A striving Vietnamese entrepreneur and mother to two kids is navigating the shock of discovering her nail salon was at the centre of a drug sting before she became the owner.
“I can’t sleep,” she said following media reports on a trial that has reached Mackay Supreme Court.
The trial found Mackay man Van Dung Vu not guilty of aggravated drug possession after he collected a package from the salon that was part of a police sting.
The court had heard some 1.5kg of heroin had been marked for delivery to the Caneland Central store but the police intercepted the consignment and replaced it with fake drugs.
Mr Du maintained his innocence and said he believed he was picking up cigarettes and on May 9, a jury cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Despite the not guilty verdict, Ms Koorts said she had spoken with the shopping centre’s management about a name-change for her business.
Tina Nguyen Koorts at New Sun Nails and Beauty at Caneland Central on May 14, 2023. Picture: Michaela Harlow
“We got a new name, trading name, (it is) not Kathy’s Nails anymore,” she said in a thick Vietnamese accent.
“I will change the website, uniform, business card, phone number.”
The new name is New Sun Nails and Beauty.
Sentinel, the owner of the shopping hub, confirmed Ms Koorts took over Kathy’s Nails in February 2022, months after the bust, with the official lease transfer on January 15 this year.
There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the previous owners or its staff.
(From left to right) Tina Nguyen Koorts, manager Mai thi Tran and Lisa Nguyen Ho at New Sun Nails and Beauty at Caneland Central on May 14, 2023 Picture: Michaela Harlow
The entrepreneur said she arrived in Australia in 2015 and set about building up new businesses to support her teenage daughter Lisa and young son, starting off with a fish-and-chip shop in Brisbane.
“It is so hard in a new country, you know a single mum to carry (a) young child, no friends, no family,” she said.
“So I (started) with the fish-and-chip shop and then I have a little bit of money.
“And then my daughter she worked (at) the fish-and-chip when she is just in grade nine.
“And then she says ‘Mum, I don’t want to work at the fish-and-chip, I want to do some beauty.’
“So then I say, ‘okay, what about Mummy open the nail shop?’
“And so we started the nail shop in 2022.”
Ms Koorts said she hoped to open up a second business in Mackay soon.