The former Hank’s Fine Furniture store at 508 N. Range Line Road is getting a major makeover in preparation for the opening of a formal wear store and a jewelry store.
The 26,000-square-foot store is being transformed into a mini-mall with the main tenant being TJ Formal, which has a store at 1609 E. 20th St.
The property is being redeveloped by Roanna Rose, owner of TJ Formal.
“We needed a lot more space, and this building has it,” she said. “It has so much space we decided to create some spaces that we could lease.”
At the entrance to the store will be two storefronts. On one side will be Lacey’s Jewelers, which will occupy 2,000 square feet. It will be operated by Kevin Lacey, of Springfield. On the other side is a vacant site with 4,500 square feet that is available for lease. In the middle will be TJ Formal. At the back of the store is an 8,000-square-foot warehouse that is available for lease.
Rose said TJ Formal started in 1991. The business took off in 1997-98, when Rose developed a Web site for Internet sales. That development required the business to have much more space for shipping and offices.
TJ Formal sells all kinds of wedding and prom gowns.
Hank’s Fine Furniture closed up shop this year. The closing came after that company invested about $650,000 in a major upgrade of the property both inside and out.
Rose said tentative plans call for TJ Formal to open the day after Thanksgiving.
New cake store
Batter Up Cakes and More opened in August at 1601 S. Madison St., which is the north end of Range Line Road in Webb City. It’s been doing very well since its opening, said co-owner Trisha Liberatore.
“We are booked to capacity for the weekends,” she said. “Ninety percent of our cakes go out on the weekend.”
So, if you want a cake for some special occasion on a weekend, you need to place your order early in the week, say before Wednesday. If you don’t, chances are you won’t get a custom-made cake in time. The shop is that busy.
The store also makes sugar cookies, recently filling a school order for 2,000. That’s a lot of sugar. It also sells turtle and raspberry brownies. It soon will have images of all of the local school mascots for school-related cakes.
Liberatore and her sister, Laura Bailey, have opened the cake shop. They learned how to bake from their mother, who has 30 years of cake-baking experience.
The shop, which features a selection of cake-decorating and cookie supplies, including cake pans, is in the former Thelma’s Flowers in the Madison Plaza shopping center. Details: 673-0404.
Latest closing
Tangled Roots Nursery and Landscaping, 1901 N. Range Line Road, is the latest business on the strip to close up shop. From the looks of things, the store’s inventory is being cleared out pretty fast, but there’s still a good chance of finding a bargain.
If you have news about something that’s happening on Range Line Road, dial 623-3480, Ext. 7250; or send an e-mail to wkennedy@joplinglobe.com; or send a fax to Wally Kennedy at 623-8598.
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<img src=" http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/images/zope/tuesday.gif" border=0> Wally Kennedy: TJ Formal to open store, lease space
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