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Entrepreneurial spirit fills downtown stores
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| Vinod ‘Vinny’ Malhotra and Nancy Malhotra stand at the counter in Alligator Town Antique Bazaar, at 537 N. Marion St. The store sells antiques and collectibles and is set to soon carry arts and crafts. JEFF M. HARDISON/Lake City Reporter |
Last Hotel Blanche barber returns
By JEFF M. HARDISON
jhardison@lakecityreporter.com
Historic Downtown Lake City is not only a Mecca for shoppers, but for entrepreneurs.
Merchants fill vacant spaces — but more store space is available.
One returning tradesman recently returned after leaving downtown in the summer before the turn of the century.
Now located a tad off the beaten path, the Blanche Barber Shop is at 161 NW Madison St. It opened a couple of weeks ago.
William Larson, a longtime downtown barber, is the youngest of the barbers who once worked at the Hotel Blanche Barber Shop. Larson is the man who was last out, when it closed in July of 1999, after the shop had been in operation for 75 years.
Business has been brisk, Larson said,
with about 60 haircuts completed in his first 13 days. His shop is open from 7 a.m. to
5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
More than a half dozen other new businesses have also recently made downtown their home.
Among those is Sassy’s. This store is now at 174 N. Marion St., where it moved after being in the western business district of Lake City.
On the north end of the Marion Street’s downtown business area is Alligator Town Antique Bazaar. There is space for 20 booths in the 2,800-square-foot building at 537 N. Marion St.
Each vendor offers different goods. David Freeman has items from Belgium. Throughout the store are antiques and collectibles.
Owned by Vinod “Vinny” Malhotra and his wife Nancy, the store is scheduled to soon include arts and crafts. The couple takes items on consignment for sale, including arts and crafts, she said. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and is closed Sunday.
Malhotra owns the two vacant stores connected to the Alligator Town Antique Bazaar, as well. Attempts have been made to open the northernmost shop as a restaurant for about a year now, he said.
A colorful new shop is on the north end of Marion Street: Fashion 101 is at 318 N. Marion St.
Anthony Gonzales owns the store, which he plans to expand to other stores with franchises.
“Fashion 101 — it all started in Lake City,” Gonzales said. “This is the best move I have ever made.”
The store is open from noon to 7 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday. Name brand, fashionable, “urban wear” apparel is sold at prices below the price one expects for this sort of clothing, he said.
“We have 20 percent off new releases,” he said. “Every company releases something new every 20 to 30 days, and we have it at 20 percent less.”
Other businesses are making their homes in established structures too.
In the front part of Keaton’s Locksmiths, 327 N. Marion St., two new stores have opened.
Your Heart’s Desire is owned by Philip Melzer. This is a store with gifts and seasonal home decor.
“It’s the place to come for Thanksgiving, fall and Christmas decor,” Melzer said.
The other store is Caring Hearts Uniforms. Owned by Jeffrey Harden, the store sells uniforms. Services at the shop include embroidery, heat press and direct garment printing.
There are new service-oriented businesses as well. Cindy’s Facials, at 275 N. Marion, is owned by Cindy Duke.
Next door, at A Company of Angels, are two other relatively new companies. Ann’s Oils and Crafts, which sells jewelry, beads, soaps, gels, oils and more is owned by Ann Arey. Heather’s Herbs, which has herbs, is owned by Heather Lanham.
From the barber who is the last of the Hotel Blanche hair-cutting crew to Sassy’s near the southern end of Marion Street and going north to the new antique store, just south of Railroad Street, new business ventures offer patrons many shopping opportunities.
Jackie Kite, Lake City downtown development manager, said the historic area continues to be a vibrant part of the business community. Downtown continues to evolve, she said.
Merchants fill vacant spaces — but more store space is available.
One returning tradesman recently returned after leaving downtown in the summer before the turn of the century.
Now located a tad off the beaten path, the Blanche Barber Shop is at 161 NW Madison St. It opened a couple of weeks ago.
William Larson, a longtime downtown barber, is the youngest of the barbers who once worked at the Hotel Blanche Barber Shop. Larson is the man who was last out, when it closed in July of 1999, after the shop had been in operation for 75 years.
Business has been brisk, Larson said,
with about 60 haircuts completed in his first 13 days. His shop is open from 7 a.m. to
5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
More than a half dozen other new businesses have also recently made downtown their home.
Among those is Sassy’s. This store is now at 174 N. Marion St., where it moved after being in the western business district of Lake City.
On the north end of the Marion Street’s downtown business area is Alligator Town Antique Bazaar. There is space for 20 booths in the 2,800-square-foot building at 537 N. Marion St.
Each vendor offers different goods. David Freeman has items from Belgium. Throughout the store are antiques and collectibles.
Owned by Vinod “Vinny” Malhotra and his wife Nancy, the store is scheduled to soon include arts and crafts. The couple takes items on consignment for sale, including arts and crafts, she said. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and is closed Sunday.
Malhotra owns the two vacant stores connected to the Alligator Town Antique Bazaar, as well. Attempts have been made to open the northernmost shop as a restaurant for about a year now, he said.
A colorful new shop is on the north end of Marion Street: Fashion 101 is at 318 N. Marion St.
Anthony Gonzales owns the store, which he plans to expand to other stores with franchises.
“Fashion 101 — it all started in Lake City,” Gonzales said. “This is the best move I have ever made.”
The store is open from noon to 7 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday. Name brand, fashionable, “urban wear” apparel is sold at prices below the price one expects for this sort of clothing, he said.
“We have 20 percent off new releases,” he said. “Every company releases something new every 20 to 30 days, and we have it at 20 percent less.”
Other businesses are making their homes in established structures too.
In the front part of Keaton’s Locksmiths, 327 N. Marion St., two new stores have opened.
Your Heart’s Desire is owned by Philip Melzer. This is a store with gifts and seasonal home decor.
“It’s the place to come for Thanksgiving, fall and Christmas decor,” Melzer said.
The other store is Caring Hearts Uniforms. Owned by Jeffrey Harden, the store sells uniforms. Services at the shop include embroidery, heat press and direct garment printing.
There are new service-oriented businesses as well. Cindy’s Facials, at 275 N. Marion, is owned by Cindy Duke.
Next door, at A Company of Angels, are two other relatively new companies. Ann’s Oils and Crafts, which sells jewelry, beads, soaps, gels, oils and more is owned by Ann Arey. Heather’s Herbs, which has herbs, is owned by Heather Lanham.
From the barber who is the last of the Hotel Blanche hair-cutting crew to Sassy’s near the southern end of Marion Street and going north to the new antique store, just south of Railroad Street, new business ventures offer patrons many shopping opportunities.
Jackie Kite, Lake City downtown development manager, said the historic area continues to be a vibrant part of the business community. Downtown continues to evolve, she said.
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| Skinner adjourns his final county commission meeting | Hill sworn in as councilman |
Holy Smoke Batman wrote on Nov 6, 2008 9:13 AM: