Boutique started by 17-year-old to open in March

Amber Lawrence has a lot on her plate, with high school, homework, and a new 1,100-square-foot organic boutique in SouthEnd to manage.

The Myers Park High School senior's shop, the Duchess Boutique, has a grand opening set for Sunday, March 25. With her mother's help, Lawrence has rented the shop on Camden Road and stocked the business with with a range of organic cosmetics.

"Starting off, I wouldn't have all the time in the world to just sit and create, because I'm in high school," said Amber, who presented her mother with a business plan to convince her to be the initial investor. "I have to fill the store...I'm making sure the books are right, the products are right, everything we could possible need is right."


Amber, a Chicago native, said she gets her entrepreneurial drive from her mother. "She wanted to provide for me and my brother," said Amber. "I got it from those late nights and 18-hour workdays and seeing someone who has such ambition."

Tamara Lawrence, Amber's mom, said she started selling cosmetic products in high school herself, then started a real estate company after she finished school. Now, she runs a company that provides concierge and personal assistant services to businesses.

"I've always encouraged them to live beyond the expected," Lawrence said of her children. "If you clip their wings, they'll be at home forever."

She said she was impressed by how much research Amber did, such as calling the distributor for each product she plans to carry and making sure she was an expert for customers. "I just thought this would be an opportunity. It would be great for her to position herself as an entrepreneur," Lawrence said.

Amber said her days typically start at 5 a.m., when she wakes up to get ready for school. After school, she reviews her homework and walks to the boutique at about 3 p.m. She stays at the shop until about 6:30 p.m., which will be it's closing time. She's also set aside a small nook to do homework at the shop. When she's not there, a full-time worker will be running the boutique.

On the weekends, Amber said she'll be teaching classes such as how to make scented candles, in addition to working at the store.

"It's kind of hectic," she said of her schedule.

"She knows how to manager her schedule," said Tamara Lawrence. "That's something every business owner needs."

Now, Amber is focusing on getting the shop ready for its grand opening and preparing for any contingencies. "Once that grand opening comes and those clients are coming in the door, the unexpected will come," she said.


View Larger Map

After arson, Goodwill might leave South Boulevard

Goodwill is still sorting out the damage and trying to figure out why someone set a fire at their South Boulevard location, and it could be six months or more before the store reopens.

The store might be forced to rebuild or remove. Here's a story about the reported arson that ran on Friday. Although the store was fully insured, the contents were a total loss.

"The fact that someone would purposely set out to harm our organization and its team members who call this their work home is deeply troubling and, quite frankly, hard to comprehend," said Michael Elder, CEO of Goodwill of the Southern Piedmont, in a letter sent out Tuesday morning.

Below is the full text of his letter:

Dear Team Members, Volunteers and Friends of Goodwill,

As you may have already heard, Goodwill suffered a devastating fire at our store and donation center on South Boulevard on Thursday, February 23, resulting in damage to the building and destruction of the contents inside. We remain extremely grateful that the store had closed for the day and no one was inside at the time of the fire.

We have since learned the distressing news that the fire was intentionally set, and the arson task force is actively working to bring the responsible parties to justice. The fact that someone would purposely set out to harm our organization and its team members who call this their work home is deeply troubling and, quite frankly, hard to comprehend. Whatever the motive or intent, we will do what the people of Goodwill always do in the face of life’s challenges: we will press forward and work to overcome these temporary barriers, while continuing to seek the greater good for the people we serve and the community.

I would like to take this opportunity to keep you informed of what we currently know and where we are in our recovery efforts:

• The store and its contents were fully insured and we are working with our insurance carrier to estimate damages and process claims as quickly as possible.
• As part of that process, the building will receive a full inspection to determine the status of the structure and its mechanical and electrical systems. Once we have a clear picture of the extent of the damage, we will determine the viability of remaining at this location and rebuilding, or begin looking for an alternative location.
• We estimate that rebuilding or relocating to an alternative site would take at least six months. In the interim, all the team members at this location have been assigned to other stores to minimize any disruption to their employment. We will meet with these team members later this week to provide additional information and address any concerns.
• We are actively seeking a location on South Boulevard to place a temporary attended donation center and will communicate that location to the public as soon as a site is secured.
• We will continue to encourage the public to support Goodwill by donating to and shopping at our other locations in the region.

