Kiger's Notebook

The skinny on Skin Lab

New Rochester business owner Brian Robson and his staff like to needle their customers… which is exactly why their clients go to them in the first place.

Robson opened Skin Lab Piercing & Tattoo at 1117 Seventh St. N.W., across from Northgate Health Club.

I popped into Skin Lab this afternoon and found the place to be very professional and comfortable.

No demons or naked women painted on the walls, which instead sport a conservation color scheme.

The big leather chairs at the two work stations remind me of a high-end hair salon. More of clinical feel to the place.

E, one of the artists, told me that the shop strives to be, "Mom-friendly."

Eco-focused interior designers + Roch.

Two interior designers – Briana Bahl and Melissa Wood - have put out a green shingle in Rochester with their new business - EcoInteriors.

The duo opened in June and they specialize in green and sustainable design. They see that niche as an opportunity in Rochester.

They were trained by Minnesota GreenStar, a Green building standard and certification program.

And it is interesting to note that Briana Bahl and Melissa Wood are working out of the office of Glenn Miller Interior Designer, a well-known and long-time member of the Rochester design community.

I'll have a little more on this Monday's column.

Meaty tidbits - 2 Roch. eateries cooking

With all of the chaos related to Rochesterfest and then being out of the office last week, I missed out on the opening of a couple of the eateries that are heating things up for the local carnivore crowd.

One, predictably, is Meatheads Meats and Deli in the former Taco John’s/Great Steak Escape building on the U.S. 52 frontage road just off of 41st Street Northwest.

The deli/ butcher shop spin off of a Red Wing business is open and serving.

The other one is the new Roscoe's Express in the Chateau Center, just south of Chateau Theaters at North Broadway and 37th Street in northeast Rochester. This is the space that has been empty since the TCBY yogurt place closed its doors in 2007.

I'm kind of surprised the gregarious owner of Roscoe's, Steve Ross, didn't give me a call when this spot started serving food. He must have been working on a new celebrity sandwich.

Rochester real estate on auction block

Look for 2,566  square feet of a Rochester commercial building plus a rental/residential home will hit the auction block on July 14 @ 5 p.m.

Rochester auction house Maas Cos. is handling the sale.

The primary building - a house-like commercial building is located at 411 12th Street S.E. That translates to U.S. 14 East.

Plans for WorkOut World #2 + Ex-Rainbow Foods window

After months of talk with no action, a blueprint for a WorkOut World fitness center has been posted in the front window of the long-empty, former Rainbow Foods in Rochester’s Maplewood Square shopping center.

However, a Realtor lock is still clamped on the door and the “For Lease” signs are still up.

People who have been in the Med-City for a while will remember that Rainbow Foods closed its two Rochester stores in Mayo of 2003. I'd say it is largest space that has been empty that long.

The ex-Carson Pirie Scott at Miracle Mile long held the record for top real estate white elephant for many years until HOM Furniture re-vamped it for a new store.

Lock and load - indoor gun range coming

Looking for a local spot to empty a clip into a target without worrying about the weather?

A Rochester gun shop owner is taking a shot at creating an indoor shooting range.

Gary Schoenmann, who owns American Gunsmith & Gun Shop in northeast Rochester, is building a 5,700-square-foot facility with seven shooting lanes and a retail area in the Elgin Industrial Park.

“There is a great demand for it,” he says. “We think it will be a pretty big hit.”

Construction of the new Patriot Indoor Range & Gun Shop is under way. The hope is for it to be finished between late August and early September.

Schoenmann and his wife, Kristi, are teaming up with Frank and Julene Horstman of Plainview in the new project.

“Frank brings to the table his military experience as a gun trainer, and Julene also does training, particularly in self-defense courses for women,” Schoenmann says.

The plan is to make training a big part of the Patriot range, offering classes for youth and adults with skill levels ranging from novice to advanced.

He also hopes to strike group-plan agreements with area law enforcement agencies for their officers to use the range.

Right now, Schoenmann plans on keeping his American gun shop in Rochester open even after the Patriot range fires up. However, he expects to eventually shift all of the retail to the Elgin site, though the gunsmithing will remain in Rochester.

Once all chambers are firing at the range, Schoenmann estimates about six to seven people will staff it. He expects to attract customers from an 85-mile radius, if the Patriot Indoor Range hits the bullseye he is aiming for.

A spark @ Westfire? Could it get license back?

Word on street is that talks will soon be underway to possibly stir Westfire Grille's barely glowing embers back into a blaze.

Someone interested in taking over the management of the northwest Rochester bar is talking with the owner and the city, which revoked its liquor license recently.

If a plan can be hammered out, a proposal to regain the troubled club’s liquor license could go to the Rochester City Council.

South Broadway eatery in Rochester sold for $1.44M

By the golden moons over my hammy, Rochester's Denny's restaurant at 1216 S. Broadway sold for $1.44 million at the end of March.

Lindsay Can-Am Limited sold the eatery to Southlachen LLC.

I hope to have more details on this soon.