Roundup: Blow-dry bar, burger bar, Hot Mama

A new salon concept is blowing into Carmel next week.

Owner Gianna Scappucci is set to debut do-tique, a dedicated blow-dry bar that she says is the first of its kind in central Indiana.

The $35 service is just what it sounds like: a shampoo and blow dry in a variety of styles. No cuts, no color. No nails. No waxing.

Other area salons offer blowout services, she admits, but do-tique is unique in its focus.

“It’s a chance to be pampered and have some ‘me time’ at an affordable price,” said Scappucci, 37.

Beauty and style are a passion for Scappucci, a former Miss Indiana State Fair who experimented with her hair and makeup as a teenager to distract herself from chronic illness that forced her to scale back extracurricular activities.

She also knows a thing or two about overcoming personal obstacles. Burned over 30 percent of her body in a household accident when she 11 months old, Scappucci learned how to deal with physical and emotional scars.

Now she wants to help others conquer their own insecurities.

“As long as you have confidence on the inside, you can get through anything,” she said. “I want to help other women see that.”

A graduate of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, Scappucci will keep her day job as senior manager of new business at United Way of Central Indiana.

“I took everything I’ve learned and put it into what I loved the most,” Scappucci said.

She hired an operations manager to run the business day-to-day, and an initial crew of 12 stylists will deliver the services.

The 1,800-square-foot do-tique, located in Sophia Square on Main Street just west of 1st Avenue NW, reflects her vision. Five styling chairs face a long, communal bar. Chandeliers and crystal-adorned light fixtures hang from the ceiling.

So-called “look books” and framed photographs positioned throughout the space offer suggested styles—and feature Scappucci’s friends and her mother, Judith.

A preview party is scheduled for Sunday, and the salon opens for business at 9 a.m. Monday. Celebrity stylist David Evangelista (a friend of a friend) will do blowouts on opening day.

Scappucci admits to being nervous about her debut as an entrepreneur. But she doesn’t mind the anxiety.

“My parents taught me if you’re not scared of your dreams, you’re not dreaming big enough,” she said.

In other Carmel retail news:

—Dublin, Ohio-based RE Group LLC is planning to open a burger bar/craft beer showcase at the northwest corner of Main Street and 1st Avenue NW in Carmel (a few doors east of do-tique). Its original The Pint Room opened in 2012.

—Holiday pop-up shop The Twelve Days of Mass Ave is adding to its limited run on Carmel’s Main Street (a few doors west of do-tique), opening on Thursdays in addition to the original Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule. The store offers a sampling of goodies from eight independent retailers with locations in the Indianapolis cultural district.

—Minnesota-based retailer Hot Mama is planning to open at location at Clay Terrace in March. Targeting busy moms who need clothing and accessories that fit their lifestyles, the chain already has an Indianapolis store at the Fashion Mall at Keystone.

—Jersey Mike’s Subs is planning a 1,400-square-foot restaurant in Merchants’ Pointe, on the north side of 116th Street west of Keystone Parkway in Carmel. It will join relative newcomer The Egg & I in the strip center.