Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Federico
Hi Tony , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
About 9 years ago, I walked into Boston Barber Co. in Boston for a haircut and was offered a coffee. Fully expecting an instant coffee, I was pleasantly surprised when a barista was standing at an espresso machine ready to make me anything I wanted. After getting my drink, I turned around to see yet another surprise. There was a window with “Boston Barber & Tattoo Co.” on it. The barista let me know that they had an appointment only tattoo artist that worked out of the space and I was instantly blown away. In the short time that I stood there, I knew that I wanted to take this amazing concept and do it in a larger space.
I started assessing cities to figure out where I wanted to live and every time, I came back to Austin, I knew this was where I wanted to be. Eight years after first walking into Boston Barber Co., I dropped my youngest son off at college, flew back to St. Louis to gather the rest of my things and was home in Austin 72 hours later. Three months after I arrived in Austin, I sold my consulting company (no more corporate life for me) and found the perfect space on E. Cesar Chavez. Dark Horse Tattoo Coffee and Barber Co. was becoming a real thing.
Now I’m living the dream on a daily basis. I’m surrounded by art and artists all day, drinking the best cold brew around and my beard is always on point. Not every day is easy but every day is rewarding.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
You always imagine there will be hiccups but so many could not have been foreseen. The permitting process in Austin is arduous and there were a lot of hurdles to overcome for what seemed to be a pretty straightforward remodel. Fortunately, I met a lot of great people before and during this process who were a great help. Councilman Jose Velasquez, Paul Carrozza, Rich Samuel of RichesArt Gallery and so many other amazing humans helped me find the resources I needed to expedite the process as much as possible. The struggle is real but anything worth doing typically isn’t going to come easy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Dark Horse isn’t just a shop, it’s a space for people to come together where they can find and do so many different things. We put a lot of attention into the details so whatever someone’s purpose is in coming here, they will know that we care. We spent a lot of time curating our coffee and tea selections. From the machines, beans, water, syrups, milks…you name it, we spent a lot of time and energy making sure to offer the best selections. Our tattoo artists are quite literally from all over the world and we have only brought artists on board who I have and will let tattoo on me or my family. All of our barbers are supremely talented individuals but an even better team.
But that’s not all we do! We are a music venue, an art gallery, an event space, a vendor market, yoga studio, food truck destination…quite literally if it sounds like fun, we try to find a way to incorporate it.
At the end of the day, our slogan encapsulates the essence of what we’ve created here: Be Nice, Don’t Suck. This is a space influenced by so many people and it’s meant to be a place for all people no matter your background, gender, religion, race, style…just be nice and don’t suck.
More than what we offer, who we are is what truly sets us apart. Every person here cares and believes in what we are building.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We couldn’t be much easier to work or collaborate with. Obviously we can’t do all of the great ideas people have but when people come in with cool ideas, we try to find the way to do it as opposed to the reasons why we can’t.
We respond to all messages on Instagram @darkhorsetcb but the best way to get in with us is to just come into the shop. I’m here pretty much every day and make time for anyone that comes through the doors. The most important thing to me is that we create a space that the people of Austin love and I can’t do that if I don’t hear from those same people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.darkhorsetcb.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkhorsetcb/?igsh=YWRhdnBrMmw3cTd5&utm_source=qr
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dark-horse-tattoo-coffee-and-barber-austin
Image Credits
@_casrose
