Los Lunas
Jacob “Jake” Alderete has heard it all, good and bad, as he trims hair in his new barber shop.
Being a barber, he gets to hear plenty of stories and tall tales.
“We hear everything from bad relationships with women to bad hunting trips to bad vehicles,” Alderete said.
The 21-year-old graduate of Los Lunas High School started out cutting his buddies’ hair when he was a freshman, and “by my senior year, I was cutting coaches’ hair and the principal’s hair,” he said.
After graduating from high school, it was an easy decision to attend the Albuquerque Barber College in the summer of 1999. After finishing his instruction there, Alderete went on to work at three different shops before opening Jake’s Barber Shop on Highway 314, just north of the Main Street intersection.
Alderete first started cutting hair at Exsalonce in Los Chavez. He then went to the Main Street Salon and Massage in Los Lunas, where he cut hair for one year. Then, he worked at Pat’s Barber Shop in Belen for about eight months before opening Jake’s Barber Shop.
A strong Christian who attends Grace Fellowship Church in Los Lunas, Alderete said, “I give all my thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for all my success in business.”
When it comes to his business, he finds himself giving a lot of “razor fade” haircuts, which feature “skin bald” sides. Many of his customers ask for this style of haircut, and those are the ones who visit his shop once or twice a week.
“People are getting their hair cut more often, at least more than I did,” Alderete said.
When he’s not cutting hair, he might be found in the Gila Mountains on a hunting trip or driving the ball on the nearest golf course.
“I definitely love hunting and playing golf on my days off,” he said.
Alderete was born in Albuquerque but grew up in Peralta. His wife Lyndsi will soon graduate from the University of New Mexico with a degree in speech and language pathology. They have a 2-year-old daughter named Eliyah.
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April 18, 2024
