Retail Roundup: Starlight Bikes to move, and what happened to French Thistle?
A bicycle shop that has made downtown Roanoke its home for several years is moving to Grandin Village.
Starlight Bikes, a shop that sells and repairs bicycles and accessories, will move from its store at Second Street and Kirk Avenue to a space next to Too Many Books on Grandin Road.
“I think it is going to be huge for our business,” owner Stratton Delaney said.
Delaney said he’s always wanted his shop to be in the Grandin area, but he hadn’t found the right space until now. The new location is where Designs on Grandin, a hair salon, closed in November.
He said he believes locating the business in the neighborhood will boost sales.
“People in Grandin Village are in the mood to spend money,” he said. “They aren’t downtown for work or because they are going to court.”
To read more about the bike shop’s move, read the rest of the column here.
Also in the column, a locally-owned fabric and upholstery store, French Thistle, has moved to Charleston, S.C., and the Lakeside Kroger in Salem will see a $2 million remodel.
January 13, 2013 - 12:30 PM
Hi Amanda,
I heard a rumor via Facebook recently that the Ruby Tuesday’s location in Christiansburg was closing…have you heard anything on that? A friend’s facebook comment was the only place I’ve seen anything so far, so I’m hoping its just a rumor/confusion…
@AJ: I am happy to check on it and get back to you.
Hi Amanda,
Rumors are a flyin’! I saw that Mi Puerto on Main Street in Radford has closed because the building sold. I was told by a friend who has lived in the NRV for a long time that Mi Puerto used to be located in a building on Route 11, just across the bridge from Radford. That building is currently being renovated. Is there any way you could find out if Mi Puerto is moving to Fairlawn? I know many of my students (at RU) loved that place and I would love to give them so info on it. Thanks Amanda!
@Jessica: Thanks for letting us know about the closure. I will try to find out if it is moving elsewhere.
Yes, Mi Puerto closed on Dec 31 in Radford. The building across the bridge once housed a thai restaurant, and was the long-rumored location of a different “Troy’s” franchise, that never came to fruition. There has been a lot of work there — would be nice to see Mi Puerto back somewhere in town.
Hey Amanda,
I visited Roanoke this past weekend from Fairfax, VA, and I had breakfast at my favorite Nokian institution: Ernies on the Market. I talked with one of the servers who said Ernie’s was CLOSING FOR GOOD this week. Can you check on the circumstances? This breaks my heart.
Thanks.
Joseph Quam,
Fairfax, VA
@Joseph: I was looking into this last week but Ernie’s told me that their plans hadn’t been finalized and wanted to wait to talk with me until they were. It appears that another restaurant, Jack Brown’s Joint, is moving in the space, according to a building permit. I emailed with the owner of Jack Brown’s last week and he, too, said he wanted to wait to talk with me until everything was a go. I will call Ernie’s and Jack’s again today to see if they are ready to talk.
@Joseph: I spoke with the owner of Ernie’s and have more information. At this point they are in talks with Jack Brown’s about buying Ernie’s out if its space, but nothing has been finalized. Ernie’s owner Aimee Simmons said if talks fall through the restaurant will remain open. I am working on a story about this for the paper that will have more info.
Amanda,
Thank you so much for the really lovely article. We certainly loved working in Roanoke and miss our wonderful customers who supported us in our work. We wish all the best for small businesses in the Roanoke area and really applaud those who support local business.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Gilkeson