A Black-owned barbershop opens a second location in Elk Grove. Here’s where
.jpg "The Fade Room opened a second location at the Elk Park Village shopping plaza at 9643 E. Stockton Blvd. in Elk Grove.")
A local barbershop in Elk Grove recently expanded its operation, adding a second location in the south Sacramento County suburb.
Dwyane Love, owner of Elk Grove barbershop The Fade Room, opened his second location at 9643 E. Stockton Blvd. in the Elk Park Village plaza anchored by Pig Latin, Station 16 and Crunch Fitness.
It’s Love’s second location, which opened on April 1, the day of his late mother’s birthday, he said. The business is dedicated to her, he said, because she’s the one who first suggested that he become a barber.
“My mom was a cosmetologist, I grew up a salon boy running errands for her and stuff,” Love said.
His mother never got a chance to see how her advice played out, Love said. She passed away the first day he received the keys to his original location, which opened in 2019 at the intersection of Laguna and Franklin boulevards.
When foot traffic steadily filled the seats at his first location, Love said he knew it was “worth the risk” to open a second barbershop.
“I didn’t have enough chairs,” Love said. “People kept coming to me and asking me if I had an open chair and I always had to turn people away, so it just made sense (to open another space).”
.jpg "inside-fade-room (1).jpg")
Making space for Black-owned businesses
Love realized that Elk Grove was “growing rapidly,” especially as it pertained to Black-owned businesses.
Black people made up 13% of Elk Grove’s population, as of 2020, according to the city’s website and census data. In 2010, Black people made up just 10% of the Elk Grove area, showing that the number of Black residents in Elk Grove continues to grow.
“I’m starting to see that (Elk Grove) is starting to become a really good market for Black entrepreneurs,” Love said. “Every time I look up, I see a Black owner that’s opening up a new business. The lady opened (Hair Emporium) right there on Laguna, and then (Charlene’s Beauty Supply) opened. The guy just opened up the (MacQue’s) barbecue spot next to Arby’s. … So that’s something that gravitated to me to where I wanted to own my spots as well.”
Love said he has plans to one day open a third location by partnering with someone. However, for now, he plans to be at the new Fade Room’s East Stockton location for the next six months to get the shop “off the ground,” he said, and operating smoothly.
The new location is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Mondays are by appointment only.