Business Intel: Rootsy boutique markets area artisans (copy) | Z-no-digital
6 min readIt didn’t take Sierra Sallah long to hit on the name for the new shop that she’s brought to downtown Roanoke.
Sallah, a native of the Roanoke Valley, has always felt proud of her Southwest Virginia roots. And she knew she wanted to help showcase the talent and culture that make the region special.
“I absolutely love this area,” she said, adding she envisioned her boutique as a place that “celebrates and enjoys this area and what it has to offer and the local people here.”
“Just kind of being excited about this area,” she added. “I think we need more of that.”
Southwest Native, a mix of jewelry, accessories and clothing, was born.
The shop celebrated its grand opening in March after moving into a storefront in the Crafteria, a market that specializes in offering unique and handmade goods.
The chance to join the marketplace on Church Avenue was too good to pass up, Sallah said. Her store initially started out last year as an online shop with a line of jewelry she curated.
People are also reading…
But the idea of a storefront was already on her mind. The Crafteria offered built-in foot traffic in a growing part of downtown, as well as a chance to be alongside other entrepreneurs and creators, she said.
“The makers in here, each one of them has a different story about their pieces and it’s so interesting,” Sallah said. “I’m really enjoying it.”
The small storefront also presented her an opportunity to partner with local creators and stock their work.
She’s currently featuring handmade woodwork pieces from The Whitt Sign Co., earrings fashioned by Simply Restored and clothing from Wild Thread Co., which also has its own shop at Smith Mountain Lake.
Sallah described the boutique’s vibe as a modern, minimalist, boho aesthetic. She gravitates toward clean lines and neutral palates punctuated by statement pieces.
Offering items that are both affordable and high-quality is one of the shop’s guiding principles, Sallah added. She vets every selection, and offers a one-year guarantee on everything she sells.
Southwest Native, located at 16 W. Church Ave., is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. The online shop’s jewelry line also can be found at shopsouthwestnative.com.
Mr. Bill’s Wine Cellar changes handsFor longtime friends Philip Hatter and Jayson Anuszkiewicz, Mr. Bill’s Wine Cellar, a community staple, has been a part of countless memories — from holidays to game nights to family celebrations.
Hatter, a Roanoke native, lived just four doors away from the popular wine and beer shop when it first opened on Brambleton Road over a decade ago.
Anuszkiewicz, a Michigan transplant lured here by a job with Roanoke Fire-EMS, where he’s now a lieutenant, gravitated toward the friendly, locally owned shop as he delved into homebrewing and built up his knowledge of wine.
So when the two learned that Mr. Bill, aka Bill Phillips, was ready to retire and hoping to pass on his shop to new owners, it struck them as a natural fit.
“We knew the business,” said Hatter, adding the duo, whose families have been friends for years, wanted to continue the legacy of glad gatherings and community connection that Phillips created.
“You know, wine and beer, when people are buying those things, it’s typically for some kind of celebratory event,” he said. “We want to be a place that fosters those gatherings, whether it be a group of friends around a grill on a Tuesday night or a graduation or a wedding.”
“Our goal, really, is to help people celebrate the good life, essentially,” he said. “That’s what we’re about.”
The sale, which took effect March 2, was a homecoming for Hatter, who previously worked in coffee and for the past five years was a director with a roastery in Knoxville, Tennessee, strengthening his background in product testing and sourcing.
His family is now back in the Star City. Hatter plans to work full-time in the shop. Anuszkiewicz will be giving time to both the store and his job with the fire department. Phillips is consulting with the new team, and said in an online announcement he was excited for this new chapter for the business that he opened in 2010.
Anuszkiewicz still remembers one of his first visits to Mr. Bill’s. He asked if they ever stocked a hard-to-find beer from his home state. Phillips tracked it down and got it for him.
That type of dedication and service is something he wants to continue. “It’s a good legacy,” Anuszkiewicz said. “… We’re here for the people. We’re here for the folks who want to celebrate.”
The new owners plan to revive the shop’s weekly tastings, after a long, pandemic-imposed hiatus, with the first event booked for late April. Other gatherings, including meet-and-greets with wine and beer makers, are also in the works.
Mr. Bill’s, which occupies a storefront spanning about 1,000 square feet, offers wines from an array of growing regions and price points. Craft beers, ciders and meads also round out the shelves.
The shop, located at 2825 Brambleton Ave. in Roanoke, is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
Road Runner Express aims to open in 2023A revival is in the works for a busy car wash site that was abruptly closed by Mother Nature last year when a heavy rainstorm set off a small landslide.
Southern Classic Auto Wash, which operated on Orange Avenue for more than 25 years, has been dormant since January 2021 after a steep slope immediately next to its building suffered a partial collapse amid a saturating, daylong rain.
The slide, which unfolded overnight and caused no injuries, crushed the rear of the building and left it a total loss.
The owners, who at the time had recently sold another location in Christiansburg, explored rebuilding but ultimately decided to list the 1.5-acre property for sale.
The site is now under new ownership, and slated to become the home of a new, upscale car wash that aims to open in early 2023.
Road Runner Express, which opened its first location in Lynchburg last year, offers a range of services, including memberships, which have proven popular with customers, said general manager Daniel Cyrus.
“Our main goal, always, is customer service,” Cyrus said. “That starts with the technology put in the car wash itself and, at the end of the day, really finishes with our people. That is what’s really important to us. We want you to drive onto the lot, and be greeted with a smile.”
The high-tech facility is an automated car wash but expects to employ about 12-15 attendants to assist people.
The sale of the site, located on a high-traffic corridor at 950 Orange Ave. NE, was finalized in January for $875,000. The real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield — Thalhimer represented Road Runner Express in the deal.
Road Runner was the second purchaser of the property. The site initially sold to another group last year that went on to sell it to the new car wash.
This will be the business’s first footprint in the Roanoke market but it hopes to keep expanding in the region.
The Orange Avenue project is now navigating the permitting and site plan approval process. Its applications call for slope stabilization work, a retaining wall and a new configuration that will put the car wash closer to the road and away from the rear slope.
Once the plans get the green light, Road Runner plans to start razing the old building and moving forward with construction. Cyrus said the group hopes to open early next year.
The new car wash building is expected to span about 5,200 square feet. The site will also offer vacuuming stations with car detailing tools for those who want to spruce up both the inside and outside of their cars.