Al Taubenberger, president of the Greater Northeast Chamber of Commerce, says several business corridors in the region have not experienced decline during the economic fallout.

For Samuel Nalbandian, owner of Rising Sun Pizza in Lawncrest, the business is a way of life and the recession is nothing to worry about.

“For me, it’s been the same,” he said of business during the past several months. “It’s always good, as long as I’m here managing. The customers are satisfied.”

Nalbandian, who opened the pizza parlor in 1982, said while he did see a slight drop in business last year that he attributed to the recession, he doesn’t worry about the shop.

“I do worry for other people not having jobs when the economy is bad,” he said. “But as long as I do the right thing, I don’t worry [about the business].”

Like some owners throughout the Northeast’s many neighborhoods and myriad business corridors, Nalbandian is a small business owner lucky enough to skirt the worst of the decline, avoiding being hit as hard as other businesses, especially larger ones. While there are not concrete statistics for our region of the city specifically, in terms of the economy’s effect on the businesses, a consensus exists among owners and civic leaders that while the Northeast’s businesses were hit, they largely weren’t hit too hard, and will pull through and stay profitable. continue reading »

Eric Doyle of Mark My Flesh tattoo shop on Frankford Avenue perfects a tattoo, which reads "Kendrell" with a heart, on Jasmine White's wrist.

Fernando Torres has more than an aesthetic reason for wanting to improve the look of his Frankford tattoo parlor.

“Cars hit the building a few times,” Torres, who also owns a women’s boutique next door to the parlor, said. “I want to get a steel structure in front to protect it.”

Torres opened Mark My Flesh, his tattoo shop, and Dream Girl’s Fashion, his boutique, about two years ago. On Jan. 21, he was one of six local business owners who participated in a Design Day program sponsored by the Frankford Community Development Corporation’s Main Street Initiative and the Community Design Collaborative. continue reading »