Business has been good for the Duluth Running Co.
So good that last weekend the business moved its store from the Plaza Shopping Center in Duluth to bigger, swankier quarters just two blocks away.
All in one night.
The store catering to runners, walkers and triathletes was open as usual Friday at 1217 E. Superior St. After closing for the day, a hustling staff moved the store to its new space at 1026 E. Superior St., where it opened for business as usual Saturday morning.
The new space overlooking Leif Erikson Park and Lake Superior is bright and inviting with gray and blue walls, lots of big windows and earth-friendly bamboo floors. After the false ceiling was removed, the piping and rafters were left exposed and painted white for a trendy industrial look.
ADVERTISEMENT
Agar calls it "industrial chic."
After five years, the running specialty store had outgrown its space, owner Clint Agar said.
"We've seen significant growth and wanted to offer our customers more," he said. "We needed to make another jump. It's the next phase of the store."
The running specialty store has found a niche with a staff of runners who can dispense advice and analyze a customer's running form and foot mechanics to find the right footwear.
After looking for a larger store site for nearly a year, Agar and his wife, Andrea, chose the 1950s brick building down the street to refurbish into their new store.
The new space is 3,800-square feet, more than twice the size of the former store. That will allow Agar to expand his product line with Nike and other offerings. It also has enough space for free indoor training sessions for triathletes. The store will have apparatus that athletes can prop their bikes on for stationary training rides on Saturday mornings.
The Agars, who are in their 20s and also own Andi's Closet, a women's boutique in Fitger's Brewery Complex, took an environmentally friendly approach to the new running store. They hired a "green" architect who used sustainable materials and recycled as much as possible, including debris from the demolition.
A large parking lot in back, off London Road, leads to a rear entrance to the store.
ADVERTISEMENT
The new store's soft opening this week will culminate in a grand opening celebration from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday. The store is open seven days a week.
