Open for Business: Bailey and Beck

Bailey & Beck reopened March 1 in its original home at 1122 E. Walnut. The 2,000-square-foot retail shop, featuring home furnishings and decorating accents, had moved to 1345 E. Montclair in 2002 to try out a south-side venue with proximity to Battlefield Mall. A less-than-vibrant economy coupled with downtown's ongoing revitalization prompted the return to the address where the store began in 1995, said Alan Bailey (pictured), business manager and co-owner with Dan Beck. Inventory includes patio and garden items, gourmet food, collector lines like Giuseppe Armani and Fitz and Floyd, as well as bath and spa lines like Crabtree & Evelyn, Caswell-Massey and Thymes Ltd. Bailey wouldn't offer a forecast for 2004 revenues, but said business has dipped to about half of what the shop was doing three years ago, adding that people doing discretionary spending are buying less right now. Shop hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday.

Cassady Furniture, an independently owned furniture store, opened Jan. 26 at 1270 N. Bryan in Nixa, said Yvette Cassady, who co-owns and manages the shop with her husband, Chad. The 4,000-square-foot retail location sells unfinished furniture, chairs, kitchen tables, dining room and bedroom sets, mattresses and other home furnishings. Nixa's rapid growth and the fact it has only one other furniture store were two reasons behind selecting it for the store's locale, Cassady said. Store hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday.

Icon Nightclub opened Dec. 31 at 307 Park Central East. The 16,000-square-foot dance club employs about 45, said Paul Sundy, manager and co-owner with Michael Heslin and another silent partner in Nocipce LLC. Site location was based on the available space to handle large capacity crowds, Sundy said, adding that nearly 1,500 came on opening night and almost 2,000 were there for the Mardi Gras pub-crawl. There was about $600,000 pumped into renovations, which included adding work on bathrooms, bar, front risers, stage and walls, Sundy said. Entertainment runs from five-minute cabaret performances to a "flaming bartender show," where bartenders flip flaming bottles. Dance nights are Thursday and Saturday and on Friday night the club has a DJ spinning tunes, Sundy said. The club has a 5-year lease with Thomas & Pritchett LLP. Projected revenues for 2004 are near the $800,000 mark, Sundy said. Hours are 8 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.