As Hispanic Heritage Month began Friday, second gentleman Doug Emhoff sat down for a haircut — though, presumably unlike most of his haircuts, this time he had an audience. 

Emhoff and Small Business Administrator Isabel Guzman, one of the highest-ranking Latinas in the federal government, stopped in at the Cuts by Hugo barber shop with a small crowd of journalists, later visited restaurant El Tamarindo, in Washington’s Adams Morgan neighborhood Friday.

“Do I have to give haircuts to everyone today?” shop owner Hugo Gonzalez joked, looking at the crowd of political staffers and journalists.

The two were touring the town together to tout the Biden administration’s commitment to small businesses — and specifically Latino-owned businesses. 

Cuts by Hugo, which can be found in the National Press Club building, is owned by Gonzalez, a Paraguayan immigrant who has been cutting hair in Washington since 2001. Gonzales took over the shop in 2017 from the former owner.

Cuts by Hugo is also one of the millions of small businesses that was awarded a Paycheck Protection Program loan during the COVID pandemic to help keep small businesses open and employing workers. Gonzalez admitted the loan helped him stay afloat during the dark days of the pandemic.

According to the SBA, nearly 1 in 4 new businesses is Latino-owned, and Hispanic businesses employ about 1 million workers and counting. The White House says that Latino unemployment is “near record lows” and Latino-owned businesses are being created at the fastest rate in more than a decade.

Emhoff admitted a bit of embarrassment to reporters as Gonzalez snipped away with his shears. “This is one of the most personal things you can do, get a haircut. I get to do it in front of the national media,” he laughed.

But the visit might give Gonzalez the boost he needs. While his appointment book for Friday was full, he says he’s still recovering from the pandemic.

Before COVID, Gonzalez said, the shop employed four barbers plus himself. Now it’s just him and one other as they continue to try and draw clients back into the barber chair.