Supplement retailer plans store on Third

 

North Spokane fitness supply and supplement store Hardcore Supplements LLC plans to open a second location in the Peppertree Plaza, at 2 W. Third. 

Hardcore offers national-brand fitness and nutritional supplements, as well as fitness supplies including clothing.

Bruce Lester, founder and owner of Hardcore Supplements, says the company has signed a six-year lease for the new store location, which has 1,550 square feet of floor space and is located at the east end of the retail center.

 “They’re working to build out the space for us now, and we expect to open sometime in the next three to five weeks,” says Lester. 

He says Hardcore currently has four employees and likely will hire two or three more employees to help operate the new store. Its current store, located at 6417 N. Division, opened in August of 2015. 

“Our North Side location is doing really well, and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to expand,” he says. “It’s a prime location with lots of visibility, right off the freeway and close to downtown.”

Originally from Portland, Lester has been a personal trainer for 20 years, working one on one with clients on fitness goals. He’s currently a trainer with Chrome Personal Training Centre, at 206 E. North Foothills Drive. 

“I used to own my own gym, but I sold it and opened my first Hardcore store in Portland back in 2007,” says Lester. “I moved here to be closer to family, and eventually decided to move the store here too.”

—LeAnn Bjerken

 

Valley truck stop adds U-Haul fleet

 

GTX Truck Stop, a fueling station and convenience store at 18723 E. Cataldo in Spokane Valley, is a new neighborhood U-Haul dealer, the Phoenix-based moving and self-storage rental company has announced.

As a U-Haul outlet, GTX Truck Stop will offer rental trucks and towing equipment for do-it-yourself movers, U-Haul said in a press release.

The store operator couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.

Vehicle options available through GTX Truck Stop range from a pickup with an 8-foot bed for small jobs to a 26-foot moving truck, which U-Haul claims is big enough to carry household furnishings and items for a typical four-bedroom house.

The store also will offer other rental-support items, including boxes.

GTX Truck Stop is located adjacent to Brewz on Barker Bistro, near the northeast corner of Cataldo Avenue and Barker Road, about a block north of Interstate 90.

Hours of U-Haul operation at GTX Truck Stop are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. After-hours drop-off also is available.

—Mike McLean

 

Beauty salon moves to Garland building

 

Beauty and bridal boutique Kiss & Makeup has moved from 227 W. Riverside downtown into a newly remodeled space within the Garland Theater building, at 920 W. Garland.

Owner and master make-up artist Alexa Jourdan says the move provided the business with additional space and a change of scenery. 

“We have more space to work with and are now a bit closer to bridal-related businesses,” she says. “This location also encourages more walking traffic to stop in and check us out.”

Kiss & Makeup offers a wide range of beauty services, including haircuts and styling, makeup, waxing, and tanning.  In addition to Jourdan, the business currently has a staff of seven hairstylists and three makeup assistants. 

Kiss & Makeup now occupies an 1,850-square-foot salon space just to the east of the Garland Theater’s main entrance, which Amplified Wax Recording Studio formerly occupied.

 Jourdan says she worked with a local contractor to design and complete a $25,000 remodel of the space, which includes a salon, as well as a bridal suite and education space. 

“We’re hoping to offer both public classes on makeup and hairstyling, as well as providing a space for visiting cosmetologists to teach us about their products and techniques,” she says.

Jourdan started the business in December 2012, with a 400-square-foot space downtown in the Wetzel Warehouse building at 114 W Pacific. She says after two years in that space she made the decision to expand the business and move it to the 227 W. Riverside location.

“It started with just me, but bridal clients would often ask for hair referrals,” she says. “So I decided to get together with some hair stylists to develop a space for both services.”

—LeAnn Bjerken

 

Mom-daughter team starts YogaJoy North

 

Sara Douville and her mother, Cher Desautel, have started YogaJoy North, located in 2,100 square feet of space at 12501 N. Division north of Spokane in the Wandermere West Retail Center.

Their yoga studio is located in a retail strip center between Mel’s Home & Closet gift shop and a Taco Del Mar restaurant. Desautel and her husband, Jim Desautel, co-founded Desautel Hege Communications Inc., a 27-year-old public relations and marketing firm in downtown Spokane now doing business as DH. Douville joined the firm as a partner as she got older.

Neither the Desautels nor Douville now have a financial stake in DH, they say.

YogaJoy, which opened May 1, employs five instructors, four administrators, and is using four independent contractors, Douville says.

Douville says she and her mother always have had a passion for practicing yoga. They picked the Division Avenue location because there aren’t many yoga studios in that part of town, Douville says.

“We felt like we had something unique to offer, and not just because of our location,” she says.

Douville says YogaJoy caters more toward those over 50, working women, and mothers. It also has an on-site child care space for parents, Douville says.

“We’re reaching out to women in pre- and post-natal care, and we offer yoga camps for kids. There’s a misconception that you have to be fit, flexible, and in shape to practice yoga. Walking into a yoga studio can be intimidating if you’re not those things. We have found a lot of interest at the beginner level,” Douville says.

To make the yoga experience more comfortable for beginners, Douville and Desautel hired interior designer Lana Noble, owner of Spokane-based Noble House Interiors, to create a welcoming environment.

“It’s a serene and relaxing environment; it feels more like a spa,” Douville says.

—Kevin Blocker

 

Bicycle repair shop opens on Garland

 

After working in bicycle shops for several years, Spokane cycling enthusiast Nigel Calcaterra decided to start a bike business that he hasn’t seen here: one that’s dedicated exclusively to repairs.

Calcaterra and his girlfriend, Aimee McElroy, are co-owners of Simple Machine Bicycle Service at 820 W. Garland in the Garland District on Spokane’s North Side. Operating in 600 square feet of space, they opened the business in early April. 

Calcaterra says he previously had worked at Bicycle Butler, North Division Bicycle Shop, and Wheel Sport here. He and McElroy are the only employees so far.

“We wanted to get our feet into the business and then see what can happen. The typical bike shop splits business between sales and repair. We want to see what can happen with just doing repairs. I’m a bike mechanic, and it’s the part I love. So far, it’s been going great,” he says.

“There’s a lot of traffic—car, bike, and on foot—being in the heart of the Garland District between the Milk Bottle and the (Garland) theater,” he says.

Calcaterra says if business continues to stay as busy as it has since first opening, he and McElroy may explore another location to perform bike repair work.

—Kevin Blocker