Development News

Healthy Horizons nutrition club opens in Okemos

Cindy Smith, Healthy Horizons Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Getting healthy in Okemos just got a little easier – and more fun, according to Cindy Smith, partner in the new Healthy Horizons nutrition club.

“It is a place for people to gather, and to bring people together with a focus on nutrition," says Smith

Healthy Horizons opened this month on Jolly Road in Okemos. The 1,400-square foot club is owned and operated by five partners, or “coaches.” Members of the club receive a daily meal-replacement smoothie, energizing tea and a shot of aloe.

Additionally, Healthy Horizons hosts fit camps and weight loss challenges. While all of the coaches are passionate about nutrition for their own reasons, they are particularly proud of the new facility for a more personal one.

“This club is near and dear to us because one of our team members was in the process opening this club up, and they became very ill and passed,” says Smith. “So now there is a group of us who came together rand make his dream a reality and open it.”

According to Smith, the nutrition club concept began in Mexico, and has now expanded to more than 1,200 clubs across the US.

Brickhouse Grille to open in Portland, create 35 jobs

Mike Hoorman, Brickhouse Grille Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A new fine dining experience is coming to Downtown Portland with the Brickhouse Grille. The new restaurant is expected to open December 29 with a focus on steak and fresh seafood.

“Everything is going to be fresh,” says owner Mike Hoorman. “This fish will literally be swimming 24 hours before I get it. We’ll also have pasta, chicken, and will be smoking our own meats in-house.”

The 2,200 square foot restaurant is now taking shape in a former furniture store in Downtown Portland. Hoorman and his team has been hard at work since November, stripping the floors, replacing windows and installing the kitchen.

“It was a perfect opportunity here in Portland,” Hoorman says. “There’s great parking, 125-year-old brick, 100-year-old wood flooring. It was just perfect.”

The Brickhouse Grille will seat about 70 diners and will employ a staff of 35. Hoorman says the restaurant will place an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients.

Coco's Off the Rack opens on Lake Lansing, creates four jobs

Colleen Adams, Coco's Off the Rack Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Coco’s Off the Rack may have just opened in September, but Colleen Adams has been in the wedding gown business for decades.

“It started with me just really just loving fashion,” Adams says. “I started out working retail in different places, and before Lett’s went out of business I worked there. I decided it was time to branch out and do something on my own.”

That “something” became Coco’s Off the Rack on Lake Lansing Road in East Lansing. The 2,000 square foot store not only sells bridal dresses, but also prom, ready-to-wear, and offers alterations.

Though only open for a couple of months, Adams has already been busy with brides and other shoppers. The bustle has validated her decision to open in Lansing, even though she considered other options.

“Originally, I looed around at Novi because that’s were I live,” says Adams. “The more I thought about it, it seemed more reasonable to come to Lansing, because I’ve been working here since 1993.”

In addition to Adams the store currently employs one part-time employee, and Adams plans to soon hire two additional staffers. Coco’s will be hosting an open house this Saturday, along with her neighbors, Ann’s Dance Studio, Cutters’ Point and Magic BJJ Martial Arts Center.

New sushi restaurant brings healthy lunch options, four jobs to Frandor

Frank Cheng, Tamaki Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Fans of Frandor’s Xiao, rejoice. There’s now a new Asian food restaurant by the same owner in the same neighborhood, but with a new twist.

“Basically,” says Frank Cheng, owner of both Xiao and the new Tamaki Custom Sushi and Wraps, “I knew there was a need for more sushi in the area, especially in Frandor.”

According to Cheng, the format of the sushi spot will offer something brand new to the market. Tamaki uses a variety of Asian ingredients, such as Korean kimchi, to make a variety of fast, healthy and affordable dishes.

“And it is build your own sushi,” says Chengs. “That’s what’s so fun about it.”

Tamaki opened in November in a 1,500 square foot Frandor location near Panera Bread. The restaurant offers sit-down and carryout dining, and currently employs a staff of four.

Williamston seamstress opens CC Embroidery, Vinyl Designs & Gift Shop

Crystal Amon, CC Embroidery, Vinyl Designs and Gift Shop Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Several years ago, Crystal Amon came across an opportunity to work in a sewing shop, doing embroidery.

“I’ve always been artistic and creative, and always enjoyed sewing and making stuff,” she says. “So I said, ‘what the heck, let’s try it.’”

Though a knee replacement took her away from that position five years later, by that time, Amon thought it might be time to make a go of it on her own. On November 1, she brought that plan to fruition with the opening of CC Embroidery, Vinyl Designs and Gift Shop in Williamston.

“I made the investment,” says Amon. “I knew what to do and my husband supported me and said, ‘this is your dream, let’s go for it.’”

The 1,000 square foot CC Embroidery, Vinyl Designs and Gift Shop offers pre-made and made-to-order apparel, accessories, window decals, soy wax candles, baby apparel and more.

“I would say 95 percent of everything that is in the store is made here, Amon says. “I do beaded jewelry, I make little baby clothes, and the handbags are all handmade.”

