Haircut with a history: The legacy and future of Dreamers Roosevelt Barbershop

    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) -- One of Des Moines' oldest barbershops sits along a strip mall at 851 42nd St.

Throughout the years, the shop has moved locations but has created a legacy of its own, and is now known as "Dreamers Roosevelt Barbershop," a place where, decades after their first haircut, customers still come to get a fresh trim.

Rick Adkisson is a longtime barber and can tell you the history of the shop by heart.

"It started around 1919 ... in the building around the corner of where the cleaners is now, and then they built the center in 1934. They had a major fire, and then they moved up here in the sixties."

Adkisson took over the shop in 1998. Most days it's filled with sounds of buzzing, cutting, and chatter about the latest in sports.

That vibrant energy turned dull in 2020 when the pandemic rolled in, leaving the shop quiet and the chairs empty. Roosevelt survived but Adkisson decided it was time for a new generation to take over, and he met Luis Garcia.

"When he told me the story of being a dreamer and how it all came about, we knew right away he was the one," said Adkisson.

A young Luis Garcia had struggled for years to find his path until the Obama administration allowed Dreamers to pursue higher education under the DACA program.

"I said I got nothing to lose," said Garcia.

Garcia made it through barber school and took over the Roosevelt Barbershop in 2020, subsequently naming it the "Dreamers Roosevelt Barbershop," a name that paid homage to his journey while also honoring the legacy of the shop.

On a busy Friday morning, the shop buzzes with excitement. As soon as one client leaves a chair with a fresh new cut, another fills the empty seat almost instantly. Garcia says he loves the quick-paced, upbeat environment and that showing up to the shop every day truly is his dream come true.

Garcia made it his mission to spread the wealth and share that dream, filling his staff with other young Latino barbers, but a seat at the end is still saved for the man who passed him the torch: Rick Adkisson.

"It's really awesome because it gives you a whole new perspective, and they're all such great barbers, and there's just an electricity with the younger people. I always wanted to see the shop continue, and that's the greatest thing," said Adkisson.

The shop's legacy and vibrancy keeps families coming back for generations. Garcia says often adults will sit in the chair and reminisce about getting their first haircut in the same spot. He hopes that they'll continue to keep coming and that his journey will also inspire other young entrepreneurs to chase their dreams.

"Your time will come," said Garcia. "Doesn't matter what you do in life. If you push, you put the hours into it, you will accomplish it. If you dream it, you can build it."