MILWAUKEE — There are two of the most unlikely neighbors in Milwaukee.
On Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View, right next door to each other, is a tattoo parlor and a tattoo removal business. Tempest Tattoos and Removery are neighbors.
At first thought, it seems like the two would be like Packers fans and Bears fans living next to each other, there is no relationship between the two. However, they kind of need each other to be successful.
“We will have to tell them to go next door and get some removal sessions done and it doesn’t necessarily have to be completely removed but just lightened up enough to the point that we can conceal it," Loryn Bruno, a tattoo artist at Tempest Tattoos said.
The two businesses have a symbiotic relationship.
“They can send us somebody that has a tattoo that just needs lightened and they’re looking to get new art. And then they would come over here for a few sessions and then go back over there for a new piece of art," Tanya Balkunas, the studio manager at Removery said.
Removery, formerly known as Vamoose, opened in 2018. Then in 2022 just by coincidence Tempest Tattoos moved next door. Tempest got a generous neighbor.
"We have great relationships with all the artists in Milwaukee. We have a lot of artists that come in, and we actually service their tattoos for free. Anyone that works in the studio with the artist can actually get free removal with us," Balkunas with Removery said.
Removery benefited too. It got new clients, so there’s no bad blood between these seemingly opposing neighbors.
“Absolutely not. No, it's just funny," Bruno with Tempest Tattoos said.
Clients walking in to get tattoos don't walk past Removery and view it as a bad omen.
"I'm going to love it regardless, so I'm not too worried about the removal," Alayna Pecora who came in to get a tattoo said.
You may be surprised to find out how many people with hundreds of hours of tattoo work get removals too.
“I’ve had my back removed, my chest removed, and now this," Jacob Rominski said.
Tattoo shops need removal businesses to re-tattoo clients. Removal businesses need tattoo shops to put ink on people they one day want removed like a boyfriend or girlfriend’s name.
It just goes to show that sometimes the most unlikely relationships can also be the best ones.
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