A Hammond native who started out cutting hair for $5 in his grandparents' house while he was still living in their basement is now giving haircuts in a tricked-out Mercedes truck to White Sox superstars like Yoan Moncada, Jose Abreu, Luis Robert and Tim Anderson.
Freddie Pintor, the owner of Big League Barbershop in Hammond and St. John, has been cutting the hair of White Sox stars at their homes and condos, outside Guaranteed Rate Field, in the parking lots of hotels and at Midway Airport. He rolls up in a custom Mercedes truck he's equipped with an antique barber chair, a full bar, television and a stereo system pumping out whatever tunes they prefer. A stylist for the South Siders, his growing list of ballplayer clients from the Sox includes Nick Madrigal, Leury Garcia and former right fielder Nomar Mazara. Pitcher Dylan Cease has asked for his number.

Freddie Pintor cuts the hair of Yoan Moncada. Pintor, the owner of Big League Barbershop in Hammond and St. John, has been cutting the hair of White Sox stars at their homes and condos, outside Guaranteed Rate Field, in the parking lots of hotels and at Midway Airport.
"I'm always busy at the shop, but I'm from Hammond cutting White Sox players' hair," he said. "There are thousands of barbers in Chicago and Indiana they could go to and they all know me. ... It's just crazy that a barber from Indiana is cutting the hair of this White Sox team. It's really good and really young. They've got a bright future."
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Pintor has run the Big League Barbershop, which has locations at 7051 Kenney Ave. in Hammond and 8385 Wicker Ave. in St. John, for 13 years. His proteges have gone on to open their own barbershops in Hammond and Schererville. Pintor also financed barbershops that a former employee opened at Meijer superstores in Highland and Merrillville.
"We cut everything," he said. "We cut everyone's hair — Puerto Rican, white, black, old, young. It's diverse where I was growing up, and it's a diverse shop with a diverse clientele."
Pintor hails from humble beginnings. He had been living in his grandparents' house in North Hammond when he decided he wanted to cut hair to find an outlet for his creative energy and artistic bent.
He went to barber college but wasn't sure if there was any money in it, asking friends if he could expect to make a living. He was told he could go as far as he was serious about the profession.

The view from the barber chair inside Freddie Pintor's mobile facility is tough beat, as it includes a barber's pole, flat-screen TV, and additional seating for guests.
He started out giving his friends fades in his grandparents' house, dreaming of someday opening his own shop. He was moving his grandparents' car in their driveway one day when he was told about a potential location in Hessville. He was so excited about the prospect he didn't go back inside to get a shirt and drove there shirtless down 169th Street to check it out.
It was perfect.
Getting started
Pintor founded Big League Barbershop in Hammond using his grandfather's head as the basis for the logo, modeled loosely after the Major League Baseball logo. His grandfather, also a barber, was a huge White Sox fan who died in 2013, long before Pintor started cutting Moncada's hair in 2018.
"I wasn't even a big fan of baseball or the team when he passed away," he said.

Freddie Pintor cuts the hair of Yoan Moncada.
His role as an actual big-league barber all started with Moncada. Pintor's been cutting the third baseman's hair since he first came to the White Sox, but he had to Google him at first.
"I saw he was the No. 1 prospect," he said. "He was polite, but I was nervous because I never cut an athlete's hair before. I was nervous, but he called me for another cut before the season opener in 2019."
Moncada had another barber at his off-season home in Florida but remains close enough with Pintor that he hangs out and plays video games with him and even flew him to Cuba on a private jet.
"I've played MLB The Show on PlayStation with Moncada," Pintor said. "He has a great eye. He never swings at anything."
A Puerto Rican, Pintor was able to talk with Moncada in Spanish. They quickly bonded.
"Moncada's a tremendous player and such a nice guy," he said. "I introduced him to paint-balling in Indiana. I introduced him to Airbnb in Arizona. He had been making a few bucks a month playing in Cuba and is now making like $30 million a year when he can't even go back to see his family. He's all alone here. It's a large adjustment. After they lost to the A's in the playoffs and ended their season, I took him to the Hooters in Merrillville. The people at the bar didn't believe that Moncada was here. His English is broken. But he took pictures with anyone who came up to him. He's always been really humble."

