OVIEDO, Fla. — Jimmy Davis, or “Barber Jay” to several UCF students, was supposed to open his new shop in March. But the coronavirus pandemic changed all that.

But on Monday he finally opened Swag Cutz — with his barbers giving their first haircuts while wearing masks and gloves on.

For the new business owner, the wait has taken a financial toll.

“Right now, we’re definitely in a tough spot, but I try not to think about the negatives, and I just move ahead," Davis said. "We made it this far – just keep going.

“It’s all over — well, it’s not over — but we’re able to work, so we’ll just keep going from here.”

Davis says because Oviedo City Hall was closed, he had to take care of a lot of his business startup paperwork through email and over the phone. He signed on to a new lease just before barbershops were mandated to close down.

Now, he hopes loyal UCF customers he gained while cutting hair for years in the Oviedo area will stay with him and help him make up for lost profits.

“My clients, they keep coming – they don’t stop – I really appreciate my clients,” Davis said. “If it wasn’t for them, none of this would be happening.”