John Daniel Flores has a vision for downtown Globe, and along with his wife Erika — Johnyd and Moquie, as they are known in the community — is doing his part to see it come to fruition.
After opening Zona Ice a few weeks ago, the couple’s second business on Broad Street, Flores has his sights set on a bigger prize.
While he is happy to be thriving in Historic Downtown Globe, he also hopes to be at the head of a renaissance to make Globe a destination for visitors and a place residents can take pride in.
“I foresee Globe as being like Jerome or Scottsdale,” the enigmatic hair stylist said. “Like a gateway to the Wild West. We have a good collection of brains here and we need to get it together, and it’s way more than just us: We need to create a network.”
A native son of the Globe-Miami area, Flores was born and raised in Miami, attended Miami High School, and represents the fourth generation of a long-time mining family. He is a focused businessman, accomplished hair stylist and both he and Moquie are actors with the Copper Cities Community Players.
Four years ago, the couple opened Dominion Cutting Co. on the second floor of the old Valley National Bank building at the west end of Broad on East Mesquite streets.
“As soon as we saw the space, we knew it was right,” he said.
In September 2018, Flores opened an enlarged shop in the bottom floor of the building, bringing an anchor business to a downtown block in dire need of urban development.
The exterior is brightly painted, bringing a splash of color to an otherwise drab corner, and inside is an eclectic mix of historical artifacts, comfy couches and odd bric-a-brac, as well as televisions set to sports channels for the amusement of customers and the occasional visitor who just wants to hang out in a casual atmosphere.
But the couple’s vision did not stop there. On March 23, Johnyd and Moquie opened Zona Ice in the old Mason’s building at 182 Broad St., bringing another colorful addition to Downtown Globe.
The project has been in the works for two years and once the doors opened, the new business was packed with customers and well-wishers. The shop features frozen treats as well as games — even a classic foosball table — creating a welcoming spot for local youths.
In addition to brightening up Broad Street, Flores also employs 11 people: Two at Dominion Cutting Co. and nine at Zona Ice.
“I’d like to personally invite our local residents to, first, see our community for what it has to offer, instead of what it is lacking; second, to talk about those things and proudly share them with others,” Moquie said. “The last part is a little challenging, but ask what you can do to bring positive growth and change to our area. Don’t wait for someone else to do it. All it takes is an idea and some honest effort to make big things happen. Globe has so much untapped talent and potential. I am excitedly curious to see what comes next.”
When the couple is not working tirelessly to keep the doors open on their local businesses, Johnyd and Moquie are out traveling the state in search of rural gems and ideas to bring home to the Copper Corridor.
“When we go on vacation, it’s not vacation: It’s study time,” Johnyd said. “We look at things like plaques on buildings and for other things tourists and people who haven’t experienced these types of things might find interesting.”
For Johnyd and Moquie Flores, it is all about something bigger than self.
“One thing that hasn’t changed is leaving an impact for future generations,” he said. “This is not just for tourism — tourism is just a byproduct.”