Freddie Pintor cuts White Sox players' hair.
Moncada often has given Pintor free tickets to games, leading him to become a big White Sox fan who follows the team religiously.
"My grandfather and uncles bled Sox and hated the Cubs," he said. "But coming from the north side of Hammond, I was more into basketball and other sports. Now I love baseball and really appreciate Moncada."
Pintor initially became popular with the team's Cuban players, including last year's American League Most Valuable Player, Jose Abreu.
"Abreu's such a tremendous guy," he said. "He's so nice 10 times over. He's a family man who goes to family restaurants and not the clubs. He's not on Instagram and social media all the time so he wants to talk and have a conversation. They all love listening to music or being on their phones except for Abreu. He doesn't go out. He doesn't have social media. They're all really cool, but Abreu actually wants to talk to you."
The players often open up while in the barber chair. Abreu told Pintor how he has tried to mentor younger players, such as by giving Anderson pointers on his hitting when he was coming up. Robert shared unprompted that he became afraid of fly balls after getting struck on the head by one earlier this season — a subject Pintor was averse to ask about when cutting his hair right after that game.
"I told him you have a Gold Glove," Pintor said. "It's like La Russa tells them, everyone makes mistakes. We're all human, and nobody is a robot."
He said the players appreciate the convenience of the mobile barbering truck — an idea he picked up after he saw it in Montreal, Canada, and thought it was cool. He's equipped the truck to provide a relaxed, luxurious experience with television, music, a hot towel machine, a shampooing station, ice buckets filled with imported beer or other beverages, and additional chairs for the players' friends to hang out in. They previously often got haircuts in the clubhouse.

Freddie Pintor cuts Yoan Moncada's hair.
He's given Moncada and Abreu fades, Anderson a tapered curl, and Robert a dyed mohawk now that new manager Tony La Russa has given them more free reign with their hairstyles. Pintor gives them suggestions, and they relax while he goes to work.
"I have tequila on the rocks in an ice bucket and any drinks the clients want in a barbershop setting," he said. "They listen to their music or watch their TV while I work. I keep up with the latest trends. I'm into art. I help them decide what they want."
Anderson likes to listen to rappers like Lil Durk, while Abreu prefers salsa music.
Growing a clientele
Word keeps spreading about the hair-cutting experience Pintor offers in the White Sox clubhouse. He's hoping to get more clients among the pitching staff.
"It's all grown organically," he said. "As soon as I get to meet people they get a level of comfort. They're cool as soon as they get here. I haven't got the pitchers yet though, because they're separate. They're on the same team, but it's weird how they don't interact."
He's hoping to continue to grow the roster of White Sox players he cuts.
"This is just the beginning," he said. "This isn't the perfect time, but nothing is perfect in life. I can't wait for the perfect day or I'm going to wait forever."

What started as an idea has become reality for Northwest Indiana resident Freddie Pintor. The owner of Major League Barbershop has taken his business to the next level by offering haircuts out of a customized Mercedes Sprinter van, which is equipped with a fully stocked bar, flat-screen TV and more.
Pintor plans to expand the mobile barbering business by renting out the truck to give the general public haircuts, such as White Sox fans on their birthdays.
"I'm just a young barber from Hammond who takes pride in his work and has had it showcased on national television. I always wish I could cut it before the game so it would be super fresh," he said. "But they always book me and bring me back. I go whenever they call whether to their homes, casinos, hotel parking lots or driveways by their condos. I cut their hair at the stadium. I go out to cut their hair by private jets at Midway, in Schaumburg. I try to get as close to them as possible."
The players typically get their hair cut before and after every road trip. He now cuts so many White Sox players' hair, former manager and shortstop Ozzie Guillen has invited Pintor to cut his hair on an episode of "La Vida Baseball."
Pintor said he's bullish about the White Sox's prospects despite injuries and a slow start.
"They haven't been happy playing in the cold, which is a change for most of them," he said. "But they have really good pitching and a good bullpen. Lynn and Kopech are monsters. They're going to snowball and gain momentum."
For more information, visit bigleaguenwi.com, call 219-513-9495 or 219-627-3330 or find the business on Facebook and Instagram.
PHOTOS: Barber goes from $5 fades in his grandma's Hammond kitchen to cutting the hair of White Sox stars

A look inside the interior of Freddie Pintor's fully customized mobile barbershop, which includes several features that help provide a one of a kind experience for customers.

