Photo by Peter Engeldinger NU Ink owner Adolfo Lechuga going through some of the tattoo tools of the trade.

NEW ULM — NU Ink owner and tattoo artist Adolfo Lechuga officially opened for business Aug. 1, 2025.

His shop is located in the space that used to be Brow Artistry, 110 North Minnesota St., Suite 5, lower level, and where Lechuga worked for a year before taking over sole ownership.

“I came for the tattooing side,” he said, “and then I kind of just transitioned into the owner of the shop. She kind of wanted to do other ventures, so I just took on the responsibility of filling it in from there.”

Lechuga said his main focus now is dedicating time to grow the business.

“The biggest obstacle is just getting time in here to grow,” he said. “And then on top of that, promoting, advertising – that’s going to be kind of the next challenge. We’re looking for clients.”

Lechuga said the best way to keep customers up to date is through social media.

“I have a Facebook page,” he said. “That’s probably the best way to see what’s going on, what’s current.”

Gaining a following as a tattoo artist is also about doing good work that gets noticed.

“They see it and ask, ‘Oh, where did you get that done?’, and a lot of times it’s – I didn’t know there was a tattoo shop,” Lechuga said.

Lechuga, who graduated from New Ulm High School, said he’s enjoyed art and drawing ever since he was young.

“I always remember drawing, and when I was in my teen years, my dad really pushed for me to be a tattoo artist and kind of encouraged that,” he said.

Lechuga said he got serious about pursuing tattooing in 2021, when he began an apprenticeship program in Mankato.

He said he needed 200 hours of supervised tattooing, which took him about a year and a half.

“There’s a build up and progression,” Lechuga said. “It starts with, obviously drawing, and then watching and kind of learning and taking it in. And then they have practice skin you can use. It’s like a material, and that helps you get familiar with the machine, how to hold it, and then you build up to clients.”

“You start with smaller pieces and work your way up to bigger pieces. And then, through the state, you have to get certified and licensed under an already established license holder.”

Lechuga said the paperwork and documentation he submitted for approval included around 120 tattoos.

Setting up appointments to get a tattoo can go a variety of ways, Lechuga said.

“A lot of it starts with email. That’s them reaching out or a Facebook message, and they kind of give a brief description. And then I feel like, if it’s something bigger, then in person is always the best way for me to get an idea.”

“Unless it’s something simple like, ‘Hey, I just want a name. Oh, that’s fine. I’ll see you Tuesday at 4:30.’ But for bigger projects, in person is definitely the way to go.”

Being local and affordable, with quality designs are highlights of NU Ink.

“I’ve been told I do good line work,” Lechuga said. “And I primarily do black and grey. I get a lot of floral stuff, people seem to like that. I was doing flower pieces on people and that was catching on pretty well.”

“And we’re local,” he said. “That seems to be a big thing. I’m surprised how many local people are from Sleepy Eye. They’re like, ‘Oh, it’s more convenient instead of driving to Mankato.”

Lechuga acknowledged the challenges and rewards of owning a tattoo business.

“I like seeing the artwork come together on the client,” he said. “It is very rewarding. And working for myself, it’s a little bit of a change compared to working somewhere else where you see a paycheck but don’t see the drive. Like you kind of plateau. But I feel like here it’s constantly challenging.”