All up in your business for May 29, 2014

Launch Chapel Hill supports startups

This month, Launch Chapel Hill is accepting applications to its biannual 22-week accelerator program, which provides tools for entrepreneurs to help them decrease risks and accelerate the growth of their start-up businesses.  

The most recent applications opened May 2 and will close June 4. 

Participants in the program are linked to several mentors from the Kenan-Flagler Business School, the UNC Center for Entrepreneurship and the Chapel Hill business community. It offers connections to many different business resources, including contacts in marketing, accounting and legal departments. 

Dina Mills, the program manager, emphasized how important getting local support can be for businesses. 

“It can be really lonely launching a business,” she said. “We provide a place where people can come in and work together and have a support system.” 

The business’ focus is on supporting companies that can have a national or worldwide reach rather than local service oriented companies.  

Sup Dogs fulfills owner’s dream

Construction on Chapel Hill’s version of an East Carolina University favorite is almost complete. Sup Dogs is slated to open at 107 E. Franklin St. on June 9.

The restaurant has been popular in Greenville since Derek Oliverio opened it in 2008. When Oliverio died in a house fire two years ago, his family rallied to keep his dream alive. His brother, Bret Oliverio, left a successful career as a radio broadcaster to take ownership of the restaurant. 

Derek Oliverio scouted the Chapel Hill area for places to open another Sup Dogs location before he died, so Bret Oliverio decided to make that happen in his brother’s honor. 

The location of the new Sup Dogs was once home to Pepper’s Pizza, and it has since been completely renovated. 

“The process has been fun and demanding, but relatively smooth,” Oliverio said. “We basically gutted the entire building and have built it back from scratch.”

Renovations include raising the ceiling throughout the restaurant, installing a new kitchen and bar and creating a deck for outdoor eating. 

New boutique takes chance on Franklin

Sophie and Mollies, a women’s clothing and accessory store, opened a second location on May 16. 

The first store, located in Apex, came to be three years ago through the friendship of Joan Simpson and Maria Ortega. The women met through their daughters, who were close friends. Simpson was working as a manager in a boutique in Apex, and Ortega often visited her.

Simpson and Ortega bought the boutique and re-named it after Ortega’s schnauzers, Sophie and Mollie.  

Simpson said they thought about opening a new location for the business for a while with no luck until a real estate agent came into the store one day to buy dresses.

“She told us she had this great place in Chapel Hill,” she said. “We decided we weren’t going to look for a new place for a while, but we looked here and fell in love.” 

Ortega said the competition in the area surrounding their 431 W. Franklin St. location is not an issue. 

“We love the location where we are,” she said. “We love the restaurants and the stores. We are in love with the place.”