What started as an idea has now become reality for Northwest Indiana resident Freddie Pintor. The owner of Major League Barbershop has taken his business to the next level by offering haircuts out of a customized Mercedes Sprinter van, which is equipped with a fully stocked bar, flat-screen TV, and more.

Major League Barbershop owner, Freddie Pintor, goes above and beyond to accommodate his customers. The mobile barbershop has many features that are sure to please those who schedule an appointment.

Variety is certainly not an issue inside Freddie Pintor's mobile barbershop, as the owner keeps a fully stocked liquor cabinet with several options to choose from.

While the ongoing pandemic has posed many challenges for business owners, it has opened a door for plenty of innovative ideas. Freddie Pintor, owner of Major League Barbershop, has capitalized on the opportunity to take his services on the road with a fully customized Mercedes Sprinter Van.

A look inside the fully stocked fridge in Major League Barbershop's mobile facility, which includes an assortment of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Inside Major League Barbershop's mobile facility, customers can relax, enjoy a cold drink of their choice, and turn on a flatscreen TV that is mounted on the vehicle's wall.

What started as an idea has become reality for Northwest Indiana resident Freddie Pintor. The owner of Major League Barbershop has taken his business to the next level by offering haircuts out of a customized Mercedes Sprinter van, which is equipped with a fully stocked bar, flat-screen TV and more.

The view from the barber chair inside Freddie Pintor's mobile facility is tough beat, as it includes a barber's pole, flat-screen TV, and additional seating for guests.

Pintor's mobile facility has all of the features of a traditional barbershop, including a backwash unit with running water

Freddie Pintor cuts the hair of Yoan Moncada. Pintor, the owner of Big League Barbershop in Hammond and St. John, has been cutting the hair of White Sox stars at their homes and condos, outside Guaranteed Rate Field, in the parking lots of hotels and at Midway Airport.

Freddie Pintor cuts the hair of Yoan Moncada.

Freddie Pintor cuts the hair of Yoan Moncada.

Freddie Pintor cuts Yoan Moncada's hair.

Freddie Pintor cuts Yoan Moncada's hair.

Freddie Pintor cuts White Sox players' hair.
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A Hyde Park restaurant that specializes in healthy fast food is coming to Hobart.
Litehouse Whole Foods Grill plans to open soon at 1403B S. Lake Park Ave. across from St. Mary Medical Center. The restaurant offers wraps, salads, bowls, burritos, tacos, nachos and fettuccini alfredo bowls.
Offerings include a jerk chicken bowl, a chicken Thai wrap, sweet potato fries, chips and guac or a fire-blazed salmon salad with blackened salmon, rotini pasta, romaine lettuce, tomato, mozzarella cheese and house-made honey mustard dressing.
"Fast food is killing people," Litehouse Whole Foods Grill Hobart Manager Ronald Edwards said. "Instead we hope to help them live. Instead of being unhealthy, we hope to offer organic, nutritious food."
Litehouse opened its first location on East 55th Street in Hyde Park on Chicago's South Side in 2012. It opened a second location in 2018.
The restaurant always has had a higher purpose.
"Litehouse wanted to be more than just a restaurant," Edwards said. "In Hyde Park it employed ex-convicts, youth, troubled teens and other people who wanted the light in their lives. It fed the homeless. You could come in no questions asked and get a free meal. Litehouse always tried to help the community and be extremely good to the community, a light for the community."
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Edwards started washing dishes at the South Side location when he was 16 years old. He worked his way up to being a manager.
"I moved to Indiana and wanted to open a restaurant with healthy food around here," he said. "The hospital employees will want something healthy. There's nothing healthy in the area."
Top sellers at Litehouse include the Caribbean Mango Jerk Salmon Bowl and Fettuccini Alfredo.
"We have made-from-scratch fries," he said. "Nothing goes under a heat lamp. Everything is fresh to order. We try to source locally as much as we can."
The restaurant is carryout-only with no dining in. It will offer delivery in Hobart through third-party services like DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats. It will start out with 10 employees and could expand to as many as 25.
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The growing restaurant is looking at expanding further, to Country Club Hills and Atlanta. Eventually, it would like to roll out nationwide to all the major cities in the country. Edwards said he hoped to open more Northwest Indiana restaurants that would be spaced out so as to not take away from each other's business.
"People should try it out," he said. "Most fast food is killing us. This is fast food without the guilt and with more flavor. We still make it go over the top with taste and serve it extremely fast and extremely fresh."
At first, Litehouse will offer lunch and dinner in Hobart. Eventually, it hopes to add breakfast.
It will offer specials and add dishes to the menu permanently if they prove popular enough.
"We want to be a light for the community and for young people," he said. "At 16, I was washing dishes but I slowly worked my way up. I was hard-working and now I've been given the chance to open my own restaurant. The food is extremely flavorful and the staff is overly friendly."
For more information, call 219-765-0935 or visit litehousewfghobart.com or litehousewholefoodgrill.com, or find the business on Instagram.
Closed

