Family opens business, expecting success in COVID19 pandemic

By St. Clair Murraine

Outlook staff writer

Here are some facts that Tiffany Quach knew before she and two relatives decided to open Bellezza Beauty Bar at a new location on West Tennessee Street:

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing many businesses to close. Competition in the salon business is tough with Tallahassee having more than 100 of them.

Yet she refuses to be fazed by such harsh reality. She calls it living her dream.

“We just decided to still take the risk and open because we knew we would be different,” she said minutes before a ribbon cutting ceremony outside of the location. “We can accommodate clients with the unique experience of making them comfortable in a clean atmosphere.”

Antonio Jefferson, president of the Big Bend Minority Chamber, and a few other members came on a humid night to cut the ribbon. For more than two hours, Quach and her business partners; her mother Kim Tran and her sister Alisha Tran celebrated their accomplishment.

“It’s amazing that businesses like this can get started,” Jefferson said. “It’s even more amazing that they could have the discipline to say we are going to invest in this business.”

Jefferson said he was especially impressed that they’ve opening at a time when the pandemic is forcing others out of business.

“Uncertain times bring about uncertainty in the business world,” he said. “Anybody that’s taking a leap of faith in this moment understands who they are, what their product is, what their customer base is because so many people have gone out of business in this moment.”

The grand opening took place last Saturday, three days after the ribbon cutting.

Quach is relying on relationships they’ve established at a previous location on Call Street that they were forced to close last fall after outgrowing the space. At the same time, they began to secure a bigger space for their new location.

“It’s been a long time,” she said, getting emotional as she mentioned some of the setbacks they had to overcome. At the top of the list is a robbery that took place while they were setting up the new location.

“It was definitely very hard, but I have a lot of big dreams and I have determination to make them come to life,” she said. “We’ve spent a lot of money.

It is likely that the shop will be equipped with various security measures, such as alarm systems, high-quality storefront glass (similar to Riot Glass retail storefront protection), and security guards to prevent any case of robbery in the future.

“This time around, I’ve taken all of the criticism; what work and what didn’t work into consideration. I’m very optimistic that’s why I kept going. I know it’s going to be very successful.”

In addition to some of the traditional services that salons offer, Quach said they will have a new coloring technique for nails in a powder form. The salon also features two rows of pedicure stations with vibrating seat backs, a private nail room and will eventually offer massages.

Salena Tran said she was a customer before she decided to train as a nail tech and join the staff. She also expressed a sense of optimism that Quach and her partners made the right decision to start over.

Their popularity will make them successful, she said.

“They say it’s not what you know but who you know,” Tran said. “With the salon you need people from every type of background because everybody gets their nails done. We made connections with all the people we knew at the old salon. We help them; they help us.”