Five years ago, much of Lake Street lay in ruins in the aftermath of the unrest sparked by the murder of George Floyd. It wasn’t just the 3rd Precinct that sustained heavy damage; many other buildings were set ablaze or nearly destroyed. LV’s Barber Shop, a thriving six-chair business just off East Lake Street, was in one of these spots.
“At first, I felt devastated, because my barbers were left with no shop to work in. I wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen—there was a lot of uncertainty,” says owner Lamberto Vergara. “We had a shop but it wasn’t in working condition.”
LV, as he is better known, had run the space, located on 27th Avenue South right by Minnehaha Liquors, for nearly 10 years. During the unrest, the liquor store was totally wiped out by fire while the barbershop sustained severe damage…