Shopping centers in Dayton and on the east side of Carson almost full

Shopping centers in east Carson City and Dayton are filling up with tenants to match a growing population eager for amenities.

Starbucks, the urban-cum-rural coffee retailer, will open its first Dayton store by the middle of the month. A Dinner's Ready franchise will open in east Carson City this fall.

One spot is left in the Dayton Delta shopping center at the Smith's on Highway 50 East, said property manager Vicki Hone.

"We've been fortunate that it's been a successful leasing project," she said Friday.

After years of little to no commercial growth, Dayton residents can drive a short way down Highway 50 to rent a video or buy a grilled specialty sandwich.

Before Dayton Delta LLC of Minden began construction on the 6.5-acre project between Pine Cone and Retail roads, the majority of Dayton's businesses were locally owned and operated. It now has national chains such as Hollywood Video, Quiznos and Taco Bell. It includes some local or regional business, such as SlotWorld's Daytona Casino, Dayton Nail and MTM Mortgage.

The Longs Drug shopping center on Highway 50 East in Carson City will be full by September. A Dinner's Ready franchise will be operated by a Carson City family. The meal concept is similar to Dream Dinners, which opened in South Carson City about four months ago.

Customers order meals online, assemble the dishes at a franchise location, then take the meals home to cook and serve. Dinner's Ready also offers meals for pick up.

Owners Orey and Marina Crounk have invested about $250,000 to start their business. Marina Crounk said this is her family's first business.

"We got the idea by visiting the Reno Store," she said. "We tried it, and had a really great time. So I started talking to people in Carson City, and we thought it would fly here and be something that we can do as a family."

The Crounks have six children aged 24 to 2. Her 22-year-old daughter, Deborah Andreasen, is the business manager. Her 24-year-old daughter, Maura Duke, and her husband, Jason, will be the on-site managers.

Other tenants at the center: County Purr Farm Scrapbooking, Farmers Insurance, Carousel Kids children's store, El Aguila Real Mexican restaurant, Pizza Factory and Northern Nevada Bank.

• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.