Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from across the tri-states. This edition highlights developments in Dubuque and Peosta, Iowa.
A mother-daughter duo has opened a new boutique in Dubuque.
Olive & Opal Clothing Boutique recently opened at 5025 Wolff Road in Dubuque. Owners Abby and Jan Gloeckner say the store offers cool, casual styles for shoppers of all ages, shapes and sizes.
“I’m in the last year of my 20s, and Mom is in her 60s,” Abby Gloeckner said. “Our niche really is clothing that works for mature young adults all the way up to mature women looking to stay on trend.”
Olive & Opal started as an
online-only operation last fall, but the pair decided to open a physical location after a storefront opened up next to Blush Beauty Co., a spa and makeup studio owned by Abby on Wolff Road.
A vestibule has been added between the two businesses, allowing for frequent mingling and overlap between customers at each.
Olive & Opal’s clicks-to-bricks transition also has allowed for more face-to-face engagement with customers, Jan said, and helped the business capitalize on customers’ growing desire to shop local.
“I’ve talked to women who come in and say ‘Oh, we just took a boutique day’ where they just visit all the boutiques around here,” Jan Gloeckner said. “I think that has to do with the fact that we’ve lost our department stores, so boutiques have kind of built on that loyalty instead.”
Even with the physical location, however, Abby said the shop’s online component has remained vital. She and her mom use social media to model new merchandise and keep in touch with customers, and the store’s website is kept up to date with new pieces.
They also can coordinate and advertise entire outfits from clothing sold at the boutique, Abby said, taking the guesswork out of shopping for customers who are still developing their personal styles.
“I just love seeing all the new trends and how we can make them our own,” Abby said. “Sometimes people are scared of trying something new, so we can help them with that and show them what looks best.”
Olive & Opal is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The best way to reach the store is on the Olive & Opal Clothing Boutique Facebook page or
@shop.oliveandopal on Instagram.
New physical therapy office opens in Peosta
A Dubuque-based physical therapy provider has opened a new Peosta clinic.
Dubuque Physical Therapy recently opened its new Peosta office at 7462 Thunder Valley Drive. It replaces the business’s second Dubuque location that recently closed at 1705 Delhi St.
The company this year was unable to renew the lease on the Delhi Street location, owner Jason Meyer said, so he decided to take the opportunity to expand the business’s reach to Peosta. The Dubuque Physical Therapy Office on John F. Kennedy Road remains open.
“(Peosta) is a growing community,” Meyer said. “ … We’ve been looking to get out there for quite some time, so when I had the opportunity, I took it.”
The clinic currently has one full-time physical therapist, Laura Timmerman, of Peosta, with the hopes of hiring additional providers as demand grows.
In addition to typical orthopedic work, Timmerman also is trained in industrial rehabilitation. Industrial rehabilitation refers to specialized service for workers injured on the job, which Meyer said will be useful for workers at the nearby Peosta Industrial Park.
“It’s closer to where (that population) is living and working, so it’s less time to miss work versus driving to Dyersville or Dubuque,” he said.
The office currently is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon. It can be reached at 563-217-1114 or online at dubuquephysicaltherapy.com/.
New sober social space coming to Dubuque
A new sober social space is set to open this month in Dubuque.
Natural Nectars will open within the next two weeks at 1842 Central Ave. The business will be open nights and weekends and is meant to offer a sober alternative to Dubuque’s myriad bars and breweries.
“We’re going for a very calming vibe where people can feel safe and supported,” said owner Tyler Kohl. “I’ve said it before, but this isn’t my clubhouse. This is the community’s clubhouse.”
Kohl plans to fill the menu with a variety of kava drinks and botanical teas. Kava is a powder made from a root native to the Pacific Islands. When crushed and mixed with water, it’s been shown to reduce anxiety or stress.
Kohl said that makes kava a great alternative to alcohol, as it has relaxing qualities without the intoxicating results of alcohol. It can be consumed alone mixed in water or combined with various flavors.
“It can be an acquired taste, so that’s why we can mix some flavors in there,” Kohl said. “The favorite of a lot of people is our island escape. It’s a kind of fruity, tropical drink with watermelon and pineapple.”
Natural Nectars previously operated as a pop-up at Grand Tap, a Dubuque bar run by Kohl’s father.
As demand grew, he decided to take the plunge and find a brick-and-mortar location.
He chose the Central Avenue storefront for its visibility to drive-by traffic and because of the city’s planned investment into the area under the Central Avenue Corridor Streetscape Master Plan.
In addition to the kava bar, Natural Nectars also will host a regular dart league and have a children’s area for patrons with kids. Kohl also plans to purchase the NFL Sunday Ticket, which includes access to Sunday afternoon NFL games not carried by local broadcasters.
“I’m just excited to have a place for people to have a good time,” Kohl said. “I’m just taking some aspects of (more traditional) bars and putting some of my own twists on it.”
More information about Natural Nectars can be found on its Facebook page at bit.ly/naturalnectars. That page is also the best way to contact the business, Kohl said.