Albert and Justine Acevedo Ramirez put a lot of effort into fixing up their new barbershop Tropical Cuts.“We did everything out of pocket,” Mrs Acevedo Ramirez said. “Me and my husband did all the work ourselves, all the painting and all the things we needed to do. There were a lot of long nights.”Two days after they opened at 4 Addendum Lane, Pembroke, they had to close because of the lockdown. “It seemed like we put a lot of work into it to close for two months,” Mrs Acevedo Ramirez said.But on Thursday they were finally able to reopen. Even without advertising they’re pleased to have had a high volume of calls”. Mr Acevedo Ramirez worked in another barbershop for four years before deciding to go out on his own. “It wasn’t scary because we have a lot of support from the community,” his wife said. Tropical Cuts caters to men, women and children with a particular focus on families. “We have a room for children to play in while the parents get their hair cut,” Mrs Acevedo Ramirez said. “It has toys for children up to ten years old. We have cameras on the play room so that the parents can watch what their children are doing in the playroom while they are getting their hair cut. I am a nursery teacher and just got my associate degree in education. I will also be watching the children.”Her husband, particularly, has a lot of patience with young clients. “Sometimes we bring them a treat, or turn cartoons on for them,” Mrs Acevedo Ramirez said. “He likes to crack jokes to put them at ease.”She said women have often told her they wished they could go to the salon, but couldn’t because they had small children.“So we thought it would be a good idea to open a barbershop that catered to families,” she said. “Everyone so far has loved it. They have said our play room is a nice thing to have.”The couple have two small sons of their own, Alejandro, 2, and Marcelo, 1.Mrs Acevedo Ramirez said balancing child care with the barbershop was a challenge, but they’ve managed to get it all done. Her husband is from the Dominican Republic, where all his family still lives.“And my mother and grandmother live abroad, so they are not able to babysit,” said Mrs Acevedo Ramirez. “We have to have the children everywhere with us. That was another reason to have a kids’ room.”The couple have found some clients have a new perspective having not been to a barber or salon for two months. “Some people want to go back to their original look, but others want to keep it a bit long and have it styled,” she said. “They want to try something new.”Now that they are open again they are taking the necessary precautions to make sure their clients stay safe and well. “Prior to the pandemic my husband always used gloves,” she said. “We always make sure that everything is extra clean.”• Look for Tropical Cuts on Instagram and Facebook under @tropicalcutsbda or call 541-3031