By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews
ALLEN — Andrea Tran had just dropped her son off at school and was driving home when her phone rang.
Employees at Casita Mexican Restaurant, which shares an Allen shopping center with Cotton Closet, Tran’s women’s consignment store, had arrived around 7 a.m. and noticed water coming out of Cotton Closet’s door.
“Immediately my heart sank,” Tran said.
She lives about five minutes away and rushed to the store. When she arrived, the floors were flooded.
Tran began moving merchandise outside, sweeping out water and setting up fans. She called the fire department, which performed an emergency water shutoff, she said. According to Tran, the water originated from a leak at a neighboring business that had gone unnoticed.
“Everything happened so fast,” she said.
Then the emotions caught up with her.
“I’ll be completely honest, I started crying and wondering, how am I going to do this and how long is this going to keep me out of business?” Tran said.
But there wasn’t much time to dwell on it.
“During those hours all I could think of was do this fast and take care of it before it gets worse,” she said.
‘Cotton Closet is an answered prayer’
For Tran, owning a resale store was a longtime dream.
“Cotton Closet is an answered prayer,” she said. “I wanted to own a resale store as far as I can remember.”
She wanted a place where women could look good without spending a fortune, but Cotton Closet became about more than clothing.
“Cotton is not any regular store, this store is part of the community and I mean that,” Tran said. “Everyone here knows each other, kids play sports together, they go to school together, they are neighbors, they are other small business owners working together to support each other.”
That familiarity is something Tran intentionally tries to create inside the store.
“Our goal is to greet you by name,” she said. “We want to know you, we want to build a relationship. You are not another order or customer, you are someone who makes this store great and hugs are always welcome.”
When Cotton Closet flooded, that community began showing up.
Buckets, towels and helping hands
“The community responded immediately,” Tran said.
People arrived with buckets and towels. They scrubbed, organized and helped dry clothes. Others left messages online and told Tran they were praying for her.
Casita, whose employees had first spotted the water, provided a meal while the cleanup continued.
The quick response couldn’t prevent all the damage. Tran said the wood floors had begun popping out from the water, but she was able to keep things from getting worse.
Then came the cost.
Tran said her insurance would not cover this type of water damage. In a GoFundMe created after the flooding, she also said her landlord was unable to help.
Her sister-in-law suggested asking the community for assistance.
“I had never done anything like it and I wasn’t sure if I should,” Tran said.
Her sister-in-law encouraged her to try, telling her, “The community loves you, they will step up and help.”
“My community stepped up and because of that we were able to act fast and take care of the damage,” Tran said.
Her brother handled the repair work, she said.
Closed for just one day
When Tran first saw the water covering her store, she wondered how long Cotton Closet would be unable to open.
Despite the flooding and damaged flooring, the store was closed for just one day.
It was a remarkably quick turnaround for a small business facing an unexpected mess, and it happened with help from many of the people Tran says make Cotton Closet special in the first place.
They came with buckets and towels. They helped clean and dry clothes. A neighboring restaurant fed the people working. Others offered prayers, messages and financial help.
Tran had described Cotton Closet as a place where customers aren’t treated as just another transaction.
When she needed them, they returned the favor.
Cotton Closet is located at 204 N. Greenville Ave., Suite 240, Allen, TX 75002.
Those who want to help with the remaining costs from the flood can visit Tran’s GoFundMe: Help a Small Business Recover from Flood Damage.