VIDEO: A once-burned small business is getting a fresh start thanks to help from the Las Vegas Valley. Just under two months ago, flames tore through a shopping center near University and Maryland, destroying a post office and three businesses, including Crown Electric Tattoo. The shop’s owner, Leyla Fowler, showed FOX5 around their new location Wednesday, off Eastern and Tropicana. She said it was paid for with the help of donations from the community. “Thank you for the love and support because we made it, we’re open,” Fowler said.
“We’re excited to be back to work, first and foremost. This seemed like an impossibility.” Fowler says they’ve built a community made up of friends, family members and clients over the last 20 years. “I try to make a friend in every client, and I think these guys do too,” she said, referencing the other artists on her staff. Although they are optimistic about the fresh start, artists said the loss they suffered in July was astronomical. Everything in their University and Maryland shop, including artwork, memorabilia, equipment, and portfolios, burned.
“It’s been devastating for all of us,” said Chris Simpson, Crown Electric Tattoo artist. “I felt like I lost a home,” said Gabriel Herrera, another Crown Electric Tattoo artist. Tattoo artist and piercer, Javier Vera, said a special photo he earned in the Marine Corps burned at his work station. Now, it is time for the group to rebuild, refill their walls with new memories, and reconnect with their community.
