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11 Things You Don't Know About Tattoo Blvd
An interview by Ashley LaRae
Tattoo Blvd looks more like an art gallery than a tattoo shop upon walking in. With framed artwork and examples scaling the walls with organization and simplicity, this shop gives off a vibe of artistic creativity and professionalism rather than the usual slum shop we're used to seeing around town. With experience and passion filling the booths of each tattoo artist, it's easy to see why celebrities and athletes flock to this downtown Glendale shop like it's their own little VIP oasis. Trained and certified in both bloodborne pathogen and cross contamination prevention, you can see why many people feel safer and more at ease with these artists. Owners Wilo and Johnny Boy gave me a few minutes of their time to share a some things we don't know about Tattoo Blvd.
11 things you don't know about Tattoo Blvd:
1. Everyone inside Tattoo Blvd is an actual artist...they all had artistic backgrounds before becoming tattoo artists. The two owners alone have more than 20 years experience combined!
2. Wilo, co-owner of Tattoo Blvd, tours with Bone Thugs n Harmony as their personal tattoo artist periodically throughout the year and Johnny Boy (co-owner) runs the shop while he's gone.
3. They have individual booths so clients have more privacy (not like what you typically see in tattoo shops). There's five tattoo booths and one separate piercing room.
4. This is one of the cleanest, most sterile shops in Arizona. Although legislation still hasn't been passed to require shops to meet OSHA standards (therefore, many shops don't), Tattoo Blvd goes out of their way to ensure that their shop meets these standards regardless and even uses hospital sterilization techniques.
5. They cater to their clientele...they'll even give their clients a ride to/from the shop if requested)...total VIP treatment!
6. They work with numrous celebrities and athletes when they come in town (probably because of their VIP treatment).
7. Almost all of their clients are repeat clients, and most of their new clients are referrals from others. They consider themselves a Pro Shop (they have their base clientele and referrals, experienced artists and top of the line equipment) rather than a Street Shop (who's income is based solely on walk-ins with a high turnover rate).
8. The owners maintain that they won't drop their standards regardless of pressure from the industry and competition...they do whatever they need to do to make sure their clients are getting the best service.
9. Tattoo Blvd was Phoenix's first Latino-owned tattoo shop (both owners born and raised in Arizona...it's a home-bred shop!).
10. They came up with their name because they're the "boulevard of all tattoo shops" (fitting in with their lowrider lifestyle, they knew this name would be fun for their culture).
11. They insist they "Put more Love into their Tattoos" ... they LOVE their jobs!
...and a few more things you SHOULD know:
1. You can visit Tattoo Blvd at 5717 West Glendale Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85301.
2. You can contact the shop at 623.842.2583 (open Mon-Thurs noon to 9pm, Friday noon to 10pm, Saturday noon to 11pm and Sunday 12:30pm-6pm).
3. You can follow them on Twitter at @tattooblvd and "like" them on Facebook.
 Interviewed by Ashley LaRae.
To find more information on Ashley or read her Bio, click here.
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