Though they've been friends for years and share the same profession, Josh Barg and Joe Destefano have never really worked together. That is, until now.
Barg and Destefano have opened their own tattoo shop in Eastern Market. It's been operating under a soft opening for the past couple of weeks and now, this Saturday, Oct. 28, Electric Park Tattoo
will celebrate its official grand opening with an open house, $60 flash tattoos, and a $200 gift certificate giveaway.
Both Barg and Destafano have each worked at various area tattoo shops for the past eight years. Electric Park is an opportunity to do things their own way. They call it a street shop, one where you can walk right up and get a tattoo the same day.
The artists specialize in the American Traditional style, though they say they're capable of most others.
"We didn't really feel like there was a shop that we aspired to work at. We didn't want to settle for what was available," says Destefano. "We wanted to create something that we could actually be stoked about."
In opening their dream shop, the duo first looked at locations in Corktown and Midtown, but city ordinances and a lack of vacancies stymied those hopes. So Barg and Destafano took to the streets of Eastern Market, knocking on doors and introducing themselves to local business owners, asking if any spaces were available nearby.
They found the old Palazzolo and Sons produce warehouse and renovated the space, installing framing, drywall, electricity, and plumbing as they built the future home of Electric Park.
"It's cool because the neighborhood is so tight-knit. Everybody knows everybody," says Barg. "We found the place by word of mouth."
"It's an area that's for everybody: City, 'burbs, whatever," says Destefano. "No matter how good or bad the times, people will always come to Eastern Market."
The Electric Park Tattoo grand opening celebration is Saturday, Oct. 28, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
Standard hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Electric Park Tattoo is located at 1350 Adelaide St. in Eastern Market.
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