BUFFALO, N.Y. — You can take a man way from Puerto Rico, but you can't take Puerto Rico away from a man. One man is making his dream come true in his new home, all while honoring his old one.
Efrain Burgos has been in business for 36 years. If there are a few things you should know about him it is that he loves cutting hair, taking care of his customers and sharing his Hispanic roots.
Just recently, Burgos revamped his storefront this summer. He wanted to make his entire shop reflect his home. Using a $40,000 Erie County grant, he remodeled his storefront this summer. The goal was to make it look like San Juan.
Burgos is also showcasing his culture with a mural on the side of his business of his favorite Puerto Rican baseball player, Roberto Clemente.
Inside his business, there is a section in his hair salon that is dedicated to everything Puerto Rico and Clemente. He has more than 150 pieces he has collected over the years on display.
"I became a Buffaloian because I love Buffalo. Well, I guess I am not going to live in Puerto Rico anymore. I have my beautiful wife. I have two children. I have an awesome grandson and I can not move back to Puerto Rico. So I said, well, let me see how I can bring Puerto Rico to Buffalo then," Burgos said.
His business is called Efrain Burgos Hair Salon and it is located on Niagara Street in Buffalo.