Family Restaurant opens on Southside, creates 11 jobs

Dennis Jasman, Family Restaurant Wednesday, December 05, 2012

The Family Restaurant on South Cedar lives up to its name in two ways. Not only is the new business owned by three siblings, but it offers a menu comparable to any traditional American family dinner table.

“We’re probably the only ones doing this style of home-style cooking,” says part-owner Dennis Jasman. “We have meatloaf, liver and onions, and we usually have four or five types of meat on the buffet.”

For Jasman and his sisters Linda Huett and Sandra Pitchford, the restaurant business has been the family business since their mother owned restaurants in Cheboygan and Flint.

“My two sisters and me have always wanted to run a restaurant together,” says Jasman.

The 135-seat restaurant opened in August after some significant clean up and renovation of the existing building, which had been vacant for some time prior. The siblings chose the location because of its high traffic and proximity to their home on Lansing's Southside. The business, Jasman says, is about serving the public as much as it’s about business.

“We don’t’ want to get rich,” he says. “I guess basically we like meeting people. If you’re not satisfied with your meal, we’ll do what we can to make you satisfied. If you want something we don’t have and you’ve got an extra ten minutes, I’ll run down the store and get it for you.”

The Family Restaurant currently employs a staff of eleven. Jasman says the large selection of hot buffet items is the eatery’s specialty.

Seven Islands Mercantile brings antiques, three new jobs to Grand Ledge

Kathy Fitzpatrick, Seven Islands Mercantile Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Talk about quick business development. Kathy Fitzpatrick, Peg Cook, and Roxann Mills of Grand Ledge were exchanging ideas on an antiques and vintage items business, and three weeks later, they had one.

“We moved very quickly from conception to birth,” says Fitzpatrick. “We found a retail space that the right price and was right downtown.”

The North Bridge Street storefront offers a wide variety of items, including antiques, vintage items, home goods, cat toys, dog biscuits and caramel corn.

“We all like antique and vintage items, and we like repurposing stuff into better stuff,” says Fitzpatrick. “We’re not just looking at antiques, not just vintage treasures, we’re looking at all of it.”

Seven Islands Mercantile opened in November. It now has limited hours on Thursday and Friday evenings, and is open during the day on weekends. In addition to selling their own items, they carry consigned inventory as well. The store currently employs the three co-owners.

All Star Barbershop opens on Michigan Ave, adds two jobs

Anthony McLiechey, All Star Barbershop Wednesday, November 28, 2012

When Anthony McLiechey came across the opportunity to open his own barbershop on Lansing’s Eastside, it was the neighborhood itself that really sold him.

“It’s such a diverse neighborhood, there’s a little bit of everything,” says McLiechey. “I’ve lived on this side of town before, and I always liked it. There are a lot of independent businesses over here.”

McLiechey opened his All Star Barbershop on Michigan Avenue on September 1 and specializes in extending discounts to seniors, students and children under 12.

“Hopefuly it’ll be something that adds to the community,” says McLeichey of his shop. “You have a lot of businesses that just take from the community, and they don’t realy take pride in the people. I want to be someone who helps people.”

The All Star Barbershop currently employs a staff of two, with two additional stations to accommodate future growth.

Okemos and Grand Ledge home to new Player's Choice Golf shops, four new jobs

Chris Mann, Player's Choice Golf Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Looking for a new place to shop for golf equipment? How about two? Player’s Choice Golf opened its first location in Grand Ledge in April, and has now opened a second location in Okemos.

“I had been in the business for 30 years with another golf shop in town that closed in December,” says Player’s Choice Golf’s Chris Mann. “I ran into Josh Herrera at Meijer in early February, and we talked about the golf market.”

A week later, Herrera called Mann to ask him to help operate a 700 square foot golf shop and outdoor driving range on East Saginaw Hwy in Grand Ledge.

“We had a kick-off day, on April 13, and we had so many people there, there was no parking left,” says Mann. “I’ve never seen so many sales on one day.”

The successful opening certainly proved to Herrera there was local demand for their services. In addition to carrying a wide array of golfing equipment, Player’s Choice Golf specializes in club fitting and hosting demo days with manufacturers. The summer was so busy for the new shop, Herrera opened his second location at the Okemos Golf Center in late September.

The second location is larger, about 1,400 square feet in size, and also includes a driving range. Mann says the business hopes to eventually expand both locations. The new business currently employs a staff of four across the two shops.

Hibachi House offers fresh fast food, creates four jobs

Qiuyan Chen, Hibachi House Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Qiuyan Chen and her husband Mou Li aren’t new to the Asian food business, but their latest restaurant, Hibachi House, is something new for the Lansing area.

“We decided to add a totally new thing to the Lansing area,” says Chen. “We cook the food right on the hibachi grill. It’s hot and fresh.”

It’s also fast. The 3,000 square foot, Delta Township restaurant seats sit-down diners inside, but also includes a drive-thru window for diners on the go.

“A lot people who work don’t have a lot of time,” Chen says. “We can provide fast food that is a real meal during their lunch time.”

Chen adds that the Hibachi House food is also healthy, using no MSG, little oil and low-sugar fried rice.

