By Klyde Java

Riding the N-Judah streetcar past 31st Avenue, one can see the seeds of a new beauty salon beginning to bloom where the former Sunset Strip Cafe once stood.

Tiger’s Eye Beauty is the Sunset District’s newest beauty bar. It is set to kick off with a grand opening showcase on Aug. 3. The showcase will feature a gallery of local Bay Area artists, a plethora of local vendors and a meet-and-greet with the shop’s owner, Raquel Payne.

Payne, the 37-year-old esthetician and entrepreneur, is a self-described “one-woman show” and has been involved in the beauty industry for more than a decade.

The salon derives its name from the Tiger’s Eye stone which symbolizes courage and stability for Payne. She first encountered the crystal in 2013, and it has been a recurring motif throughout her life.

“When I was in the third grade, these boys used to make fun of me because I have a birthmark in my eye, and they used to call me “cat eye.” The Tiger’s Eye stone looks like my eye. This is the stone of my life,” she said.

Payne was raised in the Mission District and has always held an interest in beauty products. When she was younger, she often applied her mother’s face masks and admired the joyous feeling it gave her. As Payne grew up, she gradually became the family’s beauty specialist, often doing her younger sister’s hair and makeup for special events.

Payne was a stay-at-home mother after the birth of her son, but soon after decided to pursue a career. Her natural inclination toward beauty and skincare gave her an easy career choice.

“By that time, I was 26 or 27 and I’m like, ‘I want to do something for the long run,’” she said.

“I just thought, ‘I love beauty. I love how it makes me feel.’ When I’m having a bad day and I do a mask on myself at home, it feels so good. It’s good for your soul. You’re happier when you walk out and you’re more pleasant for everyone else. I think I was trying to tap into what I wanted to share with the world and what’s needed in the world,” she added.

Payne got her start working at a local skin-care clinic called the Pretty Parlor in the Mission. In February of 2022, Payne opened her first Tiger’s Eye Beauty in Pacifica, marking the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey.

When Payne moved to the Sunset last October, she noticed an opportunity.

“I’m driving around to see what my new neighborhood spots are and I noticed there weren’t a lot of skin care shops. There’s a lot of mani-pedi places and hair salons, but there’s not a lot of beauty salons. If I was someone who didn’t do this for a living, that’s something I would want,” she said.

She decided that a new location would help fill this void as well as bring her closer to her husband who works as a firefighter at Fire Station No. 18 on 32nd Avenue near Pacheco Street.

For Payne, the Sunset is an extension of Pacifica. Both cities share scenic coastal views. To her, it all feels part of one place. Besides the similarities in geography, there is a calmness found in the two neighborhoods.

“It’s quaint. I can hear the birds chirping and I love that,” she said. “Whereas if I’m deeper in the City, it’s not like that. Everything is drowned out.”

When the shop opens, Payne hopes to bring the comfortable and welcoming aura of her Pacifica location to the Sunset.

“I want people to feel urged to come in and see what Tiger’s Eye is about because it’s beyond skincare and beauty,” she said.

Tiger’s Eye Beauty is located at 2605 Judah St. Learn more at tigerseye-beautybiz.com.