I greatly appreciate the outpouring of support and expressions of concern we have received. During a challenging time such as this, it is reassuring to know that we live in a community where so many care about helping others and display the utmost generosity in times of crisis. I am also extraordinarily grateful for the dedicated team of professionals that I have the privilege of working with on a daily basis. Since the first alarm went out, our team members jumped into action and have demonstrated great flexibility and ingenuity in responding to this crisis.

Thank you for your continued support!

Michael Elder

President & CEO

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont (Charlotte)

Lenox Salons opening Mooresville location

Lenox Salons, a multi-merchant salon concept with two Charlotte locations, will open its third location this summer, in Mooresville.

The store is set for Mooresville Town Square, and will combine two existing suites into one.The location will have room for 20 individual salons, with services such as massage therapy, a nail salon, esthetician and laser hair removal.

The business opened its first location in Ballantyne, with 28 salons. The location is fully occupied, said spokesman Ryan Drye. Lenox opened a second location in December in SouthEnd, with seven individual salons.

The company designs each location in a high-end, European style, with classical music, benches and chandeliers. Stylists sign on to own their own salon in the larger Lenox location, and each salon can accommodate one to four stylists.

Belk increases charitable donations

Charlotte-based Belk, Inc. said last week that it donated or sponsored donations of $18.3 million to nonprofits in its recently-ended fiscal year.

The company gave $5.1 million directly, to groups including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the CIAA scholarship fund and the Belk Foundation's efforts to help public education.

The remainder of the money was contributed by customers, vendors and Belk associates through Belk-sponsored charity events. The biggest chunk of that was $10 million raised by Belk's semi-annual charity sale, held at all of its 300 stores. Belk donated the proceeds to 7,800 local charities.

Spokeswoman Jessica Graham said $18.3 million was a 40 percent more than the department store chain raised last year. She said the increase represents "a clear demonstration of Belk’s renewed commitment to giving back to our customers, our associates and our neighbors in need."

New York Butcher Shoppe on Selwyn Ave. closes

New York Butcher Shoppe, a high-end store at Selwyn Avenue and Colony Road, is closing this weekend.

The store carried meats, prepared foods, sandwiches and deli items such as wine and cheese.

Owner Jed Kampe said he plans to open a new restaurant in May, at an undisclosed location, that will also feature a butcher counter. He plans to serve hamburgers made from beef ground fresh on site daily.

"There will be a lot of changes mostly in the dine-in aspect, but nothing will change with regards to only using the highest quality beef, chicken, pork and lamb," said Kampe, in a statement. "I can’t thank everyone enough who have supported our current location, but in order to take this to a new level, I simply need more space with a true kitchen."

Kampe said the location will be announced soon, and he hopes to stay in the immediate area.

The New York Butcher Shoppe was founded in 1999 in South Carolina, and there are a dozen franchised locations throughout the Southeast, according to the company's website.


View Larger Map

Food Lion giving $5 discount to mummy show

Nothing goes with groceries quite like mummies, and Food Lion is offering a $5 discount on admission to Discovery Place's Mummies of the World exhibit.

The exhibit runs through April 8, and includes some 150 mummies and mummy-related artifacts as old as 6,500 years.

Food Lion is based in Salisbury, and is a subsidiary of Belgian supermarket conglomerate Delhaize. The coupon is also in its weekly circular, in addition to being available online.

The Mummies of the World exhibit costs $24 for adults, $20 for college students and senior citizens, and $18 for kids. An audio tour costs an additional $5. The $5 discount from Food Lion applies to full-priced tickets with audio tours, so it's essentially a free audio tour. The promotion runs through March 23.

Whole Foods seeking local produce vendors

If you're looking for an upscale supermarket to sell your produce to, read on: Whole Foods is holding an open house for potential local vendors on Monday, Feb. 27.


The Whole Foods store, Charlotte's first, is under construction at the corner of Fairview and Sharon roads. The store is expected to open this summer, Whole Foods says.

