In a city known for its commitment to movement and craftsmanship, Stay True has become a genuine sanctuary for those looking to stay rooted in the passions that define them.
The vision for this distinctive hub belongs to co-owners Brandan Licatino and Kevin McAllister, two Texas natives whose journeys led them to Northwest Arkansas. Licatino, a Master Barber, has been honing his craft since the age of 18, beginning his career in 1998. “I got my first clippers when I was 13. I started doing my own hair, then my friends,” Licatino recalls. After barely graduating high school, it was his mother who encouraged him to pursue a career in barbering; a path that would eventually lead to a successful Houston barbershop, Cutthroat, which he ran for a decade.
Meanwhile, McAllister, owner of the commercial contracting firm Salt Group, first met Licatino in 2010 during the early days of Cutthroat. While Licatino sold his business and moved his family to Northwest Arkansas, McAllister and his wife had already been frequent visitors, drawn to the area’s camping and backpacking. A phone call to connect for a bike ride quickly turned into a pitch: “He moved up here and asked if I wanted to open a shop and sell skate stuff,” McAllister shares.
Licatino recognized a natural synergy between his profession and his past. “My parents opened a bike shop when I was a kid, so I have a lot of really good childhood memories of the shop,” he says. “It was a place you could go and hang out; Barber shops are like that, too, so I thought it made sense to mix the two.”
Choosing the space for Stay True was a conscious and difficult decision driven by a desire for authenticity. Licatino says Downtown Rogers, with its working-class history and artistic energy, is “on par with who they are and what they like.” The co-owners were adamant about committing to the city’s heart: “Our goal is just to be here to service the Rogers community and be here for the Rogers locals. It’s a unique place for us. It has a lot of soul, a lot of character.”
That commitment required resilience, as the building they selected was essentially a shell. “It took a while to get the space,” Licatino notes. McAllister, leveraging his construction expertise, faced the daunting task of a complete overhaul. “The building didn’t have a roof,” McAllister explains. “We had to put in the ceiling and redo the floors. We took the plaster off the walls and put the bathroom in the back. I did a lot of the woodwork and retail racks”.1
The resulting aesthetic is a masterclass in elegant, elevated industrial design—a space that feels both raw and refined. It features an exquisite mix of exposed raw materials, vintage finds, and sleek modern lines. McAllister salvaged a piece of history, sourcing the antique display cases from Kansas and the iconic barber chairs from Kansas City. This meticulously curated environment stands as a testament to the founders' vision: style, in every sense, matters.The Style of the Subculture1
Ultimately, Stay True is defined by an emphasis on style and service across all its offerings. The three subcultures—bike, skate, and barbering—share an intrinsic focus on aesthetics. “The components are more stylized, that’s why we like it,” Licatino explains. “The graphics have always been about art. All of that goes hand-in-hand, and with barbering, it’s just about style”.1
Unlike the ubiquitous mountain biking presence in Bentonville, Stay True carved out a niche by specializing in BMX and skate gear. “There’s not as much MTB traffic as there is in Bentonville,” says McAllister. “Places like Phat Tire are sending people to us when they have customers with BMX needs… we can specialize in BMX, which works because it’s what we love”. This specialization allows them to curate a unique selection that caters to their passion, filling a specific need in the Northwest Arkansas cycling scene.A Deeper Layer of Service: Connection and Play1
Beyond the meticulous design and specialized products, the essential core of the Stay True ethos is human connection, which manifests in two critical ways: a reminder to play and a space for authentic conversation.
Licatino believes that too many men lose touch with the simple act of enjoyment. “I think a lot of men forget to have fun and play,” he observes. “A lot of guys hit a certain age, and they think they can't ride or skateboard anymore, think they’re too grown up to enjoy these things. Our shop is a reminder to stay true to your passions and the hobbies that keep us rooted throughout the journey of life”.1
For the master barber, the chair itself offers a unique form of therapy. “A barber shop is one place where a man can come and have a good quality conversation with another man without judgment,” Licatino states. He believes the simple act of human connection provides a comfort that helps clients open up.1
When discussing the future, the co-owners are adamant about avoiding the corporate path of aggressive expansion they’ve seen elsewhere. “I’ve had multiple shops, I’ve managed a bunch of staff. That’s not what we’re trying to accomplish with this,” Licatino confirms. Stay True remains laser-focused on its founding purpose: to be a high-quality, authentic service for the people of Rogers. “Stay True is here for the people of Rogers,” Licatino concludes. “There have been times in my life when I've needed that and haven’t always gotten that. It’s hard to convey how important that part of the job is”