Fritz’s Barbershop has been a fixture of downtown Mesa since 1946. Today, co-owners Sarah and Bryant Krieger are carrying its history and heritage forward with a clear priority: making sure everyone who rolls or walks through the door feels at home.
Their pursuit of Mesa For All Foundation’s Accessibility Grant, which helps offset the cost of autism certification through IBCCES, (International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards) is one way the Kriegers ensure this commitment extends beyond a mission statement.
A Personal Journey to Inclusivity
Sarah and Bryant don’t have a background in barbering. Sarah was a teacher, and Bryant runs his own consulting business. What drew them to this business is something far more personal: their son Fritz, their third of five children, was born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare and progressive disease that affects muscle strength as children grow.
The shop, named after Fritz, is a tribute to their family’s efforts to truly understand disability through his eyes. They also use it as a platform to raise awareness for rare diseases like Duchenne. For Sarah, Bryant, and their children, it’s equal parts mission and meaning.
Fritz helps Sarah, Bryant, and their entire family see the world differently. “It’s not the wheelchair. That’s not the end all be all, Sarah shared. It’s the world that we’re living in. Why can’t a ramp be there instead of stairs? You start to realize all these things that don’t make sense,” when you have a child with a disability.
Why Autism Certification Mattered
When Sarah and Bryant learned about IBCCES and the autism certification process that Mesa For All Foundation supports, it was a natural fit.
For a sensory-sensitive client, a barbershop can be a challenging environment. Fritz’s has always been intentional about this: wheelchair-accessible entry, sensory-friendly equipment, and small comfort items for kids like puzzles, a fish tank, and a toy barber kit to help children feel at ease before their turn in the chair. Autism certification is another tool they use to make sure that everybody feels welcome.
The Kriegers are deliberate about who joins their team. “They each have hearts of service just as big as ours,” Sarah said. “That’s why we work so well together and why they’re in our shop. They represent the culture we wanted to establish.”
How Your Business Can Take the Next Step
The Mesa For All Foundation’s autism certification grant program is now open. It helps Mesa businesses offset some of the costs associated with IBCCES autism certification and take real steps toward becoming more inclusive. The process is fully virtual and on demand, with most staff completing training in about 30 minutes.
For Sarah, the value of that commitment is personal. As a parent who has spent years searching for businesses that truly understand, she knows what it means when one does. “When you start to discover that there are organizations fighting alongside you — or frankly fighting for you — because your fight often is so much of the day to day, it just feels empowering,” she said.
Her message to business owners still on the fence is direct. “If we can do it, anyone can do it,” she said. “We have eight million things going on. But the certification process really felt like a team effort to help us get there, understanding that this isn’t all we have going on at the moment.”
Take the Next Step
The Kriegers built Fritz’s Barbershop around a simple idea: that true strength looks different than the world often tells us it does. “Strength is stopping to do the right thing when you maybe had an agenda in the first place,” Sarah shared. “Taking the time to have patience with people and leading with kindness. That’s true strength.”
Fritz’s name is above the door for a reason. It’s a daily reminder of what the Kriegers believe a business, and a community, can be. If that resonates with you, visit mesaforall.org to get started.
Please note: Fritz’s Barbershop recently experienced a small fire and is temporarily operating out of a neighboring salon while repairs are underway. They are open and ready to serve you.
Media Contact:
Brett Heising
Interim Executive Director
Mesa For All Foundation
602.405.9103
director@mesaforall.org
