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Alix Alize: Far Rockaway Business Owner


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Alix Alize was barely a teenager when he left his home in Haiti for a new life in Far Rockaway. The hard-working high schooler found his first part-time job washing dishes at the Michelin-starred Gotham Grill in Greenwich Village.

“I was always late for work because I had to take the train to Manhattan from Far Rockaway,” said Alize. “The chef called me over one day to question my lateness but when he found out I was still in high school, he offered to teach me how to cook.”

And so he did. The chef, Alfred Portale, who is today a renowned restaurateur and a pioneer in the New American cuisine movement, trained Alize to be a garde manger, a position that required the teen to prep foods, make his own dressings and hone a talent for discerning complementary ingredients.

After a year, Alize left to work with a sous chef at the famed 20/20 restaurant, a city hotspot then owned by the husband-and-wife Motown songwriting team, Ashford and Simpson.

  • Alize opened a clothing store on Mott Avenue to give the community a quality affordable selection of apparel in the downtown shopping corridor.

  • Alix Alize opened his first barbershop on Beach 20th Street in 1995. Today, he owns and operates three businesses in Far Rockaway.

  • Alize with Mayor Eric Adams at a Rockaway East Merchants Association event.

  • Alix Alize earned his New York State teaching certification and trains barbers in his shop on Beach 20th Street. He also serves as a barber examiner for the state, guiding others through the licensing exam process.

Still, the promising cook admits his passion didn’t lie in the hustle and bustle of restaurant kitchens. In his spare time, Alize was running a side business cutting the hair of his high school friends with a pair of clippers he bought with his first paycheck.

“I consider haircutting an art form,” said Alize. “When you make someone look good, they feel good and I just loved it,” he added. “Many of those guys are actually still my customers.”

Today, he owns and operates his own barber shop at 1064 Beach 20th Street, where he not only serves a list of loyal clients but shares his skill set with barbers in training. He studied at the Long Island Barber Institute and as a master barber, earned his New York State teaching certification. He also serves as a barber examiner for the state, guiding others through the licensing exam process.

He was recently recognized by The Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corporation as a seasoned serial entrepreneur with a long history of playing a profound role in shaping the future of young men in Far Rockaway.

Alize grew up in Cap-Haitien, a port city on the north coast of Haiti well known for its French colonial architecture, rich history, and nearby sandy beaches.

“It was in many ways like New Orleans,” said Alize. “It was beautiful. I went to private school and had a good life.”

His father was one of the city’s premier tailors, touted for his well-made garments and elite roster of customers, which included the local mayor and governor.

“I would often take my father’s scissors and use them to cut my own hair,” said Alize with a laugh. “Even then I loved what I do.”

Alize left Haiti to join his mom on the peninsula four years before the massacres that followed the fall of President Jean-Claude Duvalier’s regime in 1986. “I think my parents knew that something was coming in our country and that’s why I left when I did,” he said. His father still owned property in Haiti that he and his sisters inherited and just recently decided to sell.

Alize used the proceeds from the sale to expand his footprint in Far Rockaway. He opened a new salon and spa at 1923 Mott Avenue in 2019 and later a clothing store a few storefronts up.

“Rockaway was my stepping ground when I came to the United States and everyone here has always been so welcoming,” he said. “I have such a good relationship with this community.”

To that end, Alize said he tries to give back to neighboring businesses through his role at the Rockaway East Merchants Association (REMA4US), where he’s worked to get grants and help store owners who struggled during the pandemic.

“I think the new development here will be a good thing for the community, bringing in more revenue and a lot of new stores,” he said. “But there is some concern about competition.”

Alize said his dream is to eventually open his own barber school in Far Rockaway. “I’ll see if I can afford the real estate,” he added. “Thank God my businesses have been doing well. So we keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.”

1. Alix Alize earned his New York State teaching certification and trains barbers in his shop on Beach 20th Street. He also serves as a barber examiner for the state, guiding others through the licensing exam process.

2. Alize with Mayor Eric Adams at a Rockaway East Merchants Association event.

3. Alix Alize opened his first barbershop on Beach 20th Street in 1995. Today, he owns and operates three businesses in Far Rockaway.

4. Alize opened a clothing store on Mott Avenue to give the community a quality affordable selection of apparel in the downtown shopping corridor.

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