The opening of Dunham’s Sports Friday tops several retail changes underway at Grand Traverse Mall, while two new restaurants are opening in the region and several other businesses are opening, closing or on the move in The Ticker’s latest look at local retail and restaurant news.

Grand Traverse Mall
Following a nearly nine-month construction project, Dunham’s Sports is set to open its new 53,000 square-foot store near Target in the Grand Traverse Mall Friday.

This weekend’s launch will be a “soft” opening for the national sporting goods retailer, with an official grand opening scheduled for October 27, according to Matthew Chudoba of ICR, the mall’s public relations firm. Dunham’s will carry name-brand sporting goods and athletic equipment, active and causal sports apparel, fishing and hunting equipment, firearms and other gear. The company is hosting a job fair at two mall locations – in front of Dunham’s and in the mall’s food court – today (Wednesday) and Thursday from 10am to 6pm and Friday from 9am to 2pm.

Mall General Manager Don Pelland previously told The Ticker the new store would be a “state-of-the-art location,” adding he expected that this year’s addition of Dunham’s and H&M to drive “increased traffic flow and sales” to Grand Traverse Mall.

Also targeting a Friday opening is a new location of Victoria’s Secret, which will host a ribbon cutting at 9:30-9:45am for its revamped space near the mall’s play area. The business is closed through Thursday this week to prepare for the move. Two other mall stores have closed their doors: Health-supply store Vitamin World has vacated its space after the national chain filed for bankruptcy, while Michigan-based fine jewelry retailer Motif Jewelers left the property earlier this fall. The company had operated in Grand Traverse Mall since 2012.

Meanwhile, a mall-adjacent eatery has also closed its doors. Casual Italian restaurant chain Fazoli’s – located in Grand Traverse Crossings across from the mall – officially went out of business October 7. The Traverse City location is one of several to be shuttered across the country this year as Fazoli’s undergoes a national branding refresh.

New Restaurants
Dining options in the region are once again expanding with the addition of two new restaurants to the local scene.

Chef Eric Nittolo – a veteran of the Boathouse Restaurant and Reflect Bistro at Cambria Suites – is targeting a mid-December opening of Nittolo’s Seafood and Social at 517 Union Street in downtown Traverse City’s Old Town district. Nittolo, who is opening the restaurant with partner Nicole Johnston, says the 38-seat dining room will focus on “dock-to-door” seafood entrees under $20.

“Our whole tagline is super premium seafood at a modest price,” Nittolo says. “We’re going after the highest quality fish in the world. We’re working with fishmongers and purveyors, so that one day’s fish might be flying in from the Honolulu Fish Market, and the next day it could come out of Boston. The menu will be ever-evolving.”

Nittolo says he will keep prices lower through portion control, offering 4-5 ounce proteins along with affordable wines, beers and cocktails. “We’re going to open with the strongest happy hour in town…it’ll be half-off food and discounted drinks,” he says. “Our whole concept is to make this a place for locals and have it be a social neighborhood spot.” Nittolo’s 38 seats will be divided between bar seating, a chef’s table, seven two-tops and a social table, allowing for a mix of reservations and walk-ins.

Out in Suttons Bay, owner Neal Kelderhouse held a grand opening celebration Saturday for Premonitions Pizza and Arcade at 100-A South Cedar Street next to the Secretary of State office. The “one-stop destination for family time” offers fresh handmade pizzas, hot and cold sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts, serving dine-in, take-out and delivery seven days a week for lunch and dinner. An on-site retro video game arcade features 16 classic stand-up games – such as Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac-Man, Joust and Centipede – and a Nintendo room. Hourly, daily and group rental rates are available for the arcade.

Other businesses on the move…
After four years in operation, Three Fires Wine is closing its tasting room at 5046 S West Bay Shore Drive at the end of the fall season. In an October 13 letter to customers, the company said it was shuttering the tasting room “to focus our efforts on online sales and distribution to fine restaurants.” The tasting room will remain open seven days a week through October 29, then Friday through Sunday the first two weekends of November before closing permanently.

Two new businesses opened their doors October 2 at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Heather Anne’s is located in the North Mercato next to B50 The Village Store, offering “rustic and repurposed furnishings” and other home décor goods. Around the corner on Grey Drive, Jennifer Cutler has relocated her Pure Pilates business from Maple Street to the Village’s Water Tower district next to S2S Sugar 2 Salt. The fitness studio offers Stott-manufactured Pilates equipment and more than 40 classes and semi-private sessions weekly.

Finally, two home interior companies are making moves in Blair Township near Chums Corner. Tim & Kathy Hyland are constructing a new 12,000 square-foot “state-of-the-art design center” at 67 US-31 South next to Culver’s to house their Bay View Flooring and Cash n Carry Flooring businesses. The Hylands plan to relocate from their existing location just down the road at 274 US-31 by the end of the year.

Tim Hyland says the expansion comes on the heels of rapid expansion over the last seven years since the couple first started out. “We did over 300 new homes last year and deal with over 200 builders now,” he says. “(The new location) will be 12,000 square feet of showroom. We’re going to get all new displays that will be departmentalized, so there will be ceramic tile in one area, carpet in another, and so on. We’re going to make it very simple and easy for customers to shop.”

Further down US-31 across M-37, custom furniture and cabinetry maker Richard Hoffstedt has located his Cherry Canyon Designs business from Spring Lake to a new Traverse City location at 4038 Dye Drive across from Blair Self Storage. The woodworker specializes in “one-of-a-kind furniture pieces,” using more than 30 years of experience to “provide distinctive handmade furniture that will be used and enjoyed for years to come.” Cherry Canyon Designs caters to both residential and commercial clients.