Although some Carbondale businesses closed their doors within the last year, new ones are arriving.

Egyptian Corner and Hookah Café and Ulta Beauty are two of the newest stores to open in Carbondale.

We’re seeing a period of growth,” Les O’Dell, executive director of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce said.

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Egyptian Corner, on the corner of Wall Street and Route 13, is one of those businesses that has opened its doors.

Dean Amley, originally from Jordan and a 1987 SIU alumnus of electrical engineering, has owned the property for about 12 years but just took over the business side of things in September and reopened it as hookah cafe.

Amley said the Egyptian café is a place like no other in the area. The café serves Mediterranean cuisine and hookah.

Hookahs of various sizes, shapes and colors border the room— ranging in price from $20 to $200.

Hookah can be smoked inside the café because it is all tobacco free and is made with a dried fruit mixture called molasses.

Amley said in the Middle East hookah cafes are more common than bars, and he wants The Egyptian Corner to be a place for people to relax and socialize in a friendly atmosphere without alcohol.

Amley is the head chef of the family owned business. He said on weekends they are open until 2 a.m. and will serve food until closing. Amley also caters special events with his Mediterranean cuisine and has a lunch buffet on Fridays.

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Another business that has just opened in Carbondale is Ulta Beauty located in University Mall.

Kassi Beasley, of Marion, is the associate manager at Ulta Beauty and said the store has a lot to offer for all beauty needs.

The store sells makeup and beauty supplies, but also has a full-service salon and an esthetician.

Appointments can be made for the salon, and the esthetician has a several different treatments available including Dermalogical MicroZone targeted treatments, which treat one area of skin for 20 minutes for $20.

Ulta Beauty, originating in Chicago, has more than 700 hundred stores, and is expected to expand by 600 more within the next year or so.

“It’s nice because you get to try everything, but we also have something for everyone,” Beasley said. “Most stores either focus on the high end or the low end, but we have both.”

O’Dell said there are many businesses that have come to the area in the last several months—some have yet to open. Two businesses opening in the coming weeks are Flame, a restaurant on East Walnut in the old Spinnoni’s building, and The Vape Shop, a store selling electronic cigarettes on the Strip.

Jordan VanDeveer can be reached at

[email protected] or

618-536-3311 Ext. 268