Business Briefs

+ Go Fish features variety of fair-trade items
Go Fish CEO Curt Coleman never imagined himself in retail but after a life-altering mission trip to Chimbote, Peru, the pieces began to fall into place.

While on a mission trip to Peru with a friend, Coleman saw an American man haggle with a native about buying 25-cent bracelets.

“The lack of dignity and the disrespect this man showed really angered me,” Coleman says. With the last $50 in his pocket, Coleman bought 400 handmade bracelets. He brought the bracelets back to the U.S. and decided to sell them in his salon. They quickly sold out.

Since that time, Coleman has visited a multitude of countries and established friendships with artisans who make the items for his 13 retail stores in Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, New Jersey and Indiana. He opened his first store in 1987, in Pensacola, before “fair trade” was a well-known term.

Now, various fabrics and prints adorn the shelves of his newest store located at 1463 Main St., in downtown Sarasota, which opened in February. Handmade wooden sculptures of giraffes and colorful jewelry attract curious customers. Eighty percent of the store’s inventory comes from artisans in Indonesia.

Go Fish is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

+ Siesta Key Salon and Spa boasts lively personality
Chatter and laughter fills the room at Siesta Key Salon and Spa giving way to a lively environment. Salon owner Maggie Criollo once worked for Iris’s Nail and Skin Care on Siesta Key but was ready to open her own business.

“I love the people here; everyone is friendly and supportive,” Criollo said.

Criollo moved, in 1996, to Key West from Venezuela, and owned a salon and spa there. In 2004, she moved to Sarasota with her daughters.

Siesta Key Salon and Spa offers hair, nail, waxing, massage and facial services and is located at 6543 Midnight Pass Road, Suite 3. The business is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call 349-3300 to book an appointment.

+ Pecky offers unique home furnishings
Peter Estes and Patricia owned department stores in Bloomington, Ill., and Champaign, Ill., that featured clothing and home furnishings. Then, eight years ago, when the economy took a turn for the worse, the couple sold the stores.

Two years ago, the couple started their second venture, Estes Recovered Lumber, in Sarasota. But, when clientele wanted to see more options, the couple saw a need to expand. So, they opened an interior-design boutique March 5, called Pecky, at a new location, 100 Central Ave. No. 1026, in downtown Sarasota.

“We just had a good feeling and we found a great location and place to showcase furniture,” said Patricia Estes.

Pecky is named after a type of lumber recovered from a pecky cypress tree. The boutique store offers artist-design-driven home furnishings. It features many items including Verellen, a custom line out of North Carolina; Christopher Spitzmiller handmade ceramic lamps; and Jan Barboglio’s line of an iron design.

Pecky store hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Appointments may also be made.

Pecky will hold its grand opening from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 4 to welcome new clientele.