Jazz club set for Raleigh

Brothers Brian and Alex Amra spent years working for Glenwood South businesses, including Sullivan's and the Hibernian Pub. Now the duo hopes to shake up the district they consider home with a new club of their own.

The appropriately named Amra's will be a swanky jazz club, with live music every night and an atmosphere reminiscent of the 1920s.

At 106 Glenwood Ave., the club is not far from 518 West and the Warren Distributing Co. building, which will soon be razed to make room for condos and shops.

And even though the majority of Glenwood South businesses are at the other end of the street, the Amras are hoping their club will help draw patrons to their end of the street.

"We're hoping that once that [Warren] building goes in, it will kind of re-center the street and people won't feel that we're that far down," Brian Amra said.

The 3,500-square-foot bar is expected to open late this month or in early February.

A franchise called Flicko's will open its first Triangle store in Cary Jan. 16. Flicko's will transfer your old slides or home movies to new formats such as DVDs. It also offers customers a cheaper do-it-yourself option that allows them to rent a work station and transfer their memories themselves. Flicko's produces things like videos for graduations or weddings and also rents equipment. It is at 1779 NW Maynard Road, near the intersection of Maynard and James Jackson roads.

Two area consignment shops made changes over the holidays.

In Chapel Hill, The Stock Exchange is almost finished with its expansion into the neighboring space that was formerly a nail salon. The 21-year-old consignment store switched its focus about a year ago to new merchandise from boutiques around the country rather than used merchandise.

The change was so successful it required more space, said owner Meg Thomas. The addition will increase the store's size by about a third and should open within a week. Thomas said the space will house more shoes, bags, accessories and home goods.

And in Raleigh, Upscale Refindments (formerly Upscale Resale) moved from Western Boulevard to 5100 Lacy Ave., just off Millbrook Road between Old Wake Forest Road and Atlantic Avenue. The furniture consignment and interior design store is right next to Around Again consignments.

After 12 years working for his father's towing company, Warrington resident Matthew Reeves opened his own locksmith shop in downtown Wake Forest this week. Make-A-Key Locksmith is at 100 E. Roosevelt Ave.

Also in downtown Wake Forest, Everything But the Bride moved into a new store and almost tripled its space. Now at 105-107 S. White St., the store sells stationery and wedding favors. It also sells wedding packages including photography and floral services.