Cape Coral businesses working to reopen their doors

Restaurants and businesses in Cape Coral are working on getting back up and running after Hurricane Ian.

Downtown Cape Coral was hit hard, and now business owners are determined to be there for the community.

Nakisha Camacho is doing her best to keep a smile on her face, but seeing her business, Hair Artistry, in the dark is tough.

Not being able to do what she loves is devastating.

“I cried my butt off so much that I got in a car accident three days ago and totaled my whole car,” said Camacho.

What brings Camacho joy is her business. She is proud to call herself a boss and has been running her salon for five years.

Being the boss requires her to stay strong, not just for her employees, but for her 9-year-old son Ivan.

“I’m a single mother I have to take care of him, and he can’t see me when I’m weak. I got to be strong at all times. But man, it’s draining,” said Camacho.

It’s draining because she doesn’t know when she’ll be able to open her salon again. The power is still out, and she fears it could be months before she can reopen.

“When you walk by here at night time, and I see my business shut down, and I’m coming here, and I’m sitting in the night just looking at it, hoping that one morning it’ll pop up,” Camacho said.

Camacho is trying to stay positive. “You can only fake it for so long. And after a while, that light starts to dim. But all I can do is pray and be thankful to still have what I do have.”

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