Tuesday, April 20, 2010

2x10 Nails Moving into 1212 S. Michigan

It looks like the high profile retail space at 1212 S. Michigan (Southwest corner of Roosevelt and Michigan), is set to get a new tenant. 2x10 Nails has received a limited business license for this location according to Everyblock. Besides this source, we were walking by the retail space this past Saturday and saw some contractors hard at work.

Although this seemed like a great place for a restaurant (given it's potential outdoor space and prominent location), it's good to see something move in. As some Sloopers remember, there was a Chicago Business article last August saying a pizza joint was moving into this space. Unfortunately this never panned out (rumor had it that one of the partners was one of Mayor Daley's nephews who had some corruption issues, but who knows).
Regardless, we will be watching with close eyes to see when this opens. If you're not familiar with 2x10 nails, it appears that they have three other locations in the city (Andersonville, Southport and Roscoe Village). However we couldn't find a website.
Has anyone ever been to one of these places? Would love to hear your thoughts.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nail parlors, pet care stores, and dry cleaners. The south loop seriously resembles a suburban strip mall.

Anonymous said...

There are nail places all over the city and NONE in the South Loop. I think it's great!

Anonymous said...

Sorry but there are already several in the South Loop. You will find them at the building at 13th and State, 1250 S. Michigan (if still open), 1928 S. State and you can go on and on.

Anonymous said...

Yeah enough with the nail salons, hair salons, and dry cleaners. I don't care to see anymore open in the South Loop.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the hair salon, dry cleaners, but can you just let us have one more nail salon. C'mon is it too much to ask for?

Santos + Martin said...

Salon Vision is great on 13th and State. We need Akira and Argo Tea to open up down here.

Molly said...

I live in the 1212 building. We're getting a nail salon and a Subway.

Anonymous said...

Why would a subway go in that spot when there is a subway steps away at 13th and Wabash? Makes no sense to me.

I'm fully in favor of an argo tea, nicer and bigger starbucks, or a caribou coffee.

Anonymous said...

Is another nail salon really going to thrive in this area? Take a look at all the hair salons south of Roosevelt, which technically serve a greater percentage of the population. I'm not sure if a single one of them can maintain consistent open hours due to a lack of customers. Until South Loopers (really Near South Siders) start supporting their local businesses instead of getting in their car and going elsewhere, even the best are still going to struggle, and the rest are going to fall flat. Take a look at Cuatro, which we found out did in fact temporarily close because of financial reasons, they are a 4 star restaurant according to Yelp, but can't get enough business to turn a profit.

And another Subway? What's with that. There are enough sandwich shops near Roosevelt. Can't we get something else quick but a different type of food? Chipotle, Five Guys, Taco Fresco... something?! I wish I could be more optimistic for the future of the South Loop, but if I was a business owner, as of right now, I definitely wouldn’t be investing my hard earned cash there unless I knew I was providing something people couldn't get elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

actually 2x10 is a bit more upscale then most nail shops, they'll have no issues!

Anonymous said...

Upscale is better in the South Loop? I tend to think the people that live here are more thrifty than the Lincoln Park Trixies who visit upscale nail salons every week to keep them in business.

Anonymous said...

I think we have all kinds of people in the South Loop. I, for one, have lived here for years and have gone to the West loop for my weekly manicure. I would love to have a more upscale place in the neighborhood. $15 manicures are not limited solely to lincoln park trixies.

Anonymous said...

Why wouldn't a nail salon work in that spot? I mean, the flower shop that was there went over very well. Oh, wait. I mean, there were many competing flower shops. Oh, wait. I mean, there are no other nail salons in the area. Oh, wait.

Anonymous said...

I give it a year before they decide this was the worst idea ever. They are in a rental buidling full of college students on a fixed budget. Good luck with that. I personally couldn't afford a mani/pedi when I was in college. These kids are already paying all this money to live/rent in the city. I could be wrong, but let's just wait and watch.

Anonymous said...

It looks like the nail salon is at the retail spot where the flower shop was and not on the corner. So hopefully something better than a subway or nail salon comes in that corner spot. It seems like there has been lots of activity there too. So hopefully we will be getting something in there soon.

Sloopy said...

Although it seems weird for a Subway to open so close to the one on Wabash, I could see why Subway would want to open there.

In the "sandwich chain wars" between Potbellys, Jimmy Johns and Subway...Subway currently has the worst location in this area. If they upgrade to the corner of Michigan and Roosevelt my guess is that their business will do much much better.

Although I would rather see a unique restaurant at this corner, at least something is moving in there.

Also a potential side benefit would be that maybe the Subway on Wabash would close and giving the potential for a new unique restaurant/bar to replace it. This is me dreaming...but it appears that Flo & Santos has provided a little shot in the arm for this block. Hopefully it continues!

Anonymous said...

I think Subway closing its current location and a unique bar/pub/restaurant going in its place would be PERFECT!

Now we just need exposure/utopia/grand opening/now open to get out and Giocco to clean the gang tagging off their front door awning and this strip could really get moving in the right direction.

Anonymous said...

Looked like this place was open today when I walked by, and I think they had a 20% off special so for the Anonymous person(s) that was excited about this place opening, I hope you go check them out.

Anonymous said...

As mentioned earlier, this place opened up on the southern end of the building... The northern corner is still available. It looks like something is being built inside, does anyone have any info?

Anonymous said...

I saw a construction type guy walk out of it this morning, but being on the bus, I couldn't stop and find out what's going on.