Blakeney adds four new merchants

South Charlotte's Blakeney, which marries big-box retail with smaller, village-style shops and restaurants, is adding to its roster with four new tenants:

• Belly Elan Maternity Boutique, which sells clothes for moms-to-be and new moms, baby products and related accessories, has moved to an 800-square-foot space from Promenade on Providence, a few miles away at Providence Road and Interstate 485. The store originally opened in Feb. 2005, and also has an extensive Web site.

• Barbers at Blakeney is set to open this month in Blakeney Crossing, a newer development across Rea Road from the original or "big" Blakeney. The shop will provide full barber services and related products.

• Blue Basil, a casual Thai restaurant from Rick Taing, the owner of Sushi 101, is slated to open in March.

• And finally, a store whose name doesn't start with "B" (although, as you'll see, it has connections to one): Home decor shop Casual Elegance, which sells traditional and transitional decor, artwork, accessories, jewelry and gifts, plans to open in March. The business began as a booth at Blacklion and will continue to maintain a presence there, but this will be its first full storefront, according to a news release.

Update: Casual Elegance is backfilling the space left vacant when Acorn closed, Belly Elan is where Potion used to be and the Thai restaurant will occupy the former Sugar Magnolia restaurant.