much respect and drew inspiration from the barbershop my son was frequenting and its owner, Jesus Cruz: “I first heard about Cruz Cutz through my friends but I never went there until I went to barber school. What he built, I definitely feel he changed the scene of a barbershop in a good positive way.”
After a few setbacks in finding a location, Joe Meyer, from Nutrition Outlet, suggested he look downtown, and he found his spot. From the lights to the mirrors, Duenez bootstrapped his way to furnishing his barbershop piece by piece. He moved quickly to get a bargain on his chairs. “I had to go to Cedar Falls, a barbershop was remodeling their shop, and I texted the owner asking him if he could hold the chairs but he said he couldn’t. So I took off that same day and bought five chairs.”
His favorite part of being a barber is the social aspect of meeting new people and when people trust him to try a new style. “I try my best to cut their hair and when they see it and they are all excited, that’s probably the best part.”
Currently Royal Grooming Barber Lounge is open six days a week, closed on Sunday. For people who want to make an appointment, he encourages them to use the app Booksy, as it helps him focus on his clients while he is at the shop. The app was very convenient and easy for me to use. For those interested in a walk in, he has his friend from barber school, John Cepeda, helping him on Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For the future, Duenez’s goal is to add a couple more barbers in his shop to be able to serve more of Muscatine’s clientele. He also hopes to see more barbers in the community overall.
Duenez appreciates all the business Muscatine has given him since he opened his doors: “Thank you to Muscatine. From August to now, the support they’ve given me, thank you. People I’ve just met, just through a haircut, have been some of my biggest supporters. Business has been good, more than I could have imagined.”
