KILLEEN, Texas — The COVID-19 pandemic was not easy for any small businesses.
For Warnita Foster, she said she signed her lease for Dreams of Beauty just six hours before the state of Texas shut down salons. But more than a year later, her business is still standing and she celebrated on Saturday.
"She succeeded when other people failed," Ronnie Russell, president of the Innovation Black Chamber of Commerce, said. "She kept going where a lot of people gave up, the best thing about her is she never quit, she had the tenacity and the will to continue to fight when everyone else gave up.”
Foster has been a hair stylist for 16 years in the Harker Heights and Killeen area, but she just recently decided that she wanted to open her own small business. She was thrilled to cut a grand re-opening ribbon with her staff, family, friends and clients by her side at the Village Square Plaza.
“I was actually thrilled to hear they were going to do a plaza relaunch," she said. "Because it gives a chance to let the community know that we are still here. We opened during COVID, and I think it says a lot to still be here, even with all those blocks, we overcame them."
There are many businesses in the plaza including a boxing gym, relator's office, barber shop, restaurants and more. The businesses are located at 2904 E. Stan Schlueter Loop.