Seated in a rolling chair, tattoo instrument in hand, Jason Reinartz is right where he should be.

His new tattoo parlor, A-town Tattoo, could be considered the pinnacle of eight years of effort, starting from the day practiced his first tattoo on grapefruit before inking his own skin to the month-long scramble to open Austin’s only tattoo shop in July.

“I’m very fortunate for all the things people have shared with me along the way,” Reinartz said. “It’s a great passion, and I enjoy doing it.”

Located at 714 1/2 Fourth Ave. N.E., the parlor, named after Reinartz’s hometown, Austin, exemplifies everything Reinartz knows and expresses about his craft — it’s clean, comfortable, professional and personal.

Again, just as it should be. Reinartz said he wants people to enter the store and feel immediately at ease because of its good condition — individually-wrapped needles and holders and hospital-grade floor, as well as comfortable amenities — a fountain, comfortable leather couch and wall art.

Reinartz, whose interest in art started early, said he leapt into the tattoo industry thanks to the encouragement of a friend who owned a Minneapolis-based tattoo shop at the time.

“When someone takes you under his wing, it’s like an art class, like an apprenticeship,” the former tow-truck driver said.

Reinartz began tattooing at home, often using his own skin as canvas. Much of the art on his tattoo sleeves, which reach from wrist to forearm, is his, though he adds that his start was shaky, especially as he struggled to gain confidence in his work.

“When I first started tattooing, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I do now,” he said, noting that the stress of seeking perfection often deflated the pleasure.

Thankfully the frustrations passed, and today he’s a pro, gaining his license several weeks ago as he prepared for his store opening.

“And these days I know what I’m doing, though every time I tattoo I still learn something,” he said.

A feature that make it all the more fulfilling. Reinartz said he loves the challenge of a tough tattoo, loves the creative process and loves the satisfaction he sees in his customers.

“People from all walks of the avenues come now, and are getting really cool things with a lot of meaning,” he said.

That meaning is key, said Reinartz, who is willing to discourage customers from a tattoo if he believes it’s something they won’t feel the same fervor for later.

“I really want you to look into yourself before you do it,” he said.

And for the seasoned and inked to the gills, Reinartz says he enjoys attempting the unusual, whether it be art, bending or colors; he appreciates helping the first-timers through their experience too.

“A lot of people are overwhelmed, and that typical of any new experience — you focus on the fear and the negatives,” he said. “But hindsight is always 20/20, and they leave thinking, ‘That was pretty cool.’”

“…If you don’t take the chance in certain things in life, you might miss out on a lot of good things,” he said.

It’s a mantra that easily applied to Reinartz approach today.

He’s already working to open a second store in Albert Lea, known as A-town Tattoo II, and hopes to gain licensure for cosmetic tattoos and tattoo removal in the coming months.

He also plans on contracting with a piercing artist and hiring more staff.

“The main thing here is I’m trying to do everything by the book, from the plumbing to the licenses,” he said, adding, “I want this to last, and hopefully this will be my retirement.”