Royalty Chop Shop, White Plains
West Harrison resident Alex Reyes and White Plains resident Ramon Galindez are co-owners of the uniquely named Royalty Chop Shop, which they opened in White Plains three-and-one-half years ago.
Reyes explained last week how he and his partner came up with the name for their hair salon. “You kind of chop the hair off so we wanted to do a little play on the name instead of just calling it Ramon and Alex’s Barber Shop. Change it up a little bit, make it a little different from what’s out there,” Reyes said.
The symbol of the salon is a crown and a coat of armor. “Royalty kind of goes with the theme,” Reyes said.
Reyes said he and his partner looked around for a space for their new business for about a year before choosing its E. Post Road site. “We wanted something close to the main avenue, Mamaroneck Avenue,” he said, adding the location is close to The Westchester shopping mall and other E. Post Road businesses. “It was perfect for us,” he said.
Reyes said he and his partner are seeking a larger spot for their business close to their current location that would allow them to provide additional services.
Royalty Chop Shop primarily provides services for men and boys, though some women with short hair patronize the business, Reyes, said.
“We offer just the typical regular traditional haircut,” Reyes said. “We offer hot towel shaves. We offer facials to take out the black pores. We do designs. A lot of kids like the little logos on the side. We offer a variety of services.”
Reyes said he and his partner are full-time barbers at Royalty Chop Shop, which is open every day. “I’ve been cutting hair for almost 18 years,” Reyes said. “I originally worked in New Jersey. I moved up here eight years ago. I worked in a couple of barber shops in Mamaroneck and in White Plains and then decided to open up my own shop.”
Galindez was born in Puerto Rico and has been a White Plains resident for 13 years, Reyes noted. “We met at a barber shop. We worked there for a couple of years and then we decided to do our own thing,” Reyes said.
Reyes said his business employs local residents. “The clients feel comfortable coming to them,” he said.
Reyes said his business’ clients include those who work in neighboring businesses, as well as live in White Plains. “People get to know us and they come back and refer people,” he said. “They come from all over. We’ve got people coming from Connecticut from Nyack, Yonkers, Mount Vernon.”
“Word of mouth is still the number one way of marketing and promoting your business,” Reyes said. “If you do a good job people will come back.”
Royalty Chop Shop is located at 219 E. Post Rd. in White Plains. For more information call 914-437-7437 or visit https://www.royaltychopshop.com/.
