University Blendz Barbershop has relocated to the far west side of Madison as its owner looks to find more balance in his life.
University Blendz, formerly located on University Avenue, was opened by Emilio Granja in September 2023 to give young barbers in Madison a chance to prove themselves. Now, a bit less than two years in, Granja has decided to go solo with a new shop near West Towne Mall with a private space in Phenix Salon Suites, 7475 Mineral Point Rd.
The old University Blendz location still stands but was handed off and renamed Bucky’s Barbershop, 2803 University Ave. The old location still employs the same barbers that are relatively fresh out of school and full of talent, but Granja felt he needed to focus more on his family.
“I was always there. Always cutting there consistently. Any time I would take off, I was always getting called in for something or always had to be there cleaning up, trying to make sure everyone’s on top of the day,” Granja said.
Being your own boss draws a lot of appeal for many barbers, which also drew Granja into starting his own shop. However, he felt as if he lost the feeling of being his own boss and was forced to boss other people, eventually wearing himself out.
He notes that he was often there every single day of the week from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. to keep everything running smoothly. In the arduous journey of owning his own barbershop and managing the other barbers, he was missing out on time with his kids.
“My first kid, I got to see him grow up, but my second kid, I just got into barber school before my wife got pregnant. Then I got out of barber school and he was born. I opened up the business and then I’m here all the time,” Granja said. “I see him every day, I see him grow up, but not as much as my first kid. I want to be there more.”
The new shop allows Granja to do that. He’s not working as many days, but still remains busy. Its smaller, more intimate setting allows Granja to be more focused instead of having to balance the needs of the shop, other barbers and his clients at the same time.
“I’m a big believer in you only live once,” Granja said. “Absolutely, I would rather be poor and have all the time in the world to build my family than be rich and have no time. I take that very seriously now.”
University Blendz is now open by appointment only, typically four days a week with fluctuating availability as Granja works to balance his family life more. Appointments can be made via University Blendz’s website.
