Owner plans to rebuild Hillside barbershop that burned down

Erminal wanted to create a safe haven for the community and give working opportunities to others.

Lauren Due

Oct 17, 2025, 9:13 PM

Updated 9 hr ago

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As officials continue to look into the cause of a fire that destroyed several businesses and displaced over 30 people, the community is trying to figure out how to move forward.
Marc Erminal's The Vibe barbershop was destroyed Tuesday night.
"This is actually, the same brick that was in front of my business. The windows were right there. I still see small remnants of equipment. My sign is still there in shambles," said Erminal. "It's tough, like, it looks like a war."
Erminal was not at the barbershop that night.
"My employees called me, told me that there was some smoke that they were smelling," said Erminal. "We were hoping that it didn't spread, but unfortunately I had a fire in this town, and I know how fast fires spread."
His home a few streets away burnt down in 2012 and now, so has his first business that opened six years ago.
Erminal wanted to create a safe haven for the community and give working opportunities to others.
From Hillside High School to Maple Avenue, he plans to stay in the community despite the devastation.
"We would like to restore the business and hopefully have a bigger and better place," said Erminal.


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