Tanya Muzumdar

Clark Professional Pharmacy to move to Ann Arbor storefront, triple space

Patients will soon be able to see a doctor and fill their prescriptions under one roof in Ann Arbor. Clark Professional Pharmacy will be moving from its current location on Clark Road in Ypsilanti to a shared building space with the newly opened Washtenaw Urgent Care clinic at 3280 Washtenaw Avenue. Ahed Salamen, a pharmacist who co-owns the business with Nathan Worthing, expects to open on January 10, 2013. Salamen anticipates higher traffic and more exposure in the new space. "Nathan and I purchased the pharmacy in 2007, and since then have outgrown the business. We need an additional 2,000 square feet to be comfortable. This facility is three times the [size of the] current facility we're in." The 3,500 square-foot store will offer special compounding services and regular prescriptions. "It'll be similar to the CVS / Walgreen's-type model, but in addition to that you'll have a lab: 5,000 square feet of lab where you'll see medications being custom made for patients," Salamen says. The pharmacy will also carry an exclusive line of juices and high-end neutraceuticals, which are over-the-counter pharmaceutical-grade items. Clark Professional Pharmacy has two pharmacists and seven other staff. Salamen also plans to hire a nutritionist and possibly a sterile lab technician for the new location. Source: Ahed Salamen, pharmacist and co-owner, Clark Professional Pharmacy Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Vellum Restaurant to open in December, add 40 jobs in Ann Arbor

Downtown Ann Arbor is full of quick-service restaurants, but there's still room for upscale eateries, where dinner is a night in itself. That's the aim of Vellum Restaurant, named in the spirit of the printing press that formerly sat in the late-1800s building at 209 S. Main Street. "We saw Ann Arbor didn't really have an American restaurant with a very composed and stylized, a little bit more technical kind of menu," says Peter Roumanis, managing partner of Vellum. Roumanis co-owns the restaurant with his father, John Roumanis, owner of the Carlyle Grill and Mediterranno restaurants in Ann Arbor. Vellum will be open for dinner seven days a week, starting on December 10, according to Roumanis. The two-story restaurant will have seating for 135, a bar, and a small five-table lounge for waiting guests. The restaurant occupies the former pool hall area of the Full Moon Cafe. As such, everything from plumbing to a full kitchen had to be installed. The dining room will have extensive copper, brass, and wood finishes, and the original pressed tin ceiling remains. Forty new staff members, a mix of community residents, are undergoing training, Roumanis says. "[We hired] not just students, but also natives and locals, and we're really happy about that, because they really contribute to the lasting scene in Ann Arbor, not just the seasonal scene." Source: Peter Roumanis, co-owner of Vellum Restaurant Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Washtenaw Urgent Care clinic brings ER alternative to Ann Arbor

In a nod to newer routes of health care delivery, last month Livonia-based Michigan Urgent Care Centers opened its tenth location, at 3280 Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor. The 8,000-square-foot building at the corner of Huron and Washtenaw Avenues was formerly a Hollywood Video store. The clinic occupies about half of the space; a pharmacy is being built in the remaining area. Washtenaw Urgent Care is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and serves pediatric and adult patients. "Health care is moving away from the hospitals, back into the primary care and urgent care settings because the care [hospitals and emergency rooms] provide is very expensive, and it is not sustainable," says Mohammed Arsiwala, an internist and the owner of Michigan Urgent Care. The clinic has 8-12 employees on staff, including a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant on duty at all times. Source: Mohammed Arsiwala, internist and owner of Michigan Urgent Care Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Procerus Skin Care brings medical spa treatments, jobs to A2

A medical makeover awaits clients of Procerus Skin Care, a medical spa and laser treatment center that opened in Ann Arbor last July. The spa's primary focus is cosmetic laser treatment and skin rejuvenation, says Kathleen Gilmore, a family practice physician and owner of Procerus Skin Care. "That includes treatments for concerns regarding pigmentation, from sun damage particularly, also wrinkles, texture problems that stem from acne, that sort of thing. So we have microdermabrasion and intense pulsed light, which addresses pigmentation as well as texture. A lot of these treatments help stimulate collagen for tightening benefits." Procerus Skin Care has three full-time and three part-time staff located at 315 Eisenhower Parkway, Suite 8. "Some of the clientele that we have here prior to us opening were traveling as far as Birmingham to have these treatments done, but now they're able to have it done here," Gilmore says. Source: Kathleen Gilmore, family practice physician and owner of Procerus Skin Care Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Energy-efficient tech tops EMU’s new $90M Science Complex

