Homewood native to move tattoo studio, Ink-N-Um, to his hometown
Robert Garrity, 50, grew up in Homewood and became a tattoo artist after graduating from Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School in 1991.
Now, he is relocating his tattoo and body piercing studio, Ink-N-Um, from Calumet City to Homewood. Ink-N-Um will become the second tattoo studio in Homewood, village officials said.
The Homewood Village Board unanimously approved a special use permit Sept. 26 for the business to open at 18661 Dixie Highway, which most recently housed an escape room business.
“It’s a good spot, and I’m excited,” Garrity said. “Everybody seemed excited.”
In high school, Garrity said he enjoyed going to punk rock shows, skateboarding and art. The mixture of people he knew getting tattoos and his passion for art led him to the industry, he said.
“It was just kind of that scene,” Garrity said. “I could draw on people, that’s a great idea. It just kind of went from there.”
Garrity said he has operated Ink-N-Um for 26 years. Before that, he worked at Roy Boys in its Gary, Indiana and Calumet City locations, he said.
Garrity credits Roy Boy Cooper, who opened a tattoo studio in Gary in the 1980s while tattooing was still illegal in the state, with giving him his start in the industry. Garrity and the Chicago Reader named Roy Boy Cooper the original Tiger King.
“Big name, very large name back in the day. Somebody that was kind of a mentor and gave me the opportunity to get started to learn the business,” Garrity said. “A lot of the other tattoo shops around the area have worked for him and opened up their own eventually.”
For about eight years, Garrity said he wanted to move his business to Homewood, but there were limited places that were zoned for a tattoo studio, he said.
According to a report given to the trustees, Garrity had expressed interest in locations zoned B-1 and B-2, which don’t allow for tattoo studios.
In January, the board adopted an updated zoning ordinance and map that allows a tattoo studio in the Southgate commercial building, where Ink-N-Um will be located, according to a village news release.
“It’s a great area for it,” said Angela Mesaros, Homewood’s director of economic and community development . “We know that it’s going to bring people into that area, which will revitalize the area.”
About 25 people attended a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Sept. 14 to support the business, according to the release. Ahead of the meeting, village officials received more than 50 emails in support of the business.
“I received a bunch of messages from people in the community saying they wanted to see you here, and I am delighted. Welcome,” Trustee Anne Colton said during last week’s Village Board meeting.
“It’s just the overwhelming support that the town and the community, really they were there,” Garrity said. “They supported it. I’m happy that the village and the board were real positive about it.”
Garrity said he has supported the Homewood community by sponsoring Homewood-Flossmoor baseball and painting murals at the ice arena used by Homewood-Flossmoor teams and at Lassen’s Tap.
“I’ve already invested myself, art wise, in Homewood,” Garrity said. “I’m excited. Now I get to have a business here.”
Garrity said he hopes to open on Halloween.
