After the dust and din of construction settles along the corner of East Grand River and M.A.C. avenues, two businesses will give residents a taste of something old and something new.
B-Tan, a popular tanning salon, has moved four stores down on East Grand River Avenue to a freshly renovated building. Taking its place is a branch of Potbelly Sandwich Works, a Chicago-based sub sandwich chain known for its antique decor.
"We appreciate the patience of our customers and look forward to serving them again in our new location," said Paul Parsell, owner of B-Tan, which has been closed for renovations since June 2.
The new B-Tan location, which opened Monday, will have a more comfortable waiting area, a new air-conditioning system, commercial-free radio and 17 tanning beds — including four new units, Parsell said.
Parsell bought the building at 213 E. Grand River Ave. — the new store location, formally novelty store Blue in the Face — and completely tore down and rebuilt the interior before moving in with existing tanning equipment. Family and friends helped him with the renovation project.
"I got a lot of help from my stepfather and brother," Parsell said. "Two of my loyal customers, who are members of the MSU football team, even helped us move the tanning beds."
Parsell decided to move because he wanted to buy property where he can run his business instead of continuously paying for rent.
He will be leasing out the lower level of his one-story building to Acid Works, a tattoo studio.
While construction is almost complete at B-Tan, the remodeling of its former retail space has just begun for the Potbelly sub shop.
"Our target is to open by mid-August, depending on the weather and the construction schedule," said Lyndsey Mirmelstein, Potbelly Sandwich Works' marketing manager. "We feel that MSU is an area with a good community-feel that will give us business on all days."
Potbelly began as a small antique shop about 30 years ago. The owners decided to augment their income by offering food to customers and discovered their sandwiches were selling better than antiques, Mirmelstein said.
"Because of our history as an antique shop, we do not use plastic decor; everything is wood and glass," she said.
According to Mirmelstein, Potbelly's menu and ambiance will make it different from other sub shops along Grand River Avenue.
"One size, one price. All our sandwiches are toasted and have the same price — $3.79," she said. "We offer live music and are always looking for local bands to play in our stores."
One student looking forward to the opening of Potbelly is mathematics sophomore Christa McCulloch. She is one of seven MSU students listed under the "I wish there was a Potbelly's on Grand River" group on Facebook.com.
"I actually think it will be really popular (with MSU students)," said McCulloch, who works in a Potbelly branch in Royal Oak. "There are a couple stores in Ann Arbor that do really well. There are people that come in every day to the Royal Oak store, so we know them by name."
