Carson Mall: Shake-up of stores good for business

The Carson Mall has lost a few businesses recently but is attracting new stores that will improve the mall as it goes through a renovation, according to mall representative Kevin Ray.

Tux Town is moving into the former Thunder Road Biker Apparel space, a crafts store could go into the recently closed Carl's Imaging Works and restaurants including Charley's Grilled Subs and L & L Hawaiian Barbecue are moving in soon. Other stores, including the pet grooming business Critter Junction, have left the mall.

The mall also hopes to have its 3,000-square-foot outdoor eating and lounge area done by the end of the year, Ray said, who called it a "Christmas present" from owner Francis Carrington, of the Eureka, Calif.-based Carrington Co. that built the Carson City's only mall 1964. This is the first renovation of the small downtown one-story mall.

Plans for the mall also include a bakery and cafe, Ray said, which will be part of the new and existing businesses that understand they have to be friendly and consistently open to attract customers.

"As long as they're successful, we're successful," he said.

The new addition of the restaurants and the outdoor area will be called the "Carson Cove," he said, and will give the city new options for dining, particularly nearby state workers.

It's not clear the reason why some of the businesses have left from the 12-acre property, he said.

Carl's Imaging Works, which specialized in printing and copying, had two stores in Reno along with its store in Carson City.

The only message left for anyone, including the Carson Mall, was a recording at one of its Reno stores that said negotiations fell through and "Carl's must immediately close for good."

Vince Gates, co-owner of the music lesson business Play Your Own Music in the Carson Mall, said the new Little Caesar's has helped his store.

The first few days the restaurant was open, he said, customers were waiting in line to get in.

"It was incredible," he said.

Monica Rosier, owner of Defined Fitness, said she is excited about the new restaurants going in at the mall, which would be "fantastic advertising" for her business that has been there a year and a half.

She said she's not sure why certain businesses closed at the mall, but she said she's doing great.

"I've never been busier," she said.

The mall announced last year a five-year $12 million expansion that would add about 20 stores, but representatives have since said it will focus on the first phase as the entire expansion is being re-evaluated.

- Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.