By Autumn Copeland
Hector and Felicia Garza are excited to introduce to you Hometown Cutz, a new full service barbershop located at 500 N Transportation Dr. in Devine. Their goal for their shop is to give people in the community a more affordable and caring option for men’s and boy’s haircuts and other services including waxes, hot towel shaves, beard trims, perms, and steamed facials.
Hector and Felicia are lifelong residents of Devine, high school sweethearts, and the parents of four boys- Xavier, Hector, Alonzo, and Ezekiel. Felicia worked in the food service industry at the Mexican restaurant Las Palmas from the time she was in high school until she was 32 years old. Hector worked in the oil field, but was never able to return to that line of work again after being in an accident and sustaining injuries to his arm and back.
During her time in quarantine with her family, Felicia realized she loved cutting her sons’ hair and was ready for a change in her work life. After getting the chance to go back to school, Felicia decided to attend a barber program and, with her husband’s patience and creativity, convinced him to go as well. The couple went to barber school for a year and bought the old Valdez Restaurant in November of 2022. Immediately they began to remodel the building, turning the old restaurant into a modern yet classic barbershop in six months.
“I just really want to be a big part of the community,” said Felicia. “I am for the customer. When you take care of your customers and care about your job, they take care of you in return.”
Being a mother of four boys, Felicia knows the struggles of getting haircuts with the steepening prices. She believes basic necessities such as haircuts should be affordable, so they offer child rates.
“Everybody who’s on a budget these days just can’t really afford it, so we really want to give them an affordable option,” said Felicia.
Another concern of Hector and Felicia’s is the accessibility of affordable haircuts for seniors. A 62 years and older senior citizen haircut costs $12 at the barbershop.
“What happened to the cut that went up from $8 to $12 to $15 that’s now at $35?” said Felicia. “We have senior citizen prices, we have kid prices, and regular haircut prices are affordable.
In the two weeks their barbershop has been open, Hector and Felicia have seen great support from the community. To show how much they appreciated customers giving them a chance, Hector and Felicia gave out 52 free haircuts during their first week of being open.
“If you go in with a good attitude and a positive mind, the positive outweighs the negative,” said Felicia. “Our doors are always open and we are ready to serve our community and welcome anybody.”
Hector and Felicia’s strong love of family and the bond they have with their hometown is shown through everything they do. It is truly a family business as you will often find their little helpers around the shop including their 16 year old Hector, who helps clean.
“What sets us apart is that we’re from here and we care,” said Felicia. “We care about the school, we care about the kids, we care about our community.”
Hometown Cutz is open from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
See their weekly ad in the Devine News for more information.