by Bailey White
Staff Writer
The owners of Luna, a woman’s clothing boutique scheduled to open in Jacksonville this spring, know a good location when they see one. And they’re willing to wait for it.
“We waited for two years for the San Marco location,” said co-owner Thomas Meihls.
“Location is very important and that’s why we waited.”
Meihls and his partner, Tina Hart, opened the first Luna in Columbia, S.C. in 1996, and now have stores in Charlotte and Charleston, S.C. The Jacksonville store will be the sixth.
“It was the next logical place to go,” said Meihls. “A lot of our customers come to our other stores from Jacksonville.”
The San Marco store will open in a space formerly occupied by Roman’s Secrets and next door to the soon-to-open Karl’s Clothiers.
“Each store is a little bit different,” said Meihls, who will be putting new floors in the San Marco location, of the store’s decor. “In Jacksonville there’s a Spanish influence, with wrought iron and terra cotta.”
Luna’s clientele also varies, depending on the location.
“In Columbia, the customers are a little younger because of the college, while in some places we’ve evolved into an older clientele,” said Meihls, noting his customers range in age from 18-50. “But we’re always evolving. We bring in new lines all the time.”
He describes their merchandise, which includes BCBG, Diane von Furstenburg and Helen Wang, as “contemporary but timeless.”
Aside from the quality merchandise, Meihls says the secret to Luna’s success is the staff.
“We have to have a good staff, and we’re very particular about who we hire,” he said. “Great customer service is our top priority.”