Today we’d like to introduce you to Alvin Hollywood Al Lee.
Alvin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in New Orleans and came to Houston on a football scholarship. When I 1st got to Houston I wanted to open up the 1st Daiquiri shop just how we do in New Orleans to where you could walk out the shop with it and then 2nd open up a barbershop but the daiquiri shop did not go through because the liquor license are so high in Houston and I didn’t have enough for that and all the equipment and everything that came with opening a Great running Daq shop. i finished my Football seasons at the University of Houston and Graduated then started playing arena football for three years when football came to an end I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life because sports was all I knew so I got a job working at a Tex Mex Restaurant and was very good at my job. I was labeled as 1 of the best employees of the company.
Everyday I would go to work hype and energetic making everyone’s day. I knew God blessed me with so much talent and skills and with the anointing to talk to people and make them feel good but I never thought I would be working at a Restaurant. I been working for the company at this point for about two years now and still was happy being there but started losing my hypeness because I wanted more with my life. This is where it got me we had a competition for each Worker in the Restaurant going against the other employees of the same company but at different locations and the company has 13 locations but the competition was to see who can make the most money in 1 month by selling certain foods and drinks and whoever sells the most get a prize.
The month went by and when they posted the top winners of my location the top seller sold over 26 thousand dollars worth of food and drinks now mind you we have over 55 servers meaning servers and bartenders and out of 55 servers the servers who came in last place still sold over 10 grand so add 55 servers by 10 grand I added it all up we made the owner over 100 thousand dollars in 1 month and like I said we have 13 locations I asked the winner of my location who sold over 26 thousand dollars how much do you make monthly and she told me around 1,800 I told her so you made 26 thousand dollars for the company won the competition and got tickets to a football game for winning and only make 1,800 a month she said yes after I saw and heard that thats when it finally hit me I can be my own boss and that how the Barbershop dream came back to me.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
To be honest it has been a smooth road the only thing is the money part because the crazy part is the banks will give you all the money in the world for a student loan but won’t give you a loan to open up a business unless you have A1 credit so the rough part was me stacking up the money from my Restaurant job to pay for everything I wanted in my shop and to get it looking how I saw my vision.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Hollywood Cutting Up Barbershop – what should we know?
My business is a Barbershop but its not just a barbershop it makes you feel like home when you walk in that was my goal. The place was a mess when I 1st got the ok that it would be mine I went in and changed everything. What do I am the owner and boss I run the shop. I’m there everyday like I’m a barber and I don’t even cut hair. I go in everyday I don’t pay no one to sweep, mop clean mirrors or bathrooms I go in an do it myself because I know how I want my place to look and feel when people come in. I’ve been in and out of numerous barbershops in my life and still do to see how I don’t want my shop to be and what I can do to make my barbershop better. What I’m most proud of. I’m proud of everything because God has been amazing and so good to me with this and I know it will be successful for decades not one month or a year or two but decades. Sometimes I just sit in there and look around and smile.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The characteristics I feel is most important to my success is I do this for my employees and not just the money. My employees will tell you I think about them before myself in this barbershop because if they are happy, the money will come. Other good characteristics have I’m a peoples person I have great visions and determination. When I put my mind to something, its getting done.
Pricing:
- The only thing thats amazing with our pricing is we do $10 Tuesdays no shop doing that
Contact Info:
- Address: 5768 Cullen Blvd Houston TX 77021
- Phone: (281) 974-2938
- Email: itshollywoodal@gmail.com
- Instagram: ig itshollywoodal and ig hollywoodcuttingup
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
