Friday Five: A learn to swim company and other new businesses – Independent Tribune

There are so many new businesses popping up that its hard to keep up with. Lets look at a few this week.

A new swimming school coming. One of the more interesting new businesses is Big Blue Swim School, which is coming to the Concord Mills area and to south Charlotte.

Big Blue Swim School, one of the countrys fastest-growing franchises in the $3B learn-to-swim industry, announces plans to open two schools in the second quarter of2023.

Franchise partners Woody Alpern and Gerry Benjamin (Southeast Swim) signed leases at the following addresses:

8591 Concord Mills Blvd., Concord, NC, 28207

7625 Pineville-Matthews Rd., Charlotte, NC 28226 (Carmel Commons shopping mall)

Alpern and Benjamin are also planning a location in the Raleigh area. The Raleigh location will be located at 1041 Beaver Creek Commons Dr., Apex, 27502, in the Beaver Creek Crossing shopping center.

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These are part of Southeast Swims plans to open 36 Big Blue Swim Schools across the southeast. They currently own two schools in Pembroke Pines, Florida and Atlanta, which are currently under construction.

Big Blue Swim School will offers weekly swim lessons for families with children ages three months to 12 years old, making it easy for parents to schedule lessons for kids across multiple age groups simultaneously. In addition, the swim school selects locations that make it easy for parents and caregivers to incorporate swim lessons into their life and schedule. Each location will feature Big Blues stress-free facilities, offering warm 90-degree water, showers and changing rooms, a parent viewing area with complimentary WiFi and its fall-resistant anti-microbial carpet.

Big Blue Swim School allows me to combine my passion for water and my business acumen while also bringing positivity to the community, says Alpern, Big Blue franchise partner. Everything Big Blues team does is at the highest level from the real estate selection to the development of the parent-facing mobile app and we look forward to sharing our love of swimming with residents in Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham.

Alpern is a former CPA and entrepreneur with more than 45 years of scuba diving experience, with much of that time as a professional diving instructor. Benjamin is a lifetime franchisee with decades of experience in the industry, most notably as a material Blockbuster Video franchisee in the southeast.

Were excited to introduce Big Blue to the family-oriented communities in Charlotte and Raleigh, said Chris DeJong, Big Blues founder and president. Swim lessons are important from an early age, and they cant be taught virtually; because of this, were dedicated to offering busy families a convenient and positive experience to teach their children this important skill. In addition to the importance of swim safety, we are passionate about showing kids that they can do anything by unlocking their full potential in the water.

Where did you learn to swim? I learned to swim at the YWCA in Asheville. Im not sure the YWCA is still in business in Asheville. My kids learned to swim during the summer at KidsPlus and went to the John F. McInnis Aquatic Center. Thats the City of Concords pool.

My dad, Wiley, learned to swim in Spring Creek up in Madison County. Mom never learned to swim.

Wiley Bird (that what we called him) said they threw him in the water and it was sink or swim. Im not sure if thats a true story or not. Spring Creek is not too big so I guess if you didnt swim it wouldnt be far to swallow water.

I can swim pretty well but I am afraid of the water. I see kids around all the ponds, lakes and rivers. It scares me. I am glad were getting another option for kids to learn.

Back to the new businesses. The downtown Kannapolis redevelopment continues to go well. We went to the Cannon Ballers game Wednesday and enjoyed the game from the Atrium Health suite with our friends from Cabarrus College of Health Sciences. Kudos to Kannapolis for doing the stadium right.

The Cannon Ballers are doing things right too and it looks like it is going to a success.

Coming in and out of the stadium, I noticed two new businesses.

J. King Guitar Sales & Service is coming to the back of the Swanee Theater building. The company has been in business for since 2019 and specializes in restoration as well as repairs. The store will have new and used guitars also.

One new business is up and running. Its the The Corner Crust Pizza and Brew. I dont much about it. It looks like you can sit inside.

The Corner Crust took the spot vacated by Pizza Hut on Oak Avenue. I hope it smells as good as Pizza Hut did.

Ace Liquidation Center and Video Game World are in this building on Church Street.

Businesses in Concord. Speaking of Pizza Hut, the Cabarrus Avenue location is undergoing a renovation. It looks like the drive-thru, carryout and delivery side of the restaurant is still open.

The building permit describes the work being done: replace registers in dining room, replace fixtures, add can lights in dining room, add misc. receptacles for equip at carry out area. remove/replace existing toilet fixtures for new floor tile installation The estimated cost is $225,000.

Two new businesses are open on Church Street: Ace Liquidation Center and Video Game World. They are beside the vacant lot, which used to be Earls Tire.

Video Game World has five locations. This one appears to have just moved from Branchview to the newly renovated space on Church Street.

Aces business model is interesting: We are a one price store, we restock our bins every Friday and Saturday with over 10K new items Fri $10 - Sat $8 - Mon $6 - Tue $3 - Wed $2 - Thu $1 And Fill a bag on Thursday after 2:00 pm for only $15.

Ill be interested to check this one out. I have no clue what they have.

The Take Five Car Wash and Take Five Oil Change are making progress across from Lowes on Concord Parkway Way.

Construction on new apartments and a storage facility on Concord Parkway seem to constantly disrupt traffic with lane closures.

Construction on Concord Parkway creating yet another traffic job. I was driving back from UNC Charlotte Wednesday afternoon and ran into another traffic jam. It seems the apartment complex and storage facility being built between Rocky River and the Walmart Neighborhood Market create constant disruptions.

Road crews were digging a big hole. The best I can tell they are putting in a turn lane for the apartments. I don't know why they needed such a big hole.

On the other side of Concord Parkway, theres a sign for another Take Five Car Wash coming soon.

If you have a Friday Five, story suggestions or something I can rant about, email mplemmons@independenttribune.com or call or email 704-786-0001.

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Friday Five: A learn to swim company and other new businesses - Independent Tribune