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The former opera house on Oakland Street in Manchester. (Journal Inquirer file photo)

The former opera house on Oakland Street in Manchester. (Journal Inquirer file photo)

MANCHESTER — The iconic brick building at 35 Oakland St., which has seen many uses over the years, has two new businesses setting up shop and potentially more on the way.

Michael Licamele, president of MSL Group Inc., which owns the building and another nearby at 46 Apel Place, said the first floor was rehabilitated and leased out to Leaps and Bones, a new facility catering food for pampered pooches, and tattoo artist Alex Stairs.

Licamele said the second, third, and fourth floors are being renovated, but there are no tenants yet.

The building was built in 1888 by Bernard C. Apel and was known as Apel’s Opera House. It housed a wide variety of businesses, including a furniture store and an undertaking business, until the Central Connecticut Cooperative Farmers Association bought it in the 1970s.

The CCC operated a farmers market and general store in the building until 2016, when the group shut down all operations.

Licamele said the complex was purchased in a bankruptcy sale, and Manchester Wood Pellets operates out of the 46 Apel Place building.

Amy Kenkel and Laurie Suprenant, owners of the Leaps and Bones dog treat and food stores, said they expect to open their new dog “barkery” retail store and production facility at 35 Oakland St. in the beginning of October.

The company operates stores in South Windsor at Evergreen Walk and in Southington, where customers can order customized cakes for their dogs, as well as human-grade dog food and treats to fit a variety of dietary restrictions.

Suprenant said the company began in a storefront in Evergreen Walk, with limited space available for baking. The new location will be used as the primary production facility for their goods, to be shipped to their storefronts and wholesalers, a new venture for the company.

“This has been kind of five years in the making,” Suprenant said.

Suprenant said a machine near the front counter is used to automate parts of their biscuit decoration process, which they hope will both save time on production and act as a spectacle for customers.

When the facility is open, Suprenant said, customers will be able to get organic produce and ingredients delivered to the store from Azure Standard, who provides their flour.

“We’ve got away from making every store the same … we care about the community, and we’re not just your typical brick-and-mortar,” Suprenant said.

Alex Stairs, a tattoo artist originally based in North Carolina, will operate his Take Care Tattoo Company studio out of the 35 Oakland St. building.

Stairs said his studio is open by appointment only, which he schedules through his Instagram page. His wife and business partner, Dylann, also does cosmetic tattooing out of the studio.

Stairs, who has 16 years of experience in the industry, said he originally moved from North Carolina to Hartford about a year ago and worked at a studio in the city. He said being halfway between New York and Boston helps him accommodate his customers.

“No matter where I am in the country, I have a lot of people traveling to me to get tattoos,” Stairs said.

Stairs said when he and his wife decided to branch out on their own, a colleague suggested Manchester.

“We wanted to get out of Hartford and we took a look around the town and sort of fell in love with it,” Stairs said.

Stairs said the community welcomes artistry and shares his appreciation for antiques. He said he also loves the rich history of the building itself, which he said feels “Bohemian.”

Joseph covers East Hartford and South Windsor. He joined the JI in July 2021. Joseph graduated from the University of Connecticut and he is an avid guitarist and coffee enthusiast.

Joseph covers Manchester and Bolton. He joined the JI in July 2021. Joseph graduated from the University of Connecticut and he is an avid guitarist and coffee enthusiast.

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