Golden Rule Tattoo is establishing a permanent home by purchasing a building on Sixth Street, a few blocks away from their original location on Second Street and Roosevelt Row.
The nearby location on 918 North 6th Street is in a different zoning area that does not allow tattoo and piercing shops: Evans Churchill East Character. The business, which has been a part of the Phoenix community since 2009, went through a six-month process to amend the city zoning ordinance.
On Nov. 7, their request was granted: The city council approved their application for the amendment unanimously.
The application for the text amendment cost the shop $10,000. It previously paid a similar amount of money for a special use permit when they established the shop and then expanded it. However, Jason Anthony and John Ohagan, two of Golden Rules’s partners, said the investment was worth it. According to Ohagan, none of the officials in charge of the process knew why the ordinance specifically prohibited tattoo and piercing shops.
Ohagan said tattoo shops are businesses that are looked down upon on by some and regulated and taxed more than other business. Despite this, the owners have strived to advance the tattoo industry and clear up unfounded misconceptions.
“We’ve been one of the paramount businesses on Roosevelt Row for a long time, and we wanted to establish permanence in the changing landscape of downtown Phoenix,” Ohagan said, adding that they try to provide a welcoming and friendly environment for their customers and employees.
Ohagan and Anthony were a part of the community prior to establishing their shop. They performed in a punk rock band named after the Misfit’s song “Where Eagles Dare” and worked in a local tattoo shop. Ohagan played bass guitar and Anthony sang.
Ohagan went into real estate when he left his work as a body piercer. Anthony started considering opening his own shop after gaining experience as an apprentice tattoo artist.
They approached one of Ohagan’s friends David Maxwell to handle the financial side of the business, and the three established Golden Rule. Since its establishment, the shop has raised funds for local charities and participated in First Fridays by staying open late for the monthly gathering of artists and vendors.
“We’re as invested in (the community) as much as anyone should,” Anthony said. “We produce tattoos, to make some art and raise some money. That’s our way of contributing to the community.”
Contact the reporter at jicazare@asu.edu.
