Chapel Hill Training replaces Zinaz

Chapel Hill Training opened Nov. 1 in Rosemary Village at 400 W. Rosemary St., owner and personal trainer Lauren Cruz said.

Cruz said she designed her business to differ from the atmosphere of a larger gym.

“My whole thing is seeing what doesn’t work in big gyms and what my clients don’t like about big gyms,” she said
“I really just wanted to try and do a private, more personal, comfortable environment where someone can come, get a great workout, not deal with the crowds of the gym, the germs of the gym and just have a comfortable environment.”

Cruz rents from Rosina Orr, who ran the clothing store Zinaz in the space until October. Orr said she decided to move her clothing business online because walk-in traffic was sparse to the retail location.

“I’m going to rent that out and collect rent on it, have that income, and then just do online only,” said Orr, who has yet to launch the site.

Big Al’s Cheap Tires focuses on service

Michael Overstreet, manager of Big Al’s Cheap Tires at 1059 N.C. Highway 54 West, said the company’s service will set it apart.

“There’s no one really in the Triangle offering used tires with great customer service,” he said. “We’re trying to give the same kind of customer service you would get if you went to the dealership.”

In addition to selling new and used tires, Big Al’s — which opened in July — offers services like inspections, oil changes and light mechanical work.

Overstreet said used tires come from a variety of sources, including all-wheel drive vehicles on which every tire must be replaced at the same time, totaled cars and customers who like to buy tires in sets when one wears out. While Overstreet said they offer no guarantee, Big Al’s checks tires for dry rot, plugs and leaks before selling them.

“We check them very thoroughly, and we’ve really only had like one come back leaking,” he said.

Crook’s Atrium Cafe offers new menu

Customers have asked Crook’s Corner Cafe and Bar to offer lunch for years, and Crook’s Atrium Cafe at the Europa Center has answered that call, said Paul Covington, owner and chef of the sister restaurant.

Management from the Europa Center, which houses about 50 businesses, contacted Crook’s because they wanted to give people somewhere to eat, Covington said.

“There’s about 350 to 400 people in that building, so I get a good traffic through there, but I also get about 70 percent of people from outside from just knowing about Crook’s,” he said.

Covington said he developed a new menu based on Crook’s staples and uses the same ingredients to ensure quality.
“The lunch items we created with a Southern background to them,” he said. “We based it off some of our dinner items, like our samplers on our main Crook’s menu, our shrimp and grits and our side dishes.”