Boutte flower shop damaged by hit-and-run driver weeks before planned opening

BOUTTE, La. (WVUE) - A military wife and mother hoping to open a florist business in three weeks is now seeking the community’s help after a hit-and-run driver smashed through her storefront.

The vehicle fled the scene and no arrest has been made since the crash Friday (Oct. 30) at the upcoming Flowers Near Me in Boutte’s Village Shopping Center. But business owner Kaysea Tassara, a self-described “proud Coast Guard spouse,” said her entrepreneurial dream is in jeopardy, given the timing of the crime.

“We were finally approaching the finish line,” Tassara told Fox 8. “Our inspections had been completed, we had received approval for temporary occupancy, and we were preparing to welcome our local vendors and begin filling the store with merchandise.

“Our grand opening was scheduled for Nov. 20 -- just in time for the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping season. ... Unfortunately, our business insurance was scheduled to become effective Nov. 1, just two days after the accident. We are still working to determine what expenses may be covered, who is responsible for the various repairs and what the financial impact will ultimately be.”

Tassara said she “never imagined that I would be in a position where I needed to ask my community for financial assistance.” But she has launched an online fundraising campaign to defray expenses from the unexpected setback.

“I have worked incredibly hard to build this business responsibly, and asking for help is not something that comes naturally to me,” she said. “Flowers Near Me was meant to be a place where local residents could celebrate life’s happiest moments, find comfort during difficult ones, support local artists and small businesses, and feel welcomed every time they walked through our doors.

“That vision has not changed. I am determined to see this business open, even if our timeline looks different than we originally planned.”

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