ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A new beauty studio is set to open in Allentown’s Union Terrace neighborhood after zoning officials approved its location Monday night.
Licensed esthetician Linnette Ruiz-Perez hopes to open Eminence Luxury Beauty Studio in May. She said her new studio at 101 S. 17th St. still must be inspected and approved by the state Board of Cosmetology before it opens.
- Zoning officials approved Eminence Luxury Beauty Studio to open on South 17th Street
- Esthetician Linnette Ruiz-Perez said she is "super excited" to open her own business near where she grew up
- A newly approved awning for an Allentown cake shop will give it “credibility” and show its “professionalism,” a partner in the business said
Eminence will offer all of its services by appointment from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday each week, Ruiz-Perez said.
“When I went to school, this is what I wanted to do. I’ve worked for other people. I’m ready to branch out on my own.”Licensed esthetician Linnette Ruiz-Perez, who hopes to open Eminence Luxury Beauty Studio
Property owner Marla Melman said Ruiz-Perez has spent the past year preparing the location to become a studio.
Ruiz-Perez told the board she has been “working some extra hours” as a medical assistant while working to open her new business.
The 17th Street location “suits me perfectly,” Ruiz-Perez said, calling it “a great space” for her first entrepreneurial venture. She said she “grew up on this street” and is “super excited” to welcome customers into her beauty studio.
“When I went to school, this is what I wanted to do,” she said. “I’ve worked for other people. I’m ready to branch out on my own.”
Awning approved
The zoning board on Monday also approved an awning for Cravings by Dorcaris, an Allentown cake shop.
Victor Martinez, a partner in the business, said the awning will give the shop credibility and show its professionalism.
Some customers are confused about the shop’s location because its signage isn’t clearly visible from the street, Martinez said.
The new awning will include the business’ name, which Martinez said would let it reach new customers through Uber. The service doesn’t deliver its cakes because the cake shop doesn’t have good signage, Martinez said.
The awning also will let Cravings by Dorcaris display cakes in its windows, Martinez said. Cakes have had to be kept away from windows because the sun quickly melts icing and frosting, he said.
Martinez told zoning officials it’s been difficult to run a bake shop that can't display its cakes and does not have any signage.
The request for an awning drew objections from a neighbor of the cake shop, but officials said the objection wasn’t about zoning and approved the business’ proposal.
