(Photo: courtesy of DIY Studio)
After a couple of setbacks, DIY Pottery Studio is hoping to open in its new location later this week.
Owner Kayla Rose MacQueen says they’ve moved from Mountain Road to a bigger space on West Main Street, “Our back end space, we’ve never had enough room. Clay needs a lot of room because you have to lay it out flat to dry for a week. We’ve never been able to just find extra space. We’ve never been able to do something like that.”
The hope was to open last week, but the building was broken into, “We did have a break in, but we are adjusting. We are getting cameras set up, and obviously the alarm system. The door had been pried and broken open. There was more taken than damage. They ended up get quite a haul. It was really all about the tools. We had thousands of dollars worth of tools stolen.”
She says this week, a shortage of Contractors slowed down the renovations, but MacQueen says they expect the work to be completed by Friday morning for their opening.
“We have had a lot of feedback from the last location from our customers and staff, and we have taken it all into account, and used that wish list for our new location,” MacQueen says.
Improvements including a bigger parking lot, and more square footage overall, “The other big thing that we really needed was a private party and events room. Whether it is a kids room or a corporate groups of kids birthday party, that’s is something we have now. Other than the parking lot, that was something on the top of our wish list,” MacQueen says.
She also hopes to have more to offer in their Cafe, along with more workshops for customers.
DIY Studio has been open for five year now. MacQueen says she still hears from customers who have never been there before.
“You can come in anytime during our open hours. Lots of options to choose from in terms of ceramics. First, you pick you piece, choose your colours and then you paint it. Once you paint it, it takes seven to ten days and the you can pick it up,” MacQueen says.
