No more “do-it-yourself” haircuts for the black community of Ames. Quis’ Cuts Barber Shop has opened.

Marquise Everett, former ISU student, and owner of Quis’ Cuts Barber Shop, came to the rescue of many men by specializing in haircuts for African-Americans.

“There is definitely a market in Ames that is deprived,” Everett said. “A lot of people just let their hair grow or wait until they go home to get their hair cut because they can’t get what they want here.”

Geisu Springer, graduate student in leadership and policy studies, has experienced the inconvenience with her biracial son.

“I just kept his hair long until I could find someone to fade it,” Springer said. “It’s really hard to find people [in Ames] that can work with his type of hair.”

Everett recalls the same problem when he was a student at Iowa State so he said he was really anxious to get the shop open.

“I graduated from barber school on [Sept.] 22nd, and opened my shop on the 25th.”

Ronald Grider, a graduate student in agricultural education and studies, said the barbershop was definitely something Ames needed.

“I went to Des Moines once or twice,” Grider said. “But I can’t do that often.”

So, like many African American students, Grider cut his hair himself.

Katherine Hill, owner of Images Salon, helped African- American women find a place to get their hair done five years ago when she opened her beauty salon specializing in African-American hair.

Hill said she was ecstatic about the barbershop.

“He is going to be doing a great service for African-American men,” Hill said. “Especially since he is the only shop that caters to African-Americans.”

Hill said she keeps a steady clientele and the barbershop will most likely do the same.

He is working on getting a stylist and finding someone who braids hair to meet the high demand for cornrows (multiple French braids).

Everett said he is not worried about not making a profit.

“Things will have to go drastically wrong for it not to make a profit,” Everett said.

And as long as the business is profitable, he said he plans to stay in Ames for a while.

“I want this place to be here indefinitely,” Everett said. “Whether I’m here or not, there will always be a need for it.”