Hibachi House opened at 4021 W. Saginaw on October 15. The restaurant currently employs four workers. Chen hopes to expand the concept into additional Lansing-area locations in the future.

Black Dog Antiques opens in Downtown Grand Ledge, creates two jobs

Shonda Bain, Black Dog Antiques Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Shonda Bain began collecting antiques years ago. The hobby grew into hosting an antiques booth in Mason, and more recently grew into something even more.

“I moved to Eagle and I saw that this spot was open,” Bain says of the Grand Ledge storefront that is now the home of her new Black Dog Antiques store, “and it just seemed like the right fit.”

Bain and her partner Shannon Forbush opened the 1,600 square foot store on August 1, and have found their location to be an ideal spot during Grand Ledge events.

“It’s next door to the parks, with the bands and festivals and the farmers market,” says Bain. “Grand Ledge has a lot of stuff going on all the time. It’s nice to always have something going on downtown.”

Black Dog Antiques offers a wide variety of antiques, from furniture to tools to kitchen items. The store employs Bain and Forbush, and also provides rental space for other antiques vendors.

Holt-based Tacos E Mas opens Delta Twp location, adds six jobs

David Delacruz Jr., Tacos E Mas Wednesday, November 14, 2012

The Delacruzes opened Tacos E Mas in Holt four years ago with authentic family recipes. Lansing area diners approved, and demand for their specialty Mexican food has led to a second location in Delta Township.

The second Tacos E Mas opened in early October on W. Thomas L Parkway, just off of West Saginaw. The 1,000 square foot location offers carry out, delivery, as well as dine-in accommodations for up to 30 diners.

The food at Tacos E Mas comes directly from General Manager David Delacruz Jr.’s grandmother’s recipes. The menu includes some unique items diners may not find at other Mexican restaurants, such as hot burros, a meat-filled tortilla covered in a spicy cheese sauce and beans.

“It’s all her recipes,” says Delacruz. “She passed away and left them to us. There are some ingredients that are a little more expensive in some things, but we stand by them, because it makes the food taste that much better.”

The new location currently employs six workers. Delacruz expects the business to eventually grow to a staff of ten. His family hopes to open a third Lansing location in the next one to three years.

Eco-friendly The Root Celler opens, to create five jobs

Kristine Gilbert-Gigante, The Root Cellar Wednesday, November 14, 2012

For Kristine Gilbert-Gigante, owning her own salon has been a lifetime pursuit.

“I’ve always wanted to be a hairdresser,” she says. “We have pictures of me when I was little with curlers and doing hair.”

Now, after 14 years of working as a professional stylist, Gilbert-Gigante has opened The Root Cellar, an eco-friendly salon on West Saginaw in Lansing.

“Our goal is to be as eco-friendly as possible,” she says. “We recycle everything we use. If I’m not going to do it, nobody is going to do it for me.”

The Root Cellar specializes in “eco aware” products, such as ammonia free hair color and gluten free hair products. The 1,000 square foot salon opened in early October and employs Gilbert-Gigante, an additional stylist and a reflexologist. Gilbert-Gigante will add two additional staff members to her team in the near future, and will also soon being offering raindrop therapy services.

Williamston home brew store opens, adds two jobs

Mary Reed, Home Brew Depot Wednesday, November 14, 2012

One day, explains Mary Reed of Williamston, her husband came home with an idea.

“Since Michigan Brewing Company went out, and we knew they did a good business with home brew supplies, and they were in Webberville and we’re right here in Williamston,” she says, it only made sense that a market still existed for a home brew supply store in their area.

“We started checking things out and we had great support from the local community here about dong it,” Reed says. “That really cinched it for us that we were going to do it.”

The result is the now open Home Brew Depot on Grand River in Downtown Williamston. The 400 square foot business sells equipment and ingredients kits for home brewing beer, as well as ingredients for making wine, liquor and soda.

The Home Brew Depot opened near the end of September and celebrated their grand opening last weekend. The store currently employs both Reed and her husband Bill Reed. The pair hopes to grow their staff over the next year.

Sign-A-Rama opens in 1,700 sq ft Okemos location

Dale Kohlsmith, Sign-A-Rama Wednesday, November 07, 2012

The economic downturn was tough on sign and graphic companies, leaving a hole in the Lansing market for a locally owned but nationally franchised sign company. After 20 years in the education and training industry Dale Kohlsmith paired that local need with his own dream to operate his own business, opening Sign-A-Rama on West Grand River in Okemos.

“All of the other stores had gone down in the area,” Kohlsmith says. “There are a lot of independent sign companies here, but not many formal franchise models. What differentiates us is that we are locally owned and operated, so we can provide the customer service of a local shop, but have the global resources of a corporation.”

The 1,700 square foot business opened in July and currently employs a staff of four. Kohlsmith plans to place a focus on utilizing vendors of American-made products, which a particular focus on Michigan-made goods.

“At least 90 percent of our products are made in the US,” says Kohlsmith. “We’re also very focused on being eco-friendly.”

As the new Sign-A-Rama continues to grow in Okemos, Kohlsmith plans to branch out into specialty markets, such as vehicle wraps.

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