Ambitious owner of new Northamptonshire tattoo shop says 'it's all about the community' with huge plans ahead of opening
Lu-El, a new tattoo shop and ‘multi studio space,’ is set to open its doors in Thrapston in the coming days, with big plans to ensure the shop can become a viable community asset.
Max Kemp, formerly of ThirtySix Tattoos, has ventured out on his own with Lu-El, a tattoo parlour in Market Road that also includes several other rooms and spaces that he’s hoping will be used by community groups for events such as chess nights, speed dating, board games, podcasting and more.
Artistically Lu-El, so named after Max’s two children, will cater to a range of different tattoo styles and ideas, as Max believes it is important to adapt to the needs of each person who comes through the door.
Though there is no fixed opening date set, renovation of the shop is going smoothly, with the tattooing space being decorated and the equipment already in place. Max expects to be open in the coming weeks.
He said: “I have an unhealthy amount of ambition.
"The premise of the shop is all about community, positive mental health, and giving people a chance. It’s all about the community.
"I’ve always wanted to give back to Thrapston, it’s the last of the true towns.”
The building, which was formerly occupied by Help and Safety at Work LTD, also includes a room which Max plans to use for art classes, giving people a means to get creative, even if it’s not in the confines of tattooing. The shop has a large space upstairs which Max insists will be a ‘multi-use space’, having the freedom to host games nights and other social events.
Max is also hoping to use the shop as a means to launch the ‘Thrapston Brotherhood’, coinciding with the already-formed Kettering, Oundle, and Burton Brotherhood, an initiative by Burton Latimer-based ‘wellness centre’, which looks to ‘offer a space for men aged 18-plus to come together and have real, honest conversations in a safe, welcoming environment.’
There are big plans for the tattoo shop that include plenty outside the realm of ink-based body art, however Max is open to ideas, and the possibility of having to change with the demands of the town.
He added: “We want to use the space in our shop. Everything is interchangable, if we try something out and it doesn’t work, that’s okay.”