After dental office turned him down, Davy Barragan forged his own path with tattoo shop in Algoma
Research estimates that over 50% of Americans under the age of 40 sport tattoos. The numbers decline among older age groups, but it is clear that tattoos no longer have the stigma of being radical or unprofessional.
That’s been quite a change from a few decades ago when Davy Barragan, owner of Davys_Inks in Algoma, was pursuing a degree in the dentistry profession and hoping to gain experience by working in a dental office.
“When I was back home on a break from school, I was already tattooed,” Barragan said. “The dental office turned me down for a job because they said it made my character feel ‘heavy.’ I understood, but felt it was unfair. It’s good to see that nowadays it is accepted.”
That rejection took Barragan down several different paths; many that were filled with great challenges. He gained custody of his three children when his then wife became a drug addict. That story repeated when his sister also fell to drug addiction and he took custody of his six nieces and nephews.
“I now have my three children, six nieces and nephews, and my current wife’s two children," he said. "One of the older children has gone on her own, but we have 10 children living with us.”
That big family motivates Barragan to be an example of what can be accomplished. Even though he was raised in a very difficult home situation, he has risen above it and always believed that a person can achieve their dreams.
In his career, he has pursued management and leadership positions and worked in a variety of businesses. He was a cheesemaker, assistant brewer, and department manager at Walmart. And when he moved to new locations, he took whatever jobs were available to support his family as he planned for the future.
“I have always been creative and said I would be my own boss,” Barragan said. “My future changed when I met a tattoo artist named Elizabeth. She gave me the nourishment to boost myself in the art of tattooing.”
He interned under Elizabeth at a tattoo parlor in Sturgeon Bay. Under her guidance, he learned the importance of maintaining strict shop standards for cleanliness, shared strategies on running a tattoo shop, and taught basics like shadowing.
Barragan said he always had a talent for creativity, and knew how to draw. He recalls watching his mother draw and being able to emulate that. Throughout his life, he excelled in art classes.
He said, “Tattooing opened a new world. That love for art was always there, but I didn’t know it would become a career.”
As he improved his skills and had almost completed his internship, tragedy struck. Elizabeth took her own life, and Barragan struggled to define his future.
“I was broken by her death,” he said. “I didn’t want to tattoo anymore. We had spent a lot of time together; she was my mentor and my friend. It was six months before I thought about tattooing, and when a buddy of mine asked me to help at his tattoo shop, I finished the apprenticeship and grew in experience.”
His work gained followers and clients were impressed. As he sat down with his wife to talk about next steps, he was confident that the time was right to open a shop. They tossed around ideas for names and “Davys_Inks” was selected. The next step was finding a location.
“I found a location that was good for what we wanted to do. It only needed a minor facelift and the landlord has been fantastic to work with,” he added.
The business, with an official opening scheduled for April 1, is located on Steele Street in Algoma. He has been working out of a shop in Green Bay, but after looking at the competition, felt that there was a need for one there. It will be the first tattoo shop in Kewaunee County, and he says it will bring a bit of a cultural hook to the area.
Barragan also praised the support received from the community.
“The whole town and people from all over Door County know what we’ve done for our kids and are behind us. My wife, Amanda, has also been amazing,” he said. “She stepped into the role of a mother for my kids and nieces and nephews along with her kids. It is hectic, but she runs it systematically and everyone gets along.”
That support system will help Barragan as he adds to the more than 500 tattoos he has already created. He says that he is good at traditional art and realism, and is humbled by the praise he gets from clients. If a customer is looking for ideas, all they need to do is glimpse the myriad of tattoos that cover his body.
He said, “I have an elephant, stars on my forearms, a memorial, skeletons, and more. I’ve done some myself – whatever I could reach. It is a tattoo ritual at a shop that you have to tattoo yourself before you can tattoo on anyone else.”
There are no tattoos that he regrets, but he says it’s important for clients to be sure that they want what they’re asking for. He often meets with clients who want a existing tattoo to be covered with a new design; that’s something he considers a fun challenge.
The next challenges to be faced are those of running a business. He is working on marketing, his wife is in charge of bookkeeping, and he is making sure that all business requirements are met or exceeded. As he looks back at the dental office job he was refused, he is glad that things have changed.
“People are now more open to expressing themselves,” Barragan said. “When I grew up, in that era, having tattoos meant you were a criminal. Now they are for everyone. I really feel obligated to give each person my best, and think of the last advice Elizabeth gave me to never stop tattooing, no matter what happens. This vision keeps me going; with the kids pushing from behind.”
Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Barragan to open tattoo shop Davys_Inks in Algoma
