Off the Beaten Path

Tattoo shop owner wants his studio to be hard to find

by TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

It doesn’t make sense: A tattoo shop that you can’t even see when you drive by.

Such a place should draw the naked eye to its doors, beckoning with intrigue. It should attract inebriated patrons on a whim. It cries out for attention, hoping someone will cast it in the next version of “Miami Ink” TV show.

Not Happy Timez. The small tattoo shop is nestled in the corner of an L-shaped shopping center on San Pedro and Copper across from the New Mexico State Fairgrounds.

You have to know where you’re going if you want to find it.

Photo by Tristen Critchfield

Can't see the shop? That's the point. Happy Timez is located in the far corner of this shopping center.

The shop’s location isn’t an example of poor business sense, however. Call it thoughtful design.

Alonzo Rodriguez, the owner of Happy Timez, wants his shop to be a little bit out of the way.
“

I put my studio off the beaten path to catch people who are more serious,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez means more serious than the tattoo window-shoppers who cruise up and down Central, examining shops that clamor for attention in Nob Hill.

Rodriguez knows because he worked there once: “It’s like a fish net – we would just reach out and catch anyone who thinks they might want a tattoo,” he said.

Ink is hot now. Rodriguez said it’s not uncommon for most people today to have at least a little something.

“Tattoos are so much more mainstream these days,” Rodriguez said. “They are not just for thugs, sailors and prostitutes anymore.”

Ron Romero, a tattoo artist at Happy Timez, said business is booming because celebrities are getting inked up.

Photo by Tristen Critchfield

Those who do research are likely to find Happy Timez. Owner Alonzo Rodriguez takes clients by appointment only.

If everyone is doing it, why not capitalize?

Both Rodriguez and Romero agree that many people can get infatuated with the idea of getting a tattoo without going through a serious thought and selection process. Rodriguez said he wants to educate his customers about tattoos and give them a reference so they aren’t taking “a blind leap of faith.”

“People are so much bolder now. They don’t request something small. They want a half-sleeve, a full-sleeve or a chest panel,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t think they are really thinking about what they’re doing.”

Hence the location of the shop. And forget about advertising. Rodriguez said the shop is unlisted in the yellow pages, and he prefers word of mouth to advertising.

Even loyal customers have had trouble tracking down Rodriguez.

“My friends all got tatted by Alonzo before he had his own shop,” said Travis Wilson, who has three tattoos done by Rodriguez. “It took a while to find out where he was.”

“I drove by it two times before I figured out where it was,” added Jon Clements, who once put off paying rent so he could get a tattoo from Rodriguez.

Wilson and Clements are examples of customers who are serious enough about their ink to make the effort to find Happy Timez. Not everyone is like that.

Rodriguez doesn’t welcome walk-ins – Happy Timez takes its customers by appointment only – a month in advance. He also said he refuses to tattoo anyone he thinks is making a decision they may regret.

“I go to him because he’s trustworthy, and he makes sure you have put some thought into what you want,” Wilson said.

Rodriguez offered one example of the type of potential client who won’t be getting tattooed at Happy Timez: The person who wants a tattoo of a boyfriend or girlfriend’s name.

“We say get a name when you want to get rid of them,” he said. “You will break up after that.”

Rodriguez told a story of a customer’s wish for a tattoo of her boyfriend’s name and portrait. Rodriguez did the name but refused to do the portrait. She returned a few days later requesting that the tattoo be covered.

“Then a couple days after that she was back in love with him again and decided she still wanted the portrait,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez doesn’t want his shop to be a haven for poorly conceived tattoos.

“I think they degrade the quality of the person,” he said. “I’ll see some kid and think: ‘Did you really think it was a good idea to get a toaster tattooed on your neck?’”

So it does make sense. If you’re willing to put some time and thought into your next (or first) tattoo, then you’re probably going to be willing to take the time to find Happy Timez.

Written May 1, 2008

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