The inside of Rasha Baptiste’s shop, Unique Skin & Beauty Bar, appears to be intact, but smoke damage and electrical concerns forced her to close the business.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia Beach entrepreneur’s life came to an abrupt end Monday morning when a fire on Holland Road destroyed the store next door and forced the closure of her store.
The inside of Rasha Baptiste’s shop, Unique Skin & Beauty Bar, appears to be intact, but smoke damage and electrical concerns forced her to close the business.
She said her heart sank when she arrived at the day spa and aesthetic clinic on Monday.
“I called the owner and said, ‘The building is on fire, come over here,’ and then I hung up,” Baptiste told 13 News Now, adding that once she arrived she immediately became concerned about the future of her business.
“I’ve poured my heart, sweat, tears, money, love and care into this facility for five months and I haven’t been able to enjoy it for six full months.”
Baptiste has been in the beauty industry for eight years and moved to the Holland Road store in August last year. She finished renovating the store in December, which she said cost her about $60,000.
“When you spend a lot of money on something, you want to enjoy the fruits of your labor, but to only have it for a short time is tough, so it’s very emotional,” Batiste explained.
From the outside, it’s hard to tell that Baptiste’s store was damaged. She didn’t lose any equipment in the fire that gutted the store next door. But the strong smell of smoke permeated the building, and her room was confined to the city. She said that while her equipment was spared, she still needs help from the community.
“You can’t meet people over the phone. You have to meet them in person,” she said. “It’s like we’re racing against time. We have to find another commercial property quickly.”
Baptiste rents out her space to other beauty technicians in addition to her staff of five, and said she feels an obligation to them to find a new space.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help business owners relocate and can be found here .
