Comings & Goings in Kern Business

KERN BUSINESS STAFF

Kayzie's Collection, a women and children's boutique that until recently sold toys, clothes and baby products at The Marketplace, has reinvented itself as an online retailer of dolls and figurines. Kay Wilson, co-owner of the store with daughter-in-law Carol Wines, will now sell exclusively at Kayzies.com. The e-retailer features Lee Middleton Newborn Nursery Adoption Babies, which "nursing staff" deliver to the buyer's home, party or other special event via a custom PT Cruiser. The Web site also will sell Wee Forest Folk collectible figurines.

Curl Up and Dye!, a salon and boutique, opened at 1416 18th St. Owned by Claudette and Janae Hulsey, Curl Up and Dye! signed a two-year lease and has five workers, including three independent stylists renting booth space. The 900-square-foot business sells salon products, "edgy, funky" baby products, jewelry and accessories.

Jimano's Pizzeria, a Chicago-style pizza place, opened at 9510 Hageman Road. The Bakersfield franchise is the Gurnee, Ill., company's 13th restaurant. "When you bring it out, people are like, 'Ooooo, what's that?'" said James Reed, who owns the local franchise with partners Dave Rodriguez and John Contreras.

Firehouse, a local independent restaurant with a firefighter theme, opened at 7701 White Lane. Russ Johnson's menu is full of whimsical nods to firefighters, such as the turkey meltdown, blackened Atlantic salmon, drunken captain (porkchops marinated in bourbon), the 8-ounce BFD filet and the 12-ounce KCFD strip steak. The eatery includes 15 flat-screen televisions, 18 pool tables, a golf simulator and shuffle board.

Imbibe Wine & Spirits Merchant, a store and wine bar at 4140 Truxtun Ave. near Empire Drive, opened in March. It includes a room stocked with higher-end wines, hundreds of bottles priced around $15, a cruvinet that dispenses 1.5 ounce samples priced between $1 and $2.75 and 3,000 square feet of temperature-controlled storage in individual lockers. The business is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday. It's closed Sundays. Call 633-9463 or go to imbibewine.com.

The General Mills frozen dough factory on McDivitt Drive is expected be sold soon to an Itasca, Ill., company that has indicated it will retain everyone now working at the plant. The factory is among four frozen dough plants -- all of them serving the retail and food service industry -- scheduled to be sold to Pennant Foods by May 31, a spokeswoman for Minneapolis-based General Mills said.

Circuit City closed its sole Bakersfield location on California Avenue in early March. Sixty-four jobs were lost, according to state filings. A goodbye sign adorned the outside wall: "Thank U Bakersfield."

The Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A restaurant opened to crowds in early March at 5260 Stockdale Highway at California Avenue. Devoted fans formed lines up to 24 hours before the eatery's opening, hoping to win one free combo meal a week for a year. The chain is known for chicken; the classic chicken combo costs $5.69.

Patelco Credit Union plans to close its Bakersfield branch April 30, according to a sign posted outside its California Avenue location. The credit union, with assets exceeding $4 billion, reported losing more than $40 million last year. Patelco's Bakersfield branch shares space with another large credit union, The Golden 1, which plans to stay in Bakersfield and later expand.