A women's clothing store is expected to open next month in downtown Grand Forks.
Voxxy will replace the Kittsona Creative Studio at 7 N. Third St. Owner Mary Burd said they will carry clothes with sizes 12 through 22 in an effort to reach an underserved market, given that the average woman is a size 16.
"When we started looking at the market, we just realized there's all of these women who just are not able to find clothes that they love," she said. "We just wanted to fill a market for the average woman."
Voxxy is affiliated with Kittsona, Burd said, but it will be its own entity. She said Voxxy will have a similar clothing line as Kittsona, but the store will have a "completely different feel."
"We're trying to stand out on our own while still being affiliated with them," Burd said, describing Voxxy's products as "on-trend clothing, stuff that's really stylish."
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Meanwhile, Kittsona is moving its corporate office, website operations and photography studio upstairs from where Voxxy is moving in. Co-owner Nicole Johnson said that space hasn't been occupied since the 1970s.
"The transformation that's taking place up there is absolutely phenomenal," she said.
Toasted Frog celebrates 10 years
A downtown Grand Forks restaurant is celebrating 10 years in business this month.
The Toasted Frog, located at 124 N. Third St., first opened in May 2006 in what was the Lola's location, according to Herald archives. It has since opened restaurants in Bismarck and Fargo.
"It's a tough business, but we attribute it to amazing community support in the three cities that we're in and amazing staff," said Jonathan Holth, who owns the restaurant along with Shawn Clapp and Scott Franz. "We know that North Dakotans like to support local businesses, and they've certainly done that with us."
The Toasted Frog revealed a commemorative 10th anniversary logo on social media, but Holth said they're still maintaining the traditional logo. The restaurant is also giving away orders of its cheesy fried pickles this month to customers who buy another food item.
As for any expansion plans, Holth said they're "comfortable with the three." Its newest restaurant is in downtown Fargo, which opened in December 2014.
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"We never say never, but we always had the philosophy of making sure each one of our locations is on solid footing before we consider opening another one," Holth said.
Shoe Carnival opens
The Indiana-based footwear retailer Shoe Carnival opened a 13,000 square-foot store last week in Grand Forks' Columbia Mall.
The store, located in the Sears wing of the mall across from Scott's Music, will hold a grand opening event today with cash prizes and other giveaways.
Shoe Carnival has more than 400 stores across the country, according to a financial report. That includes locations in Fargo, Bismarck and Minot.
