Trio of businesses open downtown
- ABOVE: Tino Madison cuts Joe Witmer’s hair during DaVinci’s grand opening July 1. As a part of the promotion, Madison cut hair for $10 a person.
- Cristina Chavez, Enrique Vasquez, Joshua Vasquez, and Michael Vasquez stand behind the counter of Tienda Latina, a grocery store bringing Central American and Mexican goods to the Fairmont area.
- Elliot and Tamara Ehlers stand with their storefront as they seek to open Shoe Merchants later in July.

ABOVE: Tino Madison cuts Joe Witmer’s hair during DaVinci’s grand opening July 1. As a part of the promotion, Madison cut hair for $10 a person.
FAIRMONT – Over the past few months, three new businesses have taken shape in Fairmont’s downtown area.
DaVinci’s Barber Shop, at 113 W. Blue Earth Avenue, has taken the space where CannaCulture once was. Owner Tino Madison said the space had already been a barber shop once, making it the perfect space to move into.
“It’s required by the barber board to have a shampoo bowl,” he said. “If I went somewhere else that didn’t have that, I’d have to pay to get that put in. Because that was already there, covered by a reception area, that was something already in.”
The barber business was something Madison picked up from his grandfather, who worked for 65 years in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Madison honed his trade for several years across the Twin Cities, Mankato and Albert Lea. While it’s what he loves to do, he then had to step away and take a job in corporate America.
“I jumped into corporate America because I was looking for a job with benefits,” Madison said. “I had a small family, and I was a single father at the time. I’m at the point in my life now where I’m tired of corporate America.”

Cristina Chavez, Enrique Vasquez, Joshua Vasquez, and Michael Vasquez stand behind the counter of Tienda Latina, a grocery store bringing Central American and Mexican goods to the Fairmont area.
Now, at a point in his life he can get back to what he loves, Madison said he chose Fairmont based on a demographics study, in which he found there is a need for his services.
To stand out, Madison said he is looking to cultivate a certain atmosphere.
“When you come into my barber shop, I treat you like family,” he said. “I want you to feel very welcome and have the full barber shop experience, the shave, the hot towels. I’m very courteous and family-oriented.”
Tienda Latina, which has been open since March at 109 W. First Street, is the passion project for Owner Enrique Vasquez. He has had a variety of job experiences, including meat packaging, construction and farm work. Two years ago, he started selling fruit cups and vegetables on the street.
“From there, we just wanted a bigger mission, a bigger goal,” Vasquez said. “The goal was opening up the store.”

Elliot and Tamara Ehlers stand with their storefront as they seek to open Shoe Merchants later in July.
The search went on for months before they found their current location. Initially proposed as a rental, Vasquez was able to purchase the location. Even then, he said it took plenty of work to get everything together.
“It was a bit of a long process,” Vasquez said. “Getting licensing, figuring out how to run a store. It was a whole new world, a new side of things. From getting the building to getting its fixtures done, remodeling.”
Tienda Latina, which translates to Latin Store, looks to provide several products from Central America and Mexico.
“We offer fresh products, produce,” Vasquez said. “We offer a bunch of snacks and drinks. We’ve got some hygiene products, shampoos, creams, and lotions. We also offer some jerseys for the team you want to support. We want to bring a little bit of the culture to the people of Fairmont.”
In the four months they’ve been open, Vasquez said they’ve received positive feedback from customers and the business community as a whole. In addition to the store, they have also participated in the Art Mart held every other Thursday.
With a few months under their belt, Vasquez said they’ll look to continue expanding their product range. Their next big goal is to add a butcher for various meat offerings.
By the end of July, Shoe Merchants is looking to bring their selection of footwear to Fairmont via its 406 Downtown Plaza location.
The store owners, Elliot and Tamara Ehlers, bring their vast experience to the Fairmont Area business market. Tamara has worked in footwear for 20 years, with her most recent stint being Chief Operating Officer for Friendly Shoes. Elliot has spent over 12 years in show business, including a spot on American Horror Story.
While moving to Fairmont had nothing to do with footwear, Tamara said she had the idea of running a store in the back of her mind for a couple of years. A friend tipped them off to the Downtown Plaza location, and they decided to go for it.
“This space seemed to make a lot of sense for a shoe store,” Tamara said.
“The location has healthy foot traffic,” Elliot said. “This block has a lot of vitality.”
In getting the word out, Tamara said a positive buzz has generated around Shoe Merchants.
“We’ve had a lot of excitement from all different walks of life,” she said. “People are eager for a greater selection of footwear options here in town. There’s only so much Shoe Sensation, Walmart and Bomgaars can carry. “We’re coming in to round out the overall assortment available for people without having them drive a couple of hours away.”
The store will carry a selection of men’s and women’s shoes and seek to carry specialty shoes. From his experience, Elliot said he knows there are plenty of laborers in the Fairmont area who need safety-rated shoes. There will also be shoes approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association, which may be reimbursable depending on insurance qualifications.
“This climate takes a toll on the average shoe,” Elliot said. “That’s why we need quality. Folks out here do real work. They’re on their feet all day. They need comfort. They need something that’s going to last. We see it, we know it, they want to look good doing it.”
For more information, call DaVinci’s at 507-236-3077, Tienda Latina at (507) 399-2093, and Shoe Merchants at 507-618-1068. Online, DaVinci’s and Tienda Latina can be found on Facebook, and Shoe Merchants has a website at https://shoemerchants.com/.