Dexter’s downtown gets a new Coney Island and 8 jobs

The Detroit Tigers may have been ousted in the World Series, but the ballpark hotdogs served at area Coney Islands are here to stay. Dexter's Coney Island is the latest new outpost of this southeast Michigan culinary emblem. The new eatery, at 8124 Main St. in downtown Dexter, is in the space formerly occupied by Lorene's Village Cafe. Cacini plans to paint and reconfigure seating areas, adding booths. There are currently 99 seats, "plus my own," Cacini says. Dexter's Coney Island has eight employees, including three part-time staff, serving breakfast and lunch between 6:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Cacini plans to serve dinner and extend the hours until 8 p.m. starting at the end of March. Source: Jim Cacini, owner, Dexter's Coney Island Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Breaking Bread With Pop-up Chef Brad Greenhill

Pop up restaurants are becoming de rigeur for creative communities around the country and Ann Arbor is no exception. Meet Brad Greenhill, U-M engineering grad, former record label owner, web designer, blogger, and self-taught chef. Not only are his dinner events pulling in loyal crowds, his own bistro may be on the horizon.

DBTS Skin Bar offers skin care on-the-go, adds 4 jobs in downtown A2

In downtown Ann Arbor you can pull a chair up to the bar for an educational session on skin care. DBTS Skin Bar is opening on Nov. 1, with the mission of informing patrons on how to take care of their skin. DBTS Skin Bar is an offshoot of owner Nancy Young's Delicate Beauty Therapeutic Spa in Pittsfield Township, however: "We don't consider ourselves as a spa at all," Young says. "We consider ourselves a skin therapy studio because what we specialize in is specifically skin science. You're not just going to find someone lathering a bunch of stuff on your face and sending you on your way with products that you don't know how to use." While patrons can have services such as facial waxing and treatments, the studio caters to the "on-the-go" client, with no service taking more than 30 minutes. "There's a lot of walking traffic [downtown], so that's a perfect location to have this type of business model, where it's meant to have people coming in and out, taking a look at the skin care products we have and try them out, then going on their way." Young had only cosmetic work, such as painting and floor polishing, to do in the 1,000 square-foot space at 111 W. Liberty St., which formerly housed the Acme Mercantile. She also installed a four-seat bar and an esthetic chair. The original lighting fixtures have been retained. Young and four other employees, all licensed cosmetologists or estheticians, will staff the studio to begin with, although "We definitely are looking to expand our team," she says. "We're always looking for people that are motivated and passionate about the skin care industry and not just doing it just to pass time." Source: Nancy Young, owner, DBTS Skin Bar and Delicate Beauty Therapeutic Spa Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Llamasoft expands Ann Arbor headquarters, plans up to 40 new jobs

It's firms like Llamasoft that are contributing to Ann Arbor's declining jobless rate, which fell to 5% in September, according to the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. Llamasoft, a global developer of supply chain software, has added another floor to its headquarters office in the First National Bank building, at 201 S. Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. The firm is now adding the 5,800-square-foot fifth floor to its office domain. It also occupies the building's fourth floor and half of the third floor. "We've already got about half of our folks in [the new space] and will be fully migrated in before the end of the year." Llamasoft Executive Vice President Toby Brzoznowski says. The company recently announced a partnership with Nike, Inc. to co-develop supply chain software to facilitate the athletic wear firm's logistics and environmental aims. It also recently received a $6 million Series A financing round, a combination of venture capital and an investment from Nike. Llamasoft has almost 150 employees. "We have pretty aggressive growth plans. We've basically doubled in size almost each of the last two years," Brzoznowki says. "I suspect that over the next twelve months, there'll be another 30-40 additional heads that will come on board." Source: Toby Brzoznowski, Llamasoft executive vice president Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Lindsey Hall Photography adds flash to downtown Ypsilanti

Photographer Lindsey Hall finally has a place to rest her gear after years of working on location to build her business. This Friday, Nov. 2, she opens her own studio, Lindsey Hall Photography, in downtown Ypsilanti, joining other creative entrepreneurs in the area. "There are a lot of new businesses opening up [downtown] and there are a lot of existing businesses. The Rocket is a good one," Hall says. The 700 square-foot second-floor space at 133 W. Michigan Avenue contains an office, waiting area, and studio full of props. Hall specializes in wedding, maternity, family, and portrait photography, done indoors or outside. Hall is working on her own for now, but hopes to hire an assistant as business picks up. "I've had a pretty busy fall...as I get busier I will have a lot of extra work so hopefully I can partner with someone that's very artistic and like-minded and gets as excited as I do about photos." Hall will host an open house on Fri., Nov. 2 from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Guests will receive a complimentary short photo session. Source: Lindsey Hall, owner,  Lindsey Hall Photography Writer: Tanya Muzumdar