Multiple retail and restaurant changes are coming to downtown’s shopping district and the Grand Traverse Mall – plus other local businesses are on the move in The Ticker’s latest look at area openings, closings and revamps.

Downtown Changes
A 32-year institution on Front Street is moving to a new downtown location.

Federico’s Design Jewelers (pictured) will close at 134 East Front Street effective February 1, reopening the same date on the ground floor of the Washington Place building at the corner of Cass and Washington streets. Owner Laurie Wildman says the jewelry store will hold a moving sale this weekend as part of the transition between locations.

“I have been looking (for a new location) for quite some time,” says Wildman. “There’s been a huge shift in retail downtown. There are so many restaurants and bars now that our clients don’t want to deal with the parking and crowds. With the rent prices, it’s really difficult.” Though Federico’s is only moving a few blocks south of Front Street, Wildman says the new space offers easier adjacent parking and will allow the store to scale back its showroom and “focus more on our customer service.”

Federico’s plans to share its new space with clothing and apparel showroom Todd & Andrew, which will be owned and operated by Andew Koons and Todd Okerstrom. The pair combined “have 65 years of experience in the luxury retail business,” according to Okerstrom, and are both licensed stylists with fashion design company the Carlisle Collection. The boutique will offer women’s clothing and handbags – including imported Moroccan lambskin bags – as well as accessories and home décor.

Todd & Andrew will open February 3 offering retail hours Wednesday-Friday from 11am-6pm and Saturday from 10am-4pm, as well as private appointments to shop the Carlisle Collection. “We’ve been talking about having some sort of showroom since relocating here from New York four years ago…and we just felt it was a nice symbiotic relationship (with Federico’s) and a nice combination of their products and our products together,” says Koons.

Pierre and Anne Pujos – owners of Pavlova Salon & Day Spa, Flea Boutique and The Exchange – are taking over the Federico’s space on Front Street, Pierre confirms. He declined to share the couple’s plans, but says a new venture will open in the building May 1. Downstairs beauty and lifestyle shop Vita will also remain open.

On East Front Street, Yiaya’s Eatery and Sweets has closed its doors at 328 East Front Street. Realtor Dan Stiebel of Coldwell Banker Schmidt says new tenants have already been secured for the space and will open by this summer, though he declined to identify the tenants or elaborate on plans for the property. Also on East Front Street, Catherine Schripsema has opened a Lularoe space at 346 East Front Street Suite 9, downstairs from The Coin Slot. The space will host open shopping times, special events and hostess pop-ups for the popular clothing line, with hours advertised on the company’s Facebook page.

In addition to $3 million in planned improvements to the Sara Hardy Downtown Farmers Market, a market advisory committee will appear before the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in February to recommend moving the market from Wednesday mornings to Wednesday evenings. Committee member Tricia Phelps says the proposal follows extensive discussions with market vendors and shoppers, as well as downtown parking staff.

“We’ve noticed there’s a drop in traffic on Wednesday and it’s not as lively as the Saturday markets,” says Phelps. “A lot of us were hearing that if people could come at the end of the work day, it’d be an easier time. We want to make it more of an exciting event…maybe have live music, have it be a place where people can grab something for dinner or have a bite or go have a picnic at the beach after work.”

The proposal would change the market hours from 8am-noon to 4pm-7pm on Wednesdays (Saturday mornings would remain the same). Drivers would be allowed to park in the market area until 3pm, at which point set-up for the evening event would begin. Phelps says the proposal has received “overwhelmingly positive feedback” from vendors, adding she believes the change will boost attendance among both vendors and shoppers. If approved by the DDA and city commission, the new evening market would kick off in the upcoming 2018 season.

Grand Traverse Mall Changes
An anchor restaurant tenant has closed its doors at the Grand Traverse Mall.

Bagger Dave’s shut down operations effective last week, confirm representatives for both the restaurant chain and the mall. According to a statement provided to The Ticker by Bagger Dave’s, Traverse City was one of five Midwest locations that closed due to “the challenges of a recession impacting the casual dining industry,” said CEO Michael Ansley.

The company has pledged to “retain as many team members as possible,” reassigning staff to its remaining 10 locations in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Any employee Bagger Dave's is not able to retain or reassign will be offered a severance package, according to the company's statement. Customers who purchased gift cards for the Traverse City location can receive a refund by contacting the business via email at info@baggerdaves.com.

Clothing retailer Express is also set to close its doors in the mall at the end of this month, confirms Matthew Chudoba of ICR, the mall’s public relations firm. Chudoba says it’s “too soon” to provide details on tenants who could fill the vacancies created by the departures of the restaurant and clothing store, but says “there is interest in these spaces” and that mall owner Rouse Properties “is in the process of speaking with some of the interested parties.”

In other business news…
Action Water Sports has finalized plans to build a new 12,000 square-foot facility on US-31 next to VanDrie Home Furnishings. The new building will replace the company’s existing location at 988 West Commerce Drive. “With year-over-year growth, additional storage, service bays, and showroom space are needed,” the company said in a statement. The new building will offer a service area complete with six additional bays, expanded showroom with additional space for boats and pro-shop accessories, and five state-of-the-art indoor storage facilities.

A new body piercing studio has opened its doors at 3501 Kirkland Court Suite F off US-31 in Williamsburg. Straight Through offers service for all ages – including infants and children – in a “clean, safe, family-friendly facility,” according to the company. Owner Christopher Hildreth has over 13 years of experience in the industry, with the company using “only high-quality internally threaded jewelry” for its piercings. Straight Through also offers a broad retail selection of jewelry for sale.