Daily Inspiration: Meet Jon Kranz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Kranz. 

Hi Jon, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After finishing my apprenticeship back home in New Orleans, I moved back to Kalamazoo, MI and applied at many different shops. Not one shop would hire me or really take me serious. With my past experience of owning game stores, cafes, and repair shops I decided once again to start a small business and see where it would take me. In 2015 I opened The Jesters Quarters. I hired experienced artist to help, worked sun to sundown every day for years it seemed. In 2018 we were voted best shop in the city. I instilled in everyone I could to make sure the customer was happy in any situation and that everyone was welcomed for body art. In 2022 we outgrew our building and I decided to expand by opening another parlor. We made agreements with crossroads mall and became the first tattoo parlor in the mall here ever. To this day our biggest concern is not only creating great art by tattoo or piercings but to also treat every customer with respect and understanding. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
From the start we had other artists, other shops slandering on social media, making fun of our ways since my methods were outside of the box from a typical tattoo shop. In 2017 we were broken into and robbed and vandalized. To this day no one has been accused or arrested. Everything was stolen out of the shop that had any value and what was left was broken and destroy. Luckily, we had an amazing amount of clients who stepped up to help. They helped with cleaning, donations, items, and more. Along with the rest of the world, the covid pandemic put us out of work for months along with being one of the longest shutdown industries during the time. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We are a body art parlor. We tattoo and pierce. What we are known for is also the same thing that sets us apart. Outstanding customer service and care. Myself and everyone at The Quarters knows that if you do not have clients/customers you do not have a business. Not only do we care about our clients to keep in business, but we all consider it an amazing privilege that anyone who gets service by us not only likes/loves our work, but also trusts us to give them something that remains permanent for life. That our clients trust us with meaningful art, maybe a couple getting matching tattoos, maybe a person with horrid migraines getting a piercing for relief, or maybe a loved one has passed and they chose us to create and give them a memorable tattoo to keep for life. We respect and understand that they chose us and never take it for granted. That sets us apart. 

What was your favorite childhood memory?
I grew up on the coast and back then airbrushing was huge and airbrushing shirts, hats, shorts, and tank tops were more huge. I was around the age of 14 when my grandmother bought me all equipment and supplies to not only airbrush these items but to start my own very first small business doing this on the coast. I started/opened on a Tuesday and it went good. The weekend came and I’ll never forget while I was airbrushing a shirt I looked up and noticed I had a line of people waiting to purchase items from me. I thought, look at all these people waiting in line to pay for my art. It was astounding and I’ll never forget it. To this day I look around my shop and see a full lobby of people waiting and I think back to that day and always keep the same humbleness as the first time. 

Pricing:

• Shop minimum is $80-$100 for tattoos depending on location.
• Piercings range from $20 to $150
• Body jewelry is as low as $10

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Kalamazoothequarters
• Facebook: Thejestersquarters