Buyers for the retailer's southern region will be at the Cabarrus County Extension Office from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. to meet with local growers, sample their produce and give details on becoming a vendor.

You can read about Whole Foods' standards for foods here. The extension office's location is below.



View Larger Map

Whole Foods-Charlotte store rendering

Harris Teeter renovations, rebuilds proceeding

Harris Teeter is getting ready to start rebuilding two prominent stores, its Central Avenue and Providence/Queens Road locations, and expects both to open in 2013.

At the Providence/Queens Road store, spokeswoman Danna Jones said Harris Teeter expects to begin construction in mid-summer, with a tentative opening date set for early spring 2013. At Central Ave., she said construction will begin in the early spring, with a tentative opening late spring next year.

You can read more about the Central Ave. store here, and the Providence/Queens Road store here. Both stores will be new, and designed to look different and fit in with the neighborhood.

The chain is also in the midst of renovations on the East Boulevard store, on the corner of Kenilworth Avenue. There, Harris Teeter is building an addition to the existing store, construction that's been underway for a while. Jones didn't give a completion date for the store.

And my colleague Mike Gordon tells me that the Harris Teeter in Fort Mill is adding a Starbucks kiosk and pizza bar.


View Larger Map


View Larger Map

Frozen yogurt, cupcakes, subs headed to East Blvd.

In addition to a Jersey Mike's Subs shop, the former Blockbuster on East Blvd. will also house a Smallcakes Cupcakery and Freshberry Frozen Yogurt Cafe.

The stores plan to open in the first week of June. "“We are still in the development stages but, Jersey Mike’s will be half of the developed space and Smallcakes and FreshBerry will share the rest of the space,” said Rodger Blake, co-owner, in a statement.

Smallcakes is an upscale cupcake shop with 15 signature cupcakes, baked fresh daily, and was featured on the Food Network show "Cupcake Wars." The store in Charlotte will be the chain's 22nd location.

Freshberry will join the ever-growing ranks of Charlotte's frozen yogurt stores. Freshberry will compete against companies such as Yoforia, Tasty Yo, Pinkberry, TCBY, and the Frozen Isle. On East Blvd., Freshberry will be opening almost across the street from Menchie's, a frozen yogurt franchise that just opened last year.

The catalyst for all this is the closing of Blockbuster, which has been at that corner for a decade and a half. As the video/DVD rental business fell apart under an onslaught of Netflix, streaming video, Redbox and on-demand services, Blockbuster declared bankruptcy and was sold last year to Dish Network for $320 million.

Dish Network is closing a slew of under-performing stores, pushing a new video on-demand/mail order DVD service through Blockbuster, and planning to sell and service Dish Network products from the remaining Blockbuster locations.


View Larger Map

New boutique open in Harrisburg

Wish Gift Boutique opened in Harrisburg last week, selling gifts and home decor.

The store is locally owned. "We take pride in offering unique, homemade and hard-to-find items for any occasion," said owner Amy Hammock, in a statement.. “I like to say Wish (is an) acronym for women, infants, shabby-chic and husbands, since we hope to offer a little something for everyone."

Items for sale at Wish cover a wide swath of territory, including clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, purses, lip gloss, art, frames, lighting, cards and candles.

Wish also offers custom embroidery in the store to personalize gifts.



View Larger Map

Bricks 4 Kidz opening in south Charlotte

Bricks 4 Kidz, which offers programs to help introduce kids to engineering and science through LEGO blocks, is opening a Creativity Center in south Charlotte soon.

The owners say they can't disclose the exact location until the lease is signed early next week, but it will be in the Blakeney/Stonecrest area. The new center will offer classes such as engineering, pre-school, kids' birthday parties, stop-motion animation, and summer camps. It will open in mid- to late March.

Bricks 4 Kidz in Charlotte is owned by Tricia Rana and her husband Michael Finkelstein. They've been running the business since last year, and have after school programs at a dozen area schools.

"We teach kids basic math, engineering and architecture using LEGOs," Rana said. "It kind of takes LEGOs to a whole new level."

The center will use different blueprints for the kids' models every week. Many of the LEGO models are motorized. Recent sessions have focused on sports, famous buildings, laws of motion, and transportation.

