Updates on happenings at West Park Mall

New stores, restaurant relocations and a remodel are all planned this spring inside West Park Mall. rue21, which offers some of the newest emerging fashion trends in apparel and accessories for young women and men with 16 other stores in Missouri, opened Thursday at West Park Mall. Kacies Cookies recently relocated to a new space near Center Court at the mall and next to it will be China Star, now a permanent retailer. China Star will be open in its new location later this month. Payless ShoeSource will be remodeling in April as well. Sephora inside J.C. Penney will open April 10, with a grand opening celebration featuring entertainment and giveaways April 15. The first 450 clients at the grand opening of the new store will receive a Sephora giveaway bag stuffed with samples.

* Cape company manufactures knitting machine: Erlbacher Gearhart Knitting Co. hosted its annual Crank In over the weekend attracting more than 60 people from as far away as Canada, Minnesota and Pennsylvania to see the debut of the Erlbacher Gearhart Circular Sock Knitting Machine. The new company is a divisions of Erlbacher Gear and Machineworks in Cape Girardeau. The company, owned by David "Peewee" Erlbacher, is remanufacturing the Gearhart circular sock knitting machine, that was last manufactured in 1925. Participants at the Crank In also received a tour of the Erlbacher machine shop.

n Cafe Soupe now open: Cafe Soupe, operated by PAJCO Inc., has opened in the new City Centre, formerly the Rust & Martin building in Cape Girardeau. Cafe Soupe will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. With a bistrolike atmosphere, guests dine in the European-style indoor courtyard. Its menu features a wide assortment of freshly made soups, salads and sandwiches, coffee drinks, fountain beverages, packaged beverages and fruit-infused waters. Cafe Soupe also offers a limited selection of wine and bottled beer. Also at City Centre are LeBounce and The Source Yoga 'N More. PAJCO Inc. also operates more than 30 Rhodes 101 convenience stores in Southeast Missouri.

* New allergy clinic: Allergy Solutions is now open at 1417 N. Mount Auburn Road, Suite D. Affiliated with United Allergy Laboratories, Allergy Solutions specializes in pain-free skin allergy testing. Allergens tested are molds, pollens, dust mites, grasses, trees, pet dander and weeds. The clinic offers oral in-home allergy treatment custom designed for each client. Insurance is accepted.

Southeast Missourian business reporter Melissa Miller may be contacted at 388-3646 or mmiller@semissourian.com.