Jenny Kincaid Boone covers retail and real estate.

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@roanoke.com
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Jenny Kincaid Boone

Retail Roundup columns

• Readers, thanks for your support
• Bastians Bar-B-Q to reopen
• Woolworth's space is being renovated in downtown Roanoke

The Storefront blog

• More from Jenny's blog

Downtown Roanoke is becoming a hub for biking enthusiasts.

A 33-year-old bicycling businessman recently leased a downtown space, while a nonprofit bike enterprise is relocating to South Jefferson Street.

Stratton Delany, a bicycle frame designer and entrepreneur, is setting up his own custom bike frame shop, Keirin Culture, in a space on Second Street. River Laker's bicycling museum formerly was housed there.

Delany sought out this space at 310 Second St. S.W. because he needed more room for his growing biking enterprise. For the past year, Delany has designed and sold frames for fixed gear and road bikes inside a small and Spartan space at Black Dog Salvage in Roanoke. He moved to Roanoke from Richmond with his wife last year.

Delany's shop, named for a style of Japanese bike racing, will sell more than bike frames.

He will carry bike accessories and host trainer nights during the winter months. People can bring their own bike and trainer and bike together inside his cozy shop.

Keirin Culture will open for business this week.

Another city bike business, Sharebike, a nonprofit that provides bike rentals for use throughout the city, is relocating to 513 S. Jefferson St. in downtown.

By Jan. 1, owner Ron McCorkle expects to reopen Sharebike at its new space, which is much larger than his former 475-square-foot storefront inside the City Market Building.

The move comes just as city officials make plans to close the market building for extensive renovations next year. McCorkle said this looming closure was a factor in his move, but also, he outgrew his space at the market building. The city has allowed Sharebike to rent the spot for free since it opened in 2007.

Since Sharebike's closing on Nov. 30, McCorkle has been busy doing minor renovations at the new storefront, such as smoothing out concrete floors and painting.

Other than bike rentals, Sharebike's new location will house a tool-sharing program for repairs, a coffee and lounge area and educational bike materials and DVDs. New bikes also will be sold.

Cycle Works, a bike repair business, will share the space with Sharebike.

Crazy 8 may be coming

A national retailer for children's clothing has its sights on Valley View Mall.

Crazy 8, a children's clothing chain owned by the Gymboree Corp., another children's apparel retailer, may be coming to the Roanoke shopping center. A city building permit reveals that renovations are planned for a new Crazy 8 space at Valley View.

Louise Dudley, mall manager, would not comment specifically on Crazy 8's coming, though she confirmed that a new store lease is in the works for a temporary mall space.

Crazy 8 stores carry apparel and accessories for children and babies, from newborns to size 14.

The first Crazy 8 store opened in 2007, and now, there are 37 locations nationwide.

Gymboree Corp. is based in San Francisco. It already has one store at Valley View.

Thai eatery to reopen

The owner of Tong's Thai will reopen his Thai eatery in downtown Roanoke, but the restaurant has a new name.

Sukasom NaSongkhla plans to open Thai Continental Cuisine at 108 Market St., which is the former location of Market Street Pub.

He was forced to close his former restaurant, Tong's Thai, in July after its building on Salem Avenue in downtown was condemned by the city of Roanoke because of structural issues.

It will open in late December, said Jean Sasudrungsinee, one of the business partners.

News from the Storefront blog at blogs.roanoke.com/rtblogs/storefront/

Crock & Roll, a new soup-focused restaurant, is coming to Towers Shopping Center in Roanoke.

Chains are getting into the breakfast battle, including Ruby Tuesday's brunch rollout.

Video games top children's wish lists this year, according to a survey of mall Santas.