THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507070653
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
DAN LAWSON, something of a Renaissance man from Hampton, sees a rosy future for this city, and he wants to be a part of it.
Lawson - musician, artist, businessman and entrepreneur - recently opened a new business, Musicians Alley, on West Washington Street.
The store sells musical equipment - guitars, drums, amplifiers - and musical supplies. The employees also do light repairs on guitars and offer beginner and intermediate guitar lessons.
``I think Suffolk is just a growing place,'' Lawson said. ``In the next five to 10 years, the place is going to boom.''
There is a niche for the store, Lawson said, because there are so many musicians in the area.
``I'm glad I can get my foot in it before somebody else does,'' he said. ``We're going to eliminate a lot of driving for a lot of people.''
Lawson also manages Performance Tire and Rim on North Main Street and plays guitar and sings in an alternative band, Freak of Dreams. The band is getting ready to go on the road this summer, so he hired Mike Dyer of Virginia Beach as store manager of Musicians Alley.
Before opening, Lawson painted a mural on one wall of the store. Now he's busy getting in inventory.
The store is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Robert Chisom, director of the Downtown Suffolk Association, shares Lawson's optimism.
``I think the city is getting ready to go through a big growth spurt,'' Chisom said.
At the same time, he believes controlled growth is needed.
``We don't want to ruin what we have here,'' Chisom said. ``This is a really charming, rural town.''
Other recent business developments in the city include:
Construction of Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar at 1206 N. Main St.
The restaurant is part of a chain owned by Apple South in Madison, Ga.
Construction on the 5,030-square-foot building started in June, and the opening date is Sept. 7. The restaurant will have 168 seats and employ about 75 people, said Dianne Yost, media spokesperson for Apple South.
Plans for a New York-style deli and bagel shop at 116 W. Washington St., at the site of numerous former restaurants, including the Crystal.
Alan Hines, owner of Law Dogs on West Constance Road, has signed a lease for the building most recently occupied by Suffolk Station. Before opening the restaurant, Hines plans to renovate, including adding new interior decor with pictures of Suffolk in the 1940s and 1950s. He has not disclosed an opening date or the name of the restaurant.
``It will be unique,'' he said.
A new Advance Auto store at 1234 Holland Road.
The store, offering a complete line of auto parts, opened two weeks ago.
The store is the second Suffolk site for the national chain and is two and a half miles from the other at 1522 N. Main St. The demand for auto parts is great, said Gregg Nichols, manager of the new store.
The store - with 12 employees - is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Win Wok, a new Chinese restaurant on Holland Road.
The restaurant opened last month in the Holland Plaza Shopping Center. Both eat-in and take-out orders are available, said manager Tony Cheng. The restaurant offers a variety of Chinese dishes, including Hunan, Szechwan and Cantonese.
The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
Two new convenience store and fast food restaurant combinations.
A Miller Mart and Arby's opened in June on Holland Road, and a Miller Mart and Zero's submarine shop is nearing completion on North Main Street.
The Miller Marts are open 24 hours a day. Arby's is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight. MEMO: Let us know about other business developments. Call Susie Stoughton at
934-7555.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Dan Lawson recently opened Musicians Alley on West Washington
Street.
by CNB