They're building LEGO models in the "Sports Spectacular" series now. "The models are really awesome," said Rana. "The miniature golf model is really cool."

A class typically costs $15, Rana said, and summer camp sessions and birthday parties usually run around $200.

Here's a link to their Facebook page, where you can follow the latest information about the opening. And for adults who love the idea of playing with LEGOs, have hope: Rana said they're going to try to have grown-up nights at the Creativity Center so we can build some cool models too.

Jersey Mike's going into former Blockbuster

Local blog Charlotte Restaurant Traffic is reporting that a Jersey Mike's Subs will take over the former Blockbuster store on East Boulevard, which is closing this month.

Blockbuster's last day of business is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 19. The store has been holding a going-out-of business sale for more than a month. The East Blvd. location is just one of the hundreds of Blockbuster stores to get the ax since the chain declared bankruptcy and was bought by Dish Network for $320 million.

The Jersey Mike's location will be the restaurant's 19th location in the Charlotte region. No date for the opening has been given. According to Restaurant Traffic, Jersey Mike's will be using half of the old Blockbuster's space. No word yet on what could fill the other half.



View Larger Map

Second Metro Fitness Club to open near uptown

Myers Park-based gym Metro Fitness Club is opening its second Charlotte location, near East 4th Street and Hawthorne Lane.

The gym has been open for  1 1/2 years in its current location on Selwyn Avenue. The second location, called Metro 2, will be 6,000 square feet, the owners said. It's slated to open in April.

“We’re thrilled to now offer this premiere standard of excellence in the Elizabeth neighborhood as well as Myers Park,” said Metro Fitness co-owner Denise Abood, in a statement.

The gym will focus on individualized instruction and small group training programs. Metro Fitness has programs such as crossfit, kettlebell, yoga and Olympic lift training, as well as on-site massage services.


View Larger Map

Efirds Interiors closing, relocating Charlotte store

Efirds Interiors, an interior furnishings store on Monroe Road, is marking down items as it prepares to close its Charlotte location.

Founded in 1959, the company also has stores in Hickory and Concord. The company is still family-run, and specializes in home lighting and furniture.

Justus Efird, the company's vice president, said Efirds will open a new Charlotte location soon. He wouldn't say exactly where it will be, but said it will be located in south Charlotte.

The store has been located on Monroe Road for 22 years, and Efird said the location was no longer working. "It's not in a high retail area," he said. "We want to move to south Charlotte and get into a high retail environment."

A sale to clear out inventory is scheduled to start Wednesday, Feb. 15. The hours will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The sale will continue for 90 days, Efird said. He said the company is putting its lowest prices on items now, to clear inventory as rapidly as possible, rather than progressively marking items down as the sales goes on.

"It's a lot easier for me to sell everything than try to move it," Efird said. "The store is closing, but we're not going out of business."



View Larger Map

Einstein Bros. plans two new bagel stores

Einsten Bros. Bagels will open two new Charlotte stores in late March or early April, according to a real estate broker.

One will be in Myers Park Shopping Center, in the former Wolfman Pizza store there. The 2,500 square-foot store is in the shopping center that's being upgraded with a two-story Harris Teeter at Queens and Providence roads.

The other Einstein will go into a 3,100 square-foot store that was formerly home to Ikos Aegean Grill and Backyard Burger, on Conlan Circle, in Ballantyne.

Bryan Wyker and Malcolm McLean, of The Providence Group, represented Einstein in the transactions. Patrick McCoy of Cushman & Wakefield/Thalhimer, as well as Spencer Brown and Steve Pharr of Collett & Associates, represented the landlords.



View Larger Map


View Larger Map

Supermarkets pull toilet paper believed dangerous to tigers

Harris Teeter, Bi-Lo and Food Lion are among supermarket chains the World Wildlife Fund says have agreed to stop selling toilet paper products made from wood pulp harvested from sensitive Sumatran jungles.

The jungles are one of the last remaining habitats for wild tigers in Indonesia, of which there are only about 400 left, the WWF says.

