Safe Sanctum

DUNKIRK — Clean.

Safe.

Kid-friendly.

Those were among the goals for Stephanie Coons and Zachariah Reese when they set out to start their business.

Coons and Reese opened Inner Sanctum Piercing and Tattoo in October at 326 S. Main St., Dunkirk, in the former Plymouth church building.

“What brought us here is we’ve worked at shops before and there’s a lot of bad in this industry,” said Coons, referencing substance abuse and other concerns. “So once we finished training, we decided to open up a safe, clean place for people to bring their children in to get the piercings they want done.”

“We both fought addiction,” she added, “and we don't want that around us or any of the people we care about.”

Now, Coons handles the piercing side of the business while Reese is the lead tattoo artist. Jayden Weese also works as a tattoo artist, and Inner Sanctum welcomed Misty Bishop to the team this week.

Reese, who has lived in Dunkirk since kindergarten, has been interested in art since he was a child, counting Garfield cartoonist Jim Davis and painter Bob Ross among his heroes.

“I just like artwork,” said Reese, adding that his babysitter, artist Charles Irvin, sparked his interest when he was 3 years old. “Like, when I was a kid, I'd draw pictures and give them to the people that were over visiting my parents.”

After graduating from Jay County High School in 2003, he was accepted into the Art Institute of Chicago but didn’t have the means to attend. He worked mostly factory jobs until he got an opportunity from Keni Lehman at Fat Cat Tattoo, located in the former Westlawn Elementary School in Dunkirk, and started training.

    Zachariah Reese of Inner Sanctum Piercing and Tattoo specializes in cartoon characters like Betty Boop (above) and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (Photo provided)

Coons is a North Carolina native who left in search of a new start and ended up in Dunkirk. She met Reese at Fat Cat and was later helping him with a tattoo flash sale when customers kept inquiring about the availability of piercings.

“I’ve always had a love for piercings,” said Coons.

So, she became an apprentice and learned the craft.

“I like to bedazzle myself, for one,” said Coons, referencing her ear, lip and nose piercings. “But mainly for me, when it comes to doing piercings, I like the look that the client has, the huge smile, the new appreciation for that part of the body that they might not have had. That makes my day.”

She also enjoys interacting with clients and hearing their unique stories.

Reese’s tattoo specialty is cartoon characters ranging from Bettie Boop to Pikachu to pizza-loving reptiles — “I’m a little obsessed with Ninja Turtles,” he said. On a recent afternoon, he was working on a Powerpuff Girls tattoo on Coons’ leg.

He also enjoys black and gray fantasy pieces.

When they were ready to open their own business, Reese saw a Facebook post from building owner Zach Crouch. Both longtime Dunkirk residents, they already knew each other and quickly came to an agreement on rent.

The space needed just a few adjustments — adding a sink and removing carpet in favor of a hard-surface floor — to make it ready for customers.

Piercings range from $25 to $200, depending on placement on the body. The base rate for tattoos is $50, with prices increasing based on size, intricacy and location. The shop also offers occasional flash sales, during which customers can select from a smaller selection of options at a lower cost.

Inner Sanctum is now open five days a week, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Walk-ins are welcome.

“Because Sundays are family day and Garfield hates Mondays,” Reese explained.

With Bishop on board, the business still has room for one more tattoo artist. And Coons and Reese said they would like to expand further, perhaps utilizing more space in the former church.

Just a few months into the venture, they’re happy with how things have gone.

“It’s been good, for a small town,” said Coons. “We get our people. We have some regulars. It’s just up from here.”

“We’re making enough to pay our rent, and a little extra,” added Reese. “And we’re not charging people an arm and a leg.”

    “I’m a little obsessed with Ninja Turtles,” said Inner Sanctum tattoo artist Zachariah Reese. He was working on Powerpuff Girls tattoo on co-owner Stephanie Coons’s leg last week and his other work includes the Sorting Hat from the “Harry Potter” series. (Photo provided)