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Left, Maria Godinez is seen cutting the hair of Juan Jacinto from Santa Paula. Juan has been having Maria cut his hair since he was 11 years old |
Godinez Barbershop celebrates
25 years on Main Street
March 21, 2014
By Susan Branham
Santa Paula News
By Susan Branham Santa Paula Times This month, Godinez Barbershop celebrates 25 years at its Main Street location in Santa Paula. Maria Godinez opened her highly popular shop on March 26, 1989. The traditional barber pole in front of the shop and the front display brightens the sidewalk with the window featuring vintage décor. At the door, antique milk cans with bouquets of flowers welcome patrons to the shop interior, highlighted with dark red walls and black trim around the mirrors. Customers choose from many styles of haircuts, including those featured in photographs on the walls.
Maria Godinez brings a lifetime of expertise to her work. She began her barbering career at an early age taking haircutting classes, she recalls, and she was cutting hair by the age of 16. Through her hard work, she was able to open her own salon in Guadalajara, Mexico at the young age of 21.
“She studied hard and got her barber license in Los Angeles,” said Maria’s daughter, Kathya Godinez. “She worked in shops in the LA area, and then came to Santa Paula. She opened the barbershop on her own, and we’ve been here ever since.”
Maria’s husband, Juan, also got his barber license, and eventually, both he and Kathya, who also got her barber license, worked in the shop. Kathya remembers her late father, and those early days of the shop. With hard work and attention to customers, Godinez Barbershop not only became successful, but a familiar part of downtown Santa Paula, known to everyone who frequents Main Street.
In December, Godinez Barbershop won the Santa Paula Downtown Merchants Christmas Window Decorating Contest with its “Magic Christmas” theme. Half of the front display window featured a traditional Mexican Nativity theme with the Baby Jesus and the wise men, and the other half was a beautiful, snowy Christmas scene.
This spring marks the anniversary of the opening of Godinez Barbershop, and on Wednesday, March 26, customers can enjoy a return to the shop’s opening days, with the original 1989 haircut prices. A regular haircut is $8, and $7 for seniors. “We want to show our appreciation to our customers,” Kathya said.
Kathya is proud of her mother and her accomplishments. “She is such a phenomenal role model,” Kathya said. “She lived through tough times and had to work at a very young age. I remember what she has endured, and she is still working hard. If I’m feeling down she will say ‘you’ve gotta get up and go to work!’ She’s my rock.”
