Sunday, February 24, 2008
Studio 419 salon to open
Jenny Kincaid Boone
Jenny reports on the latest news on the Roanoke Valley retail industry.
Recent stories
This spring will usher in a face-lift for two local hair care businesses.
Studio 419, a new salon, will debut in April. It's taking a 2,000-square-foot spot at West Village in Southwest Roanoke County, atop the former location of John Norman Clothiers.
Candy Kane-Seeley, an owner of Hair Trends in Roanoke County, is opening the new salon with business partner Faith Wiley. Kane-Seeley said it was time for her to "branch off, do something different."
Wiley and Kane-Seeley plan to hire 22 operators for a variety of services at Studio 419 that will include offering pedicures and manicures.
Kane-Seeley said she expects her business to complement others at West Village. Many of the retailers at the center already appeal to women, such as a coffee and food shop, apparel boutiques and spa care, she said.
"To me, it's like a community," Kane-Seeley said.
Another local business, Les Cheveux Salon at Towers Shopping Center in Roanoke, is expanding its space and getting a new identity.
By mid-March, the salon will shift to a new spot at Towers, beside Bush-Flora Shoe Co. on the center's top level, according to manager Michelle Smith.
Its new space is about 2,650 square feet, compared with the 1,750-square-foot location that it currently occupies near Awful Arthur's Seafood Co.
The salon will have a new name, Les Cheveux Salon and Day Spa, to reflect its expanded spa services. At its larger location, it will offer body wraps, microdermabrasion, and new manicure and pedicure selections. But still expect to find the same hair care, facials, massage and related services, Smith said.
Cajun Connection
A father-and-daughter team has opened a local New Orleans-style restaurant in honor of their late wife and mother.
Rudy Delaney and his daughter, Robin Zimmerman, opened Cajun Connection, "A Taste of New Orleans," last month at 515 Second St. in Vinton.
Delaney and his late wife, Pamala, both New Orleans natives, started out in the local food business by serving New Orleans specialties from a trailer at Roanoke Valley and regional food festivals. Delaney said his wife dreamed of having a restaurant before she died in 2002.
Delaney and Zimmerman decided to make the eatery a reality.
Cajun Connection serves an assortment of New Orleans dishes, including jambalaya, gumbo, shrimp etouffee, and po' boy sandwiches. They'll continue to sell food at some festivals this year and offer catering.
Parisi Speed School
Parisi Speed School, a Carilion Clinic-owned fitness facility for children and teenagers ages 7 to 17, opened Feb. 16 at 4035 Electric Road, behind The Commons retail center on Electric Road in Roanoke County.
The new facility offers speed and agility training for youths and once-a-month free fitness assessments.
Its opening comes alongside similar centers that have debuted in the past year in the Roanoke Valley, such as the Edge Sports Performance Center in Roanoke.
News from this week's Storefront blog at blogs.roanoke.com/storefront/
n Discuss restaurant etiquette for takeout coffee and other beverages.
n Frank L. Moose Jewelers celebrates its 80th anniversary this month.
n A mystery still surrounds what store will land at Keagy Village.
