Entrepreneurs transform their spaces; roller rink to retail

Entrepreneurs tend to think about things a little differently than the rest of us. So it's no surprise when these entrepreneurs start thinking about their own spaces a little differently. This Wall Street Journal piece examines a few who've done that and Leon & Lulu in Clawson is one of those entrepreneurs. They've turned their space into a roller rink. Now, that's thinking outside the box.

Excerpt:

Mary Liz Curtin and Stephen Scannell's furniture and gift shop, Leon & Lulu LLC, used to be a roller rink and Motown concert venue. They bought the place in 2005 for $750,000 and added $255,000 in renovations.

They kept the 69-year-old property's original flooring, benches, trophy cases, scoreboard and signage. On weekends and during special events, employees skate through the aisles to serve coffee and cookies to shoppers.

Last year the Clawson, Mich., company posted about $2 million in sales, a 20% increase from 2008, according to Ms. Curtin. "We get letters from people who thank us for keeping the history alive," she says.

Read the entire article here.