Fresno business owner says no fire is stopping him succeed: ‘Blessed to be here’

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Bobby Griffin is a struggling business owner in Fresno, whose latest struggle is a fire that left his business and two neighboring businesses without electricity.

Jazzy’s Jean N Things and Herbal Products has been a part of Van Ness Village near Fresnos’ Tower District since 2021 – but he’s been a small business owner since 1984.

“[When] I started my business it was called Jazzy’s Beauty Salon,” said owner Bobby Griffin. “It was named after my daughter.”

Griffin says when his daughter decided to start selling jeans at the salon, the name Jazzy’s Jeans N Things stuck – and that name followed the business across multiple locations in Fresno.

Griffin has remained persistent and always put his best foot forward at work, even after he was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer in 2016. Since dealing with the cancer, reopening Jazzy’s, and “starting from scratch,” he’s had trouble getting people into his store.

On Sept. 16, his business was one of three impacted by a fire. Griffin says the fire that cut Jazzy’s electricity is hardly an obstacle when compared to everything else – he says the fire has actually helped some people find his store.

One customer who walked into the store during YourCentralValley.com’s interview with Griffin said he had only just heard of the fire and knew where Jazzy’s was because his nephew “saw it on the news.”

Earl Maxwell says he’s known Griffin for years and he has followed Griffin from location to location across Fresno.

“I’m going to spread the word,” said Maxwell after finding out what happened. “I’m going to send more people here.”

Griffin says that is exactly what he needs. At 87 years old, he’s not as social media savvy as his neighbors – who have already reached out to the community for help. Griffin believes old-fashioned word of mouth and divine intervention will suffice.

“[My business] is not going down, because I’m going to stick with it until the very end,” Griffin said. “I’m blessed to be here.”

Jazzy’s is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., located at 1468 N Van Ness Avenue.

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