"WWF believes that consumers should not have to choose between tigers and toilet paper," the WWF wrote. "And responsible U.S. companies should not source tissue products that are driving Sumatran tigers to local extinction."

The company in question is Asia Pulp & Paper, which provides pulp for the brands Paseo and Livi, the WWF said. The company's pulp is also used in other "away from home products" sold to places that maintain public restrooms. WWF accuses the company of destructive practices that are harming the jungle.

For more details, you can read the WWF's report here.

Charlotte woman wins Family Dollar recipe contest

Janice Elder's "Rockin' Roundup Fish Boats" have won the Charlotte woman a $500 Family Dollar gift card and tips from the host of Food Network's "Ten Dollar Dinners."

Elder entered her recipe in a Family Dollar contest to find low-cost customer recipes. The company is also donating $1,000 to the charity Feeding America.

The Matthews-based chain has been stocking more groceries and more aggressively promoting its food offerings. Family Dollar's partnership with Melissa d'Arabian, the Food Network chef, is part of that effort.

Groceries and other consumable items have been a big focus of many stores lately, as they drive customer traffic and mid-week "fill-in" visits, where shoppers grab a few items they need, such as bread and milk. Target is another chain that added to it's food offerings last year.

Consumables tend to have lower profit margins than other goods, but the hope is that by driving store traffic, including more groceries will help lift a store's bottom line. After all, a customer who stops in to grab a gallon of milk might be tempted to pick up a new desk lamp they walk by, or a toy for their kids that catches their eye.

You can see Elder's recipe, along with the secondary winners, here.

7-Eleven closes on Charlotte-area Sam's Mart stores

Slurpees and Big Gulps are closer to being a reality in Charlotte again, as 7-Eleven says they've started closing on a deal to buy local Sam's Mart stores.

The 9,000 store 7-Eleven chain is buying the 55 local Sam's Mart stores for an undisclosed price, 7-Eleven said. The deal, which brings 7-Eleven back to Charlotte 24 years after it exited the market, was announced in January.

Most of the stores are in Charlotte, but the deal includes Sam's Mart stores in Huntersville, Concord, Stallings, Matthews, Pineville, Cornelius, Kannapolis, Fort Mill, Rock Hill and Indian Trail.

The 350 people who worked for the Sam's Mart stores have been offered jobs with 7-Eleven, the company said. 7-Eleven is also looking to hire an additional 120 workers to add to the stores' staff.


All of the store conversions are expected to be completed this year, 7-Eleven says. Sam's Mart will still operate 91 stores, in the Atlanta and Charlotte markets.

Below, you can see a list of all the stores in Charlotte that will become 7-Elevens over the coming months. I apologize for the length.

Niche Market location in South End for rent

Niche Market, an apparel retailer in South End, is for rent, according to a sign in the windows.

The store couldn't be reached by phone, and the owners didn't respond to an email sent to the store's email address, so it's not clear if the store is moving or shutting down. But the red and white for rent signs in the window and in front of the store have been up for some time now.

The store, at the fork of Camden Road and South Tryon Street, was founded in 2005, according to its website. Niche carries clothes and shoes for men and women, focusing on casual and streetwear brands.


View Larger Map

Cigar bar open near uptown

Charlotte Cigar Club, a free-standing bar, club and cigar shop, is open at Morehead and South Tryon streets near uptown.

The business opened a few weeks ago. In addition to a public smoking area and a private smoking lounge, the Charlotte Cigar Club offers wine and craft beer. The club offers drink and cigar pairings, such as a Montecristo White and Samuel Smith pure lager last Wednesday for $10.

You can follow Larry Good, the "Czar of Cigar," for updates on the club and planned events on Twitter here.


View Larger Map

Super Bowl Sunday East Blvd. boutique sale

Super Bowl Sunday won't just be about football, as several popular East Blvd. boutiques are banding together to offer a sale.

The sale will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and feature store-wide markdowns of 20 to 25 percent, along with additional individual sale items. Stores participating are: Sloan, Step by Sloan, Petal, Cottage Chic, Laura James Jewelry, CORAL, Monarch Consignment and I.C. London. Wine & Design, a new shop offering "paint parties," has a $25 special football canvas deal for husbands and kids who aren't into ladies boutiques.

