Posted: Sunday, January 11, 2009 8:01 am

A bridal and formalwear boutique is planned for the former location of Ruby’s Dress Shop on the Public Square.

Karen Whitaker will open Encore Bridal and Formalwear by early February. The store will offer new and nearly new dresses for special occasions, including bridal gowns, prom dresses, first communion dresses and mother of the bride dresses.

Encore also will feature unique gifts for special occasions and several clothing lines previously carried by Ruby’s.

Whitaker is currently accepting consignment items.

“With the bad economic times, now is the perfect time to make money on that dress you wore once and is hanging in your closet and make someone else’s dreams come true,” she said.

Encore Bridal and Formalwear is located at 106 N. Church St. Ruby’s Dress Shop was located in the space for 45 years. Jimmie Cowan, the store’s owner, retired at the end of 2008.

For more information, call Encore Bridal and Formalwear at 893-7211. The store’s Web site at www.encorebridalandformalwear.com is currently under construction.

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Chicago Style Gyros is slated to open within the next two weeks in the former Krystal’s location at the corner of Broad Street and Old Fort Parkway.

General manager Joey Khan said the chain has five locations in Nashville and is opening its first Murfreesboro location because it wanted to be a part of the growing city. Also, many of the customers served in Nashville live in Murfreesboro and had requested a local restaurant.

The restaurant serves the Greek dish Chicago-style on flat bread or in a pita pocket. Gyros are typically filled with lamb or beef, tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce.

Plates come with a choice of Greek or tabbouleh salad and yellow rice.

“So far, the response in Nashville has been very good,” Khan said, adding that he is hoping for the same in Murfreesboro.

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The Book Rack, a used bookstore located in Murfreesboro for more than 40 years, has changed its name to The Book Corner, owner Rosey Smoot said.

“It is basically a name change, everything else remains the same,” she said.

The Book Rack franchise, of which the Murfreesboro store was one of the first to open, sold recently, which prompted Smoot to make the change.

The store is located at 610 W. College St., Suite 157. For most of its history, the store was located on the Public Square.

Erin Edgemon can be reached at 869-0812 and at eedgemon@murfreesboropost.com.