Millcreek, Utah – Steven “Flaco” Fernandez is taking his unique shipping-container barbershop, The Cut Box, full-time next month, operating behind a pediatric dental office just off 3300 South. The 26-year-old barber has built his clientele sufficiently to transition from his second job, making his entrepreneurial dream a reality.
This move marks a significant milestone for Fernandez, who has balanced building The Cut Box with his role as a pediatric dental assistant at the office across the parking lot. He confirmed his readiness to "put all my efforts into something that I built from the ground up."
Fernandez's concept for an unconventional barbershop dates back to his childhood in El Salvador, where he experienced haircuts in a small wooden shack. Years later, after becoming a barber in Utah, he reflected on this memory. He believes that a large space is not necessary to cut hair or make the experience personal, as he stated.
Fernandez came to the United States from El Salvador when he was 10. He credits his mother, who worked two jobs while building their new life and learning English, with shaping his strong work ethic. After less than three years as a barber, he took a chance on his own business. His first shop was an 8-by-10-foot rented shipping container, outfitted as a one-chair barbershop. He recalled a challenging period where "there was like two weeks where I didn’t have any clients," leading him to consider giving up and returning to work for someone else. He had even contacted the company to pick up the container. However, a breakthrough week followed, bringing in 13 clients, and he decided to continue.
Over time, more customers visited, and the initial container became too small. Fernandez saved enough money to purchase his current 20-foot shipping container, which houses The Cut Box. The shop is compact but designed as a traditional barber studio, equipped with a barber chair, mirrors, and tools. Fernandez said he has worked to make the unique setting feel personal and welcoming. Ryan Robison, a client, found Fernandez through his son, who is sensitive to noise during haircuts. Robison stated Fernandez "did a really good job with my son," leading him to become a repeat customer.
Going full-time is not the end of Fernandez’s vision. He hopes to expand The Cut Box concept by establishing additional shipping-container barbershops that other young barbers could operate. He aims to help future barbers learn the business aspects and client attraction through his own trial-and-error experience, rather than just the craft taught in barber school. His vision includes each container becoming a small business, potentially carrying the individual barber’s name under the broader Cut Box concept. Fernandez also plans to earn an instructor’s license to teach both the craft and business of barbering. His wife, Sarah Fernandez, said of his ambition, "He dreams big, but he makes those dreams happen." Fernandez connects his drive to his mother's sacrifices, expressing a desire to make her proud for the opportunities she provided by bringing him to the U.S. This ambitious next step follows an idea Fernandez once nearly abandoned, now evolving into a path to help others start their own ventures.