The idea for the sale came from Sloan Boutique and local shopping site Scoop Charlotte. For more details and to see exactly what's on sale, check out their website. 

Harris Teeter a cappella jingle

So it's Friday, and what's better than a light-hearted YouTube video on a Friday? Perhaps this a cappella jingle from Harris Teeter will help your day fly by.

The song is performed by Mike Tompkins, a YouTube a capella singing sensation who's been on the Ellen DeGeneres show and racked up millions of views for his renditions of various pop songs.

The video was uploaded a few months ago, but I didn't come across it until this blurb in Progressive Grocer this week. Harris Teeter also put out a press release with the lyrics, if you'd like to sing along. The video is embedded below.

Drive-thru grocery opening soon in Charlotte

Swiss Farms, a drive-thru grocery and convenience store, is building a store on Sardis Road in South Charlotte, and the owner plans up to a dozen more for the area.

The company is based in Pennsylvania, and this store will be the first Swiss Farms in Charlotte. In fact, except for one store in New Jersey, the Charlotte store is the first outside of Pennsylvania.


Located at 1431 Sardis Road North, near Sardis and Monroe Road, the store is being built by Choate Construction. It will be open in March. Swiss Farms will carry staples such as milk, juice, eggs, bread and butter, along with other grocery items, fresh coffee, beer, wine and prepared meals.

Owner Mike Lang said the store will stock about 800 items. That's far fewer than a store like Harris Teeter, which can carry around 40,000, but Lang said Swiss Farms concentrates on the most common items in the most common sizes. Fill-in trips for groceries or dinner on the drive home from work drive a large part of the business, Lang said.

Here's how it works. Customers pull up to one of the store's doors, where they're greeted by a clerk. "You pull up, say I need a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, a pound of bacon, whatever you need," he said. The person collects your items, bags them, brings them out to you, takes your payment, and you're done.

Transaction times average about one minute, Lang said. Customers, on average, come to the store about 2 1/2 times a week, he said.

Lang has lived in Charlotte with his wife for about seven years, and his three children attend school here. After working for years in "the corporate life," Lang, who used to own a wireless technology company, said he wanted to find a business he could run here.

With the rights to open Swiss Farms franchises in the Charlotte market, Lang said he hopes to open more stores soon, at a pace of two a year. The next location he plans will be in Lake Norman, said Lang. You can follow the new store's progress on Facebook here.



View Larger Map

Photos courtesy Doug Smith

Boyles Furniture is coming back

Longtime North Carolina furniture company Boyles Furniture is trying to make a comeback, a year after the former company finished liquidation sales.

Conover-based Hendricks Furniture Group, the former owner of Boyles, filed for bankruptcy in 2009, citing the rough economy. The 34-store chain dwindled to five, then finally closed its last location last year.

But a new company, Home Furnishings Delivered, bought the Boyles name and intellectual property in 2011, for an undisclosed sum. Brothers Chad and Alex Hendricks, sons of the former Hendricks Furniture Group owners, are behind Hickory-based Home Furnishings Delivered.

The company is planning to open a new, 45,000 square-foot store in Mooresville in mid-March. The store, which they hope to expand to 60,000 square-feet within a year, will be located in the former Burlington Mills site, being redeveloped by Michael Bay. It will be named Boyles Furniture Direct.

The Hendricks, headquartered in Hickory, hope to use the "manufacturer-direct" retail model to offer low-priced furniture without compromising quality. They say the store will be "low cost, low overhead" and draw on their "experience in big box retailers and relationships their relationships with domestic and international vendors, and their success in large-scale sales events like Boyles’ famous Metro Sales."

"We knew this was a perfect way to re-introduce the brand," said Chad Hendricks, in a statement. "Our goal is to deliver great style at great values—all the best of what people remember about the Boyles name."

The company plans to open several other divisions, both physical retailers and online.

“This is an exciting first step back into the marketplace for the brand,” said Alex Hendricks. “For decades, the Boyles name has meant stylish furniture at the lowest prices in the country. We’re looking forward to building that reputation once again.”



View Larger Map
The company's new location in Mooresville. Here's a link to their Facebook page.