When we first learned that Mission Street Tattoo would be moving from the location it’s held for years, it wasn’t under the best of terms.
The beloved studio owned by community-activists Brandon and Brooke Mull was facing the third rent increase in four years, and it was getting to be untenable. Mull says they were the only tenant in the building—a small strip mall with only a few spaces—getting the increase.
The Mulls decided to move their studio and let the lease expire, but right as the commitment became critical, the new location for their studio fell through. The Mulls were now scrambling to find a new location, eventually landing at the one that opens up tomorrow, August 1st, at noon.
Even so, getting to this point has been far from easy—the Mulls have gone without an income for the last 5 weeks—and plenty of sweat equity has gone into building out the facility and getting the inspections and signage needed to open for business.
And yet when asked, Brandon feels as though he’s “right where we’re supposed to be.”
When the time came to choose a logo and sign for the first location, rather than trying to cram “Mission Tattoo” onto a sign, Mull chose a graphic that was simple but memorable. The sign costs several thousand dollars, so it’s no surprise they’d want to take it with them. But when you realize what the sign is, and where it’s going, the coincidence becomes eerie: It just happens to be a graphic of crashing water, with an anchor. A worn, pirate-esque banner curls over the anchor, simply spelling out “Tattoo”.
Many other objects that have been given or purchased by the Mulls over the last several years, all seem to be pointing to an eventual change, either to a complete lifestyle change as a pirate on the seven seas, or perhaps just a location change, over to Water Street, Sapulpa.
And though the sign out front plainly says “Coming Soon,” nearly every weekday for the last 5 weeks, folks have stopped in asking about getting work done. Every day, Brandon’s voicemail is clogged with messages wanting information on pricing and when they’ll open. With any luck, the Mulls will be making back their lost income in no time.
The first spot to get a tattoo at the newly renovated space is up for auction. At the time we talked to Mull, the bid was up to nearly $300.00—and that doesn’t even cover the price of the tattoo. Get details on that on their Facebook Page.
Water Street Tattoo opens tomorrow at noon at 10 South Water. The new studio will feature tattooing and body piercing.
