Open for Business: Nana’s Play Place

Nana’s Play Place
A professional pivot for a former longtime educator led to the Feb. 6 opening of Nana’s Play Place LLC at 3550 N. Glenstone Ave., Stes. E-K. The children’s play space fills 10,000 square feet formerly occupied by Dollar General in Valley Water Mill Center and has six employees, said Cheryl Knox, who co-owns the venture with her husband, Chuck. Cheryl Knox declined to disclose startup costs or the three-year lease rate they signed with Valley Water Mill Center Inc. Knox, a 22-year educator who taught in Buffalo, Pleasant Hope and Springfield, wanted to open a space focusing on sensory and imaginative play for children. Play areas include a construction zone, a gas station and garage, and a farm. Admission is $10 Monday-Thursday and $12 Friday and Saturday for ages 2-8. The price for children under 2 years old is $5 Monday-Thursday and $6 Friday and Saturday. The first adult with a paying child gets in free and any additional adults pay $4.
Phone: 417-379-2396
Web: NanasPlayPlace.com

Cassidy Mercantile
The first phase of a commercial agritourism operation on a century farm in Christian County began last year with the Dec. 7 launch of Cassidy Mercantile. The shop at 5176 N. Fremont Road in Nixa is part of the Cassidy Station development, located on one of two farmsteads at Estes Farms, which is owned by Kyle and Hollie Estes. Store manager Sarah Hoogendoorn said the three-employee mercantile, which fills 2,600 square feet in a farmhouse on the property, sells a selection of home goods, gifts and pantry items. Products include those from Ozark-based Ozark Mountain Coffee Co. and Kansas City-based Green Bee Tea Towels, she said. While some heirlooms, such as aprons, pillows and blankets, range $30-$55, most items are priced $20 or less, she said. The development has other planned amenities this year, including a meat shop, boutique Airbnb and event spaces. Additionally, floral shop Cassidy Flower Co. LLC opened this month at Cassidy Station.
Phone: 417-581-6912
Web: CassidyStation.com/mercantile

Parmele Law Firm
Parmele Law Firm PC relocated its office Jan. 31 to 1545 E. Primrose St. Owner Dan Parmele said the firm purchased the building from attorney Jack Hoke for $937,000. At 6,519 square feet, Parmele said the building is about 60% of the size of Parmele Law Firm’s former office at 1505 E. Bradford Parkway. He added the firm plans to make minor renovations in the office. The new home is across the street from the Bradford Parkway building, Parmele said, noting he sold it to Eustasis Psychiatric and Addiction Health. He said the firm wanted to downsize, estimating two-thirds of the staff work from home. The firm has around 60 employees in Springfield. The new office holds around 20 employees and its focus areas include Social Security disability, veterans’ disability and mass tort cases, according to the company’s website. Parmele opened the firm in 2001 and has since expanded into 16 locations with roughly 110 employees between Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Phone: 417-889-2570
Web: ParmeleLawFirm.com