Diners are no longer crowing before dawn over a hearty plate of eggs and bacon at long-running Red Rooster Restaurant in Hobart.
The Greek-style greasy spoon diner at 1151 W. 37th Ave. was known for its red vinyl booths and rooster statue perched outside with a distinctive top hat.
Dating back decades, the traditional American eatery offered breakfast favorites like omelets, pancakes, hash browns and endless mugs of coffee. It was a pancake house that was open for just breakfast and lunch, serving customers between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily.
Lunch options including pork chops and sirloin steaks came with potatoes, green beans and the customer's choice of soup or salad.
The landmark diner, a classic Hobart icon, was a place to grab warm grits or gyros omelets, chopped steak and club sandwiches. It was known for cheap eats like corned beef hash, biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, julienne salad and coleslaw.
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Disney's new CEO hails from Northwest Indiana.
But Bob Chapek's Region roots weren't enough to save the Disney Store at the Southlake Mall. The destination retailer next to Build-A-Bear Workshop on the second floor closed after 24 years after a liquidation sale.
Dinsey is shuttering 20% of its stores nationwide as it shifts to e-commerce at a time when the entertainment giant is also investing heavily in its Disney+ app as more and more consumer activity migrates online. It also extinguished the magic at its stores on State Street in Chicago, the Fashion Outlets in Rosemont and the Castleton Square Mall in Indianapolis.
WATCH NOW: Nick's Liquors Opens New Location in Hammond
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Dollar Tree opened on Ridge Road in Lansing, near the state line.
The dollar store offers everything for $1 or less. It sells a variety of cleaning products, household items, party supplies, food, home decor and beauty products.
The discount store at 3654 Ridge Road in Lansing is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. through 7 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call 708-455-4149.
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Nick's Liquors has expanded to a much larger location across the street in Hammond.
Nick's Liquors #4 is now located in a newly constructed building at 6905 Calumet Ave. that was formerly home to USA Muffler Shop.
"We were able to buy a bigger piece of property," owner Zach Kikalos said. "We were able to have a bigger store, get more local craft beer in the door, more seltzers, which is really big among the younger generations nowadays. We have a higher-end selection of wine than we once did. We had a couple more hundred than we did at the last location."
The chain also has locations in Dyer, Hobart and Merrillville.
For more information, visit nicksliquors.com.
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Legends Barber Salon will soon open in Merrrillville, likely with in the next 90 days.
Owner Alex Maldonado plans to open a professional high-end shop at 5114 E US 30, in the same building as Service Doctor, UCook and others tenants.
“Legends is a great fit for the center and is run by a successful entrepreneur that has been in the business for years. I think his creativity and style will be a major asset to the community,” said Brett McDermott with Latitude Commercial.
If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com.
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Latitude Commercial signed a property management agreement for a 15,210-square-foot retail and office center off Broadway on the north side of Merrillville. The plaza is home to several tenants but not fully occupied.
The Latitude Property Management Division will work with both the owners and tenants, and work to fill three vacancies.
“We have been receiving a warm welcome from all tenants at the plaza as we have been transitioning into this position,” said Cade Weiler, the Property Management Lead. “We are grateful to have acquired the responsibility of taking care of our client’s quality asset.”
Coming soon

Legends Barber Salon will soon open in Merrrillville, likely within the next 90 days.
Owner Alex Maldonado plans to open a professional high-end shop at 5114 E. U.S. 30, in the same building as Service Doctor, UCook and others tenants.
“Legends is a great fit for the center and is run by a successful entrepreneur that has been in the business for years. I think his creativity and style will be a major asset to the community,” said Brett McDermott with Latitude Commercial.
If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com.
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