Three of a kind at Lyall Bay Junction
A lot of things influenced Jaco, Ken and Atina’s decision to do business in Lyall Bay Junction. They attended college in the area
(St Pat's, Rongotai and St Catherine’s), so were already aware of what the location had to offer. “It's a growing commercial district, and we thought there was a need for a one-stop shop for tattoos, barbers and nutritional beverages. We knew the local people and businesses, and the location is close to the airport, so we thought we would capitalise on that as well,” says Atina.
Jaco and Ken had previously worked together at another tattoo and barbershop in the CBD from 2012-2017, before moving on to Jovani’s and Sinatra’s. “We had been encouraged to open our own studio by our partners, so when the opportunity arose with the new Lyall Bay Junction, we met in July 2022 to discuss our options, and the rest is history,” says Jaco. “We are avid cross-fit members, attending Louka CrossFit (across the road), so Atina saw the opportunity to start her business, offering nutritional drinks and smoothies. It all fell into place, and our respective services all mesh well.”
Jaco has been a professional tattoo artist for the past fifteen years and specialises in Contemporary Māori, Polynesian, Black & Grey, and Mandala/Geometric, having learned from the best in the business. He says, ‘the view of the beach not only inspires me to be free and versatile with my designs, but it also serves as a pleasant distraction for my clients while they are getting tattooed.”
Ken has worked as a professional barber for the past 13 years, after being gifted his first pair of clippers from Mark Attard, the owner of Kilbirnie Barbershop. Razor shaves, skin fades, scissor cuts, and beard trims are all services he provides. Ken keeps up with current trends while also sticking to traditional cuts to suit all of his clients, young and mature. “Barbering is my passion, I can’t picture myself doing anything else.”
When she was pregnant, Atina was always conscious of what she consumed. Atina came across a nutrition studio in the midst of the city and realised it was precisely what Lyall Bay needed. “With all the gyms nearby, surfers, avid dog walkers, and joggers, it's the ideal place so sell healthy nutritional drinks, which keep energy levels up,” says Atina. She offers Loaded Iced Tea, (only 24 Cals, no sugar), aloe vera (great for digestion and gut health), green tea antioxidants and vitamins with multiple flavours to choose from. Atina also offers Post Workout shakes (up to 37 g of Whey protein) and is currently working on offering dairy-free/vegan shakes, to meet the requirements of all her customers.
You can find Bay City Tattoo and Barbershop / Rejuvenate Nutrition Studio at Lyall Bay Junction, 39/70 Kingsford Smith Street, or follow their Instagram pages: Baycity_studio and rejuvenate.lyallbay
