Two Roses Tattoo Co. logo design courtesy of Two Roses.
—Ten years ago, Sarah Trofatter sat down in the tattoo chair to get a half-sleeve inked by Solomon Trofatter – but they almost abandoned the tattoo because she couldn’t stand him.
Solomon Trofatter said they came close to never speaking again, because they couldn’t agree on the changes he wanted to make to her piece. In the end, they created a tattoo Sarah Trofatter loves, but they joke that they almost didn’t get there.
“We didn't speak the same language,” Sarah Trofatter said. “Getting to that point took a lot of effort. And then it grew this great friendship. We ended up really connecting.”
One decade later, Sarah Trofatter quit her job to open Two Roses Tattoo Co. with Solomon Trofatter, who is now her husband. Their shop, located at 125 E. Kalamazoo St. in Lansing, will open in early December.
The shop’s name is Solomon Trofatter’s tribute to his wife – her middle name is Rose. Their early disagreement shaped their business model, which aims to bridge numerous gaps: miscommunications between artists and clients, disconnects between businesses and the community, and the struggles new artists face in the industry.
Solomon Trofatter has been tattooing since he was a kid, inking his friends with a homemade machine. He plunged into the industry fully in 2004 – joining Splash of Color when the shop was hitting its stride, producing work in pristine conditions unfamiliar to the Lansing area tattoo scene at the time.
Two Roses Tattoo Co. is three miles from MSU’s campus. Solomon Trofatter, who has a Spartan helmet tattooed on his cheek bone, chose the location partly due to its proximity to East Lansing’s younger population.
“Currently there is no great apprenticeship program anywhere there,” he said. “We want to pour a lot of energy into that.”
The shop will offer a robust educational program for young artists who have not yet “found their footing.” Solomon wants to counteract the lack of qualifications needed to break into the body art industry by creating more informed career artists.
“There's a very haphazard set of standards that you need to get to,” Solomon Trofatter said. “All of them have nothing to do with you being a good tattoo artist.”
Michigan state law requires body art shops to be properly licensed, but there is no individual state licensure needed to become a tattoo artist.
In addition to providing 401k, retirement and health insurance education to young artists, the Trofatters will place a large emphasis on the mental health of employees and apprentices.
“Lots of artists struggle with mental health and addiction," Solomon Trofatter said. "It's huge in the tattoo community ... It's so inundated with addiction."
The shop will also offer laser tattoo removal, and the opportunity for individuals in need to receive this service for free.
“We'll be working to offer (laser removal) for people who are just looking for a fresh start and just need a little help to get there,” Sarah Trofatter said. “Whether they’re coming out of a bad situation for any number of reasons.”
Solomon Trofatter said Downtown Lansing has a unique opportunity for a fresh start of its own right now, as the community rebuilds after the impacts of COVID-19. Through partnership with numerous Lansing nonprofits, he hopes to be a part of this change.
“This whole downtown area has a chance, over the next five years, to become something really different,” Solomon Trofatter said. “And inviting and community-driven. And just f—ing cool.”
Downtown community development director Julie Reinhardt said the shop's commitment to mentorship and community engagement fits perfectly within the culture she is trying to create.
The pandemic, she said, has given the town a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to rebuild a 24/7, sustainable downtown where small businesses can get their start.
Visually, Two Roses Tattoo Co. will have an Art Deco vibe, “a little spikey up front but the back, a little speakeasy.”
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“If (clients) are looking for a tattoo experience that is higher class, they are going to get that here,” Sarah Trofatter said. “If you're a tattoo collector, and you're looking for an authentic, more historic tattoo experience, we want to offer that as well.”
Their goal is to make the shop a comfortable place for anybody who walks in the door, regardless of what they’re looking for.
“We want to take care of our artists and we want to take care of our community,” Solomon Trofatter said.
