After two years sitting vacant, an East St. Louis market has reopened under new ownership as a full-service grocery store.
Located at 1005 N. 15th St., Neighbors’ Market has meat counter, deli and fresh produce department. Sterling Moody and businessman Charles Bussey own the store.
“It’s a total grocery store,” Moody said in March. “Just on a smaller scale.”
The black-owned grocery store is one of only a few in the country, Moody touted. The previous owners, who operated under the name Jazz Market, weren’t able to keep the market open, but Moody hopes his 40 years in the grocery business will make a difference this time.
The store will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information about Neighbors’ Market, call 618-857-8330.
After 20 years with Macy’s, this glam-mother opened her own boutique in Fairview Heights
Angela Harris wants women to worry less about their size and focus more on how they feel in a new dress or a great pair of jeans.
The former Macy’s executive doesn’t want her customers to walk away feeling frustrated after a day of shopping.
That’s why she carries clothing for women of all shapes and sizes at EdgyChic Boutique.
“We’re more than fashion,” Harris said. “Customer service and the experience is everything to us.”
Downsizing at Macy’s gave her the push she needed to open her own store in 2016. Now, she has two locations, with the newest one in Fairview Heights.
From small to plus sizes, the Fairview Heights store offers something for everyone, Harris said. The same goes for the boutique’s first location across the river in Florissant.
In both stores, Harris wants customers to feel good about themselves.
EdgyChic Boutique spends about an hour with each customer on average, Harris said, and if you’re looking for even more one-on-one time with Harris or one of her employees, the boutique offers personal stylist services.
In Fairview Heights, store manager Raishelle Johnson, who has a degree in fashion marketing and previously worked as a manager for Tommy Hilfiger, helps customers along the way.
“If you come alone, you’re not alone,” Harris said with a chuckle. “We’re like your girlfriends, if your girlfriends can’t make it.”
Fashion is fun for her. As a kid, she cut up JCPenney catalogs and drew inspiration from television shows like the 80s sitcom “Punky Brewster.”
“I love to mix patterns, I love to look different,” Harris said. “I always tell people I love to be me. I don’t believe in the rules.”
In addition to women’s clothing and accessories, Harris carries women’s cowboy boots, eyeglass frames and a children’s line often worn by her granddaughter, Kobi Ann.
The Fairview Heights location will celebrate its grand opening celebration from 2 to 6 p.m. Sept. 29.
Want to check out the store now? Located at 823 Lincoln Highway, Suite 103, the store is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 to 6 p.m Sunday.
For more information about the Fairview Heights store, call 726-2065.
A new seafood restaurant will move into the former Joe’s Crab Shack in Fairview Heights
Nearly a year after Joe’s Crab Shack closed without warning in Fairview Heights, a new seafood restaurant is expected to move in soon.
Juicy Crab, located at 51 Ludwig Drive, could open as soon as November, owner Jack Chan said. A sign in the window says the name of Chan’s new restaurant is Crazy Crab, but Chan said the name of his place will be Juicy Crab when it opens. He said the sign maker misheard him over the phone.
His restaurant will offer Cajun-style crab, calamari, fish and chips, and more.
The restaurateur is relocating from New York City to the metro-east to open Juicy Crab. Friends in the area encouraged him to come and take a look around, Chan said Tuesday.
“Back in New York, you can’t find this kind of space,” Chan said. “The space is very limited.”
Chan plans to renovate a portion of the inside, update the kitchen and add new tables and chairs to the dining room.
Juicy Crab will have seafood competition nearby. Red Lobster is a short walk away at 110 Ludwig Drive.
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