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‘The beginning of something beautiful’
Atlas Tattoo and Piercing celebrated a new location with community members at a ribbon cutting ceremony, Friday, Jan. 9, on Spring Street in Columbus.
Owners Ben Barreto and Bethany Gesch rushed to find a location for Atlas Tattoo and Piecing after moving to Columbus in 2020 to experience country living. The small studio found a home right off of Highway 71 Business, a busy street running through Columbus. After years of saving and searching for the right location, the team moved closer to the heart of downtown.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your encouragement as we embark on this new chapter in our lives. It took a lot of hard work and persistence to build this business from the ground up in a new place where we were basically strangers,” Gesch said. “…I feel like this is just the beginning of something beautiful. We are so thankful for the unending support, trust and continued business within this community of amazing individuals.”
The married couple opened Atlas Tattoo and Piercing, named after their son, in Austin before their 2020 move. Barreto and Gesch both commented on the beauty of the square’s surrounding historical buildings and the amount of foot traffic the courthouse square brings, especially during festivals, markets and other community events.
“Al ready, we’ve had people walking by the window, peaking in and checking out what’s going on in here,” Gesch said. “I think that I’m going to get really busy here.”
The duo opened Atlas Tattoo and Piercing, named after their son, in Austin before their 2020 move. Barreto said working in Columbus has allowed him to experiment with various new styles due to the lack of competition. Barreto also said he experienced strong community support after the move.
“Besides having different clients and clients telling family members, cousins, neighbors, it was just a chain reaction,” Barreto said. “It went from not knowing everybody to knowing the whole town from everybody.”
Chamber Ambassador Angela Mlcak from Great Southern Wood spoke at the ribbon cutting, recognizing other Chamber members and the accomplishments of the Atlas team. Chamber Executive Director Shelly Janik also presented the couple with a certificate from Governor Greg Abbott welcoming and congratulating Atlas Tattoo and Piercing.
