Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-state area. This edition highlights developments in Peosta, Iowa; Manchester, Iowa; and Fennimore, Wis.

PEOSTA, Iowa — Before each class at Next Level Dance Company in Peosta, owner Lexy Stroud-Abbott asks the students a question.

Her inquiries range anywhere from “What made you happy today?” to “What’s one thing you learned in school this week?” Stroud-Abbott said the ritual helps the kids relax and get to know the instructors and each other.

Recently, she got to ask a particularly special question.

“I got everyone together and asked them, ‘What’s your favorite part of our new facility?’” Stroud-Abbott said. “… All the kids are talking about how they feel so much more free when they dance to just really utilize all this new space.”

Next Level Dance recently opened at its new location at 257 Cox Springs Road. The 6,000-square-foot facility includes three studio spaces, a lobby and a waiting area for parents that includes one-way glass to watch their children dance.

The building is roughly three to four times larger than the studio’s previous location at 742 Peosta St., Stroud-Abbott estimated, and was built to meet increasing demand for competitive and recreational classes.

“We just kept growing and kept getting more enrollment,” she explained. “It got to the point where we really needed more space to have the kind of availability we wanted for our students and our different classes.”

The studio hosts a variety of classes for dancers ages 18 months to 18 years. It first opened in 2019 at Peosta Community Centre before later moving to its previous, leased location on Peosta Street.

Moving forward, Stroud-Abbott said she is considering how best to expand and strengthen the studio’s offerings with the extra space. She already is planning to add gymnastics classes to complement the existing tumbling program, for example.

“A big thing for us is the atmosphere we provide,” she said. “We really value both our recreational and competitive teams, and we want to be known as a first-stop shop for people looking to dance or tumble.”

More information about the studio can be found online at nextleveldancecompanypeosta.com or by emailing nextleveldancecompany.peosta@gmail.com. Registration now is open for summer and fall classes.

Doggy day care opens in Manchester

A new doggy day care and boarding facility has opened in Manchester, Iowa.

Woofy’s opened late last year at 616 Grant St. The newly constructed facility offers day care services for dogs of all ages and sizes, as well as overnight boarding, grooming services and training.

The day care also is equipped with live video cameras so owners can check in on their pets throughout the day.

“People love their dogs, and this way they can check in on them and make sure we’re taking good care of them,” said owner Christy Braden. “Plus, I think people just enjoy watching the dogs run around and play.”

Braden has been working with dogs for nearly two decades and also runs Glamour Grooms Mobile Dog Grooming. She previously did some overnight boarding out of her home before deciding to open the 22-kennel facility.

There aren’t many options for area residents to board their animals overnight while out of town or on vacation, she said, so she knew there was demand. The day care is a complement for people looking to keep their dogs entertained during working hours.

“Doggy day care is really popular in some of the bigger cities,” she said. “It hasn’t quite caught on in smaller places like Manchester, but it’s starting to. People really like picking up a happy, tired dog at the end of the day.”

Woofy’s is open for day care services 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additional information about services and reservations can be found online at woofysdaycare.com or by calling 563-927-9663.

New restaurant opens in SW Wisconsin

A new restaurant with a focus on fast-casual dining has opened in southwest Wisconsin.

Reggie’s recently opened at 645 Lincoln Ave. in Fennimore, Wis., in the former Hardee’s building. The restaurant is named for the late Reggie Reynolds, longtime owner of the nearby Cottonwood Sports Bar & Supper Club.

“Everyone in town knows that name,” said Pat Reynolds, Reggie’s wife and owner of the new restaurant. “It seemed like a nice way to make sure he was remembered in the community. … I already had one guy stop in and say he thought Reggie would be proud.”

The restaurant serves items such as burgers, pizza and other dishes for dine-in or takeout. The menu also includes cheese curds, soft-serve ice cream and a variety of alcoholic beverages.

“Our cheese curds aren’t like any other out there,” promised Tyler Reynolds, Pat’s son. “People have been banging down the door for those things.”

Tyler Reynolds said the family was prompted to open the restaurant to offer a casual, community-oriented space for area residents while also capturing interstate traffic from nearby highways.

The venture also offered a chance to build upon the family legacy, which already includes 17 years of ongoing ownership at Cottonwood.

“People know us, and they know we’re going to give them quality food,” said Tyler Reynolds, who helps manage both businesses. “If we can’t stand behind it, we don’t serve it.”

The restaurant is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, a schedule Pat Reynolds said was intentionally wide to allow for a variety of community uses throughout the day. Already, she said, a few groups have come in to play cards or simply hang out.

“Not a lot of places are open seven days a week around here, especially into the night hours,” she said. “… We’re really looking forward to all the friendships we can make and all the people we can meet here.”