James Horta is a barber with a flair and a commitment in giving back to his community.

Horta’s glow-in-the-dark shop in downtown Mercedes is adorned with deco-style posters that illuminate and feature a cast of characters from Albert Einstein and Albert Hitchcock to racecar driver Jeff Gordon. There’s also plenty of memorabilia to be found, especially items featuring his beloved Dallas Cowboys.

The barber’s affinity for pop culture is reflected in his shop’s name, which carries the acronyms YGDV that are in part a nod to his favorite television sitcom, the 1990s-era “King of the Hill.” Beyond the fanfare and style of YGDV Barber Shop, there’s a commitment to customers and a connection to the community where the business is located.

Horta is a Mercedes guy having grown up on Mile 2 E Road in the Heidelberg area of the Mid-Valley. He and his shop are known for an annual free haircut day for students heading back to school. He donated 33 free haircuts this past August and calls it passing “some goodness back to the community.”

Horta calls it “one of those things I can do to help the community.”

Earning His Way

There are other things as well when it comes to being community minded.

Horta supports food bank drives and donations of coats to help keep local residents warm during the winter months. On Halloween, children coming by YGDV know they will be treated with full-sized candy bars.

Horta is a believer in the school of second chances. Some of his giving back sensibilities go back to the years of his youth when kids can make mistakes and need adults and mentors to forgive while setting them straight. Horta describes himself as someone who has always been “good with his hands.” His working background includes working in welding and heavy machinery. Horta also spent time in the food industry.

He would come to see having his own barber shop in Mercedes as something that was a good fit for his personality, skills and connection to the community. Horta enrolled at Advanced Barber College, which is nationally accredited and one of the Rio Grande Valley’s longest-serving and more respected schools in its field. He successfully completed 1,500 hours of the school’s curriculum and went on to earn industry certifications and a state license.

After some stints with local barbers, Horta opened on his own in August 2023 on 242 S. Texas Ave., Suite 6. 

“It’s something you can do and no one can judge you on it,” he said of having his own business and delving into the creative side of barbering.

‘Best Tools’

Haircut and styling appointments at the YGDV Barbershop are booked for a full hour. 

Horta wants a customer to feel at ease and leave the worries of the world behind when stepping into the space of his shop.

“I want you to come here and relax,” he said. “You’re here for one hour to yourself. And then when you leave, feeling like a million bucks.”

Horta says he uses “the best tools in the industry,” and his shop features a high-end barber chair that run over $1,000 in price. He engages in good discussion before a haircut to understand the look and appearance a customer seeks. He is then meticulous in how he cuts hair so it grows back evenly. The latter is an important measure of a good haircut in Horta’s view.

Horta favors traditional cuts but says he’s familiar with all the styles in saying, “everybody comes through here,” meaning men and women, kids and seniors, a wide range of customers.

“It’s an experience I want my customers to have in feeling like a king when they come here,” Horta said.

Upbeat and positive, a local barber who relishes “giving back to the community that puts trust in us.”