Virginia Beach contractor must move after fire

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia Beach entrepreneur's livelihood came to a sudden halt when a Monday morning fire on Holland Road destroyed neighboring businesses and boarded up his own.

Although the inside of Rahsha Batiste's Unique Skin & Beauty Bar business appears unscathed, smoke damage and electrical issues still forced it to close its doors.

She said that when she arrived at her day spa and esthetic clinic on Monday, her heart sank.

Batiste told 13News Now, “I called the owner, said, 'The building's on fire, you need to get here,' and hung up.” She added that as soon as she arrived, she worried about the future of her business.

“I put all my heart, sweat, tears, money, love and care into this facility for five months, and I didn't even enjoy it for a full six months.”

Batiste says she has been in the beauty business for eight years, but moved into the Holland Road premises last August. She completed the renovations, which she said she spent about $60,000 on, in December.

“It's very emotional because when you spend a lot of money on something, you want to enjoy the fruits of your labor, and to do it for a short period of time, it hurts,” Batiste explained.

Visually, it's hard to tell Batiste's business suffered any damage. She did not lose any equipment in the fire which destroyed neighboring businesses. However, a strong smell of smoke pervaded the entire property and its aftermath was condemned by the city. She says even though her equipment survived, she still needs help from the community.

“We don’t see people over the phone, I have to see people in person,” she said. “It’s like I’m racing against time. I need to find another commercial property quickly.

In addition to her five employees, Batiste also rents space to other beauty technicians. She says she also feels obligated to find them a new space.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the business owner with his relocation efforts. It is available here.