Ray Steele, his wife, Lauren, and their son Ace get creative at the Selfie WRLD the family opened at Town Center mall. Photo provided
By Christine Davis
Pop-up selfie studios have gained popularity, and two of them have cropped up in south Palm Beach County. The venues give visitors opportunities to snap the perfect selfies with cameras, props and lighting.
The Studio at 411 E. Atlantic Ave., 200E, Delray Beach, opened about a year ago and is owned by Colleen Guglielmo, who enjoys photography. She has a finance background and is a full-time mom who is building a home in east Delray Beach.
She credits her kids for providing inspiration.
“I was in Miami with my youngest, Ava, 15, and her friends, and we came across the Miami Selfie Museum, and I thought that would be fantastic for Delray,” Guglielmo said.
She started bouncing ideas off Ava and Anthony, 19, as well as Faith, 17, and they came up with 25 photo backgrounds in four rooms and hallways in one location.
The clients’ ages and wishes are quite diverse, she said. “We’ve done everything from teen birthday parties to network and marketing events, to professional photographers coming in with models.”
Some favorite scenes include a “glow room,” first-class seats on a jet and a moon swing in front of a starry sky.
It’s all about lighting, angles, and having a fun time, which The Studio provides, Guglielmo said. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Prices range up to $28 an hour, and sessions must be booked in advance. To make a reservation, visit https://thestudiodelray.com.
In October, Ray Steele and his family opened Selfie WRLD Boca Raton, one of about 30 do-it-yourself photography studio franchises nationwide, at No. 1158 in Town Center mall.
Steele is an entrepreneur and real estate agent. His wife, Lauren, is a medical aesthetician and makeup artist who offers her services at the photo studio. Steele describes the business as a place where people of all ages can have fun and shoot great photos with phones or cameras.
“We walk each customer through how to set up their countdown timer on their cellphones, show them how to use our ring lights that provide professional lighting, and how to use the cellphone holders on our ring lights,” he said.
Selfie WRLD Boca Raton has 20 backgrounds for people to use in pictures and videos. They can take photos for holiday pictures and cards or make music videos; photographers can use the space for shoots.
People love the vibe, the music, and the look of the neon lights, Steele said. The cost is $29 for a one-hour session. People can make reservations, or they can walk in. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more info, visit https://selfiewrldbocaraton.com.
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Some big real estate deals — commercial, retail and multifamily — have been negotiated in the last two months in Delray Beach.
630 Atlantic Investments LLC, managed by James Batmasian, paid $6.5 million for a retail and office building at 630 E. Atlantic Ave., according to public records dated Jan. 28. Thor Equities bought the building for $4.1 million in 2015, property records show.
Constructed in 1950 on 0.125 acres, the 9,819-square-foot building is fully leased, according to a Thor Equities spokesperson. Retailers include J&J Seafood Bar & Grill, Carolina Cigar, and Boru Poke & Boba, with offices upstairs.
Additionally, as reported by The Real Deal, James and Marta Batmasian’s company, Investments Ltd., bought a 1926-era, two-story retail and office building at 411 E. Atlantic Ave., for $18.5 million.
Babak Ebrahimzadeh, owner of Master Mind, held a land lease on the property, and Love 411 LLC, managed by Burton Handelsman, owned the property. The latter part of the transaction was recorded on Jan. 25, for $7.75 million.
Businesses in the fully leased building include The Wine Room Kitchen & Bar, Love Shack clothing store and Royal Bee medical spa on the ground floor, with a watch sales and repair firm and a photography studio occupying offices on the second floor.
“Atlantic Avenue is very hot and I’m very happy to make an investment there,” James Batmasian said. “We hope the street doesn’t collapse. There’s no parking, and that’s bad, but people are still patronizing the stores. Rents on Atlantic Avenue are high, but the businesses are doing well, so it’s all going in a positive direction.”
He said at this point he has no intention of making changes to the properties.
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Ocean Breeze Apartments LLC bought the 60-unit Fall Ridge of Delray condominium complex, 1100 SW Fourth Ave., for $13.5 million, according to public records dated Jan. 20. The seller was B & H Delray, a Delaware LLC managed by Eyal Levy. Ocean Breeze Apartments LLC is managed by Gabriel Ormachea, president of Grand Capital, a Fort Lauderdale-based real estate investment company.
B & H Delray assembled the Fall Ridge of Delray condos in September 2013 in two separate deals, from Fall Ridge Unit Holdings LLC and Highland Land Co. LLC, for $1.482 million and $1.653 million respectively, records show.
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The 32 members of the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce leads group, the Delray Beach Partners, set a record for collaboration during 2021, generating more than $167,000 of gross sales by doing business with one another or by referring their colleagues to other potential clients.
Jan Kinder, the group’s chair, said: “Chamber leads groups allow members to develop strong relationships with their counterparts in a variety of other businesses. The friendship, trust and support that is cultivated among its members lends to business and personal growth for all involved.”
For more info, visit https://delraybusinesspartners.com.
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Katz & Associates, a retail real estate brokerage and advisory firm, announced promotions at its Boca Raton office. Roxanne Register, who focuses primarily on landlord representation, was promoted to senior vice president. Nicole Fontaine, David Eggnatz and Eric Spritz were promoted to vice president positions.
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Florida Prepaid is offering its annual open enrollment, and families who purchase a 529 Prepaid Plan by April 30 can receive up to $500 to be used toward additional college expenses. All plans are guaranteed by the state of Florida. Families can use the online pricing tool to explore plans and payment options. To learn more, visit www.myfloridaprepaid.com.
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Florida Atlantic University’s board of trustees unanimously approved a 10-year, facilities-use agreement with Bezos Academy, which will open a tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool for low-income families adjacent to FAU’s A.D. Henderson University School on the Boca Raton campus in fall 2022.
“It’s fitting that we are the first state university in Florida to host Bezos Academy since it directly aligns with FAU’s long history of providing the whole community access to an excellent education,” said Joel Herbst, Ed.D., superintendent and assistant dean of PK-12 Schools and Educational Programs at FAU.
“Considering their mission, I can’t conceive of a better partner than Bezos Academy for a preschool program on our campus.”
Bezos Academy will cover all the operating expenses for the preschool program at no cost to the families it serves. FAU’s colleges also will have opportunities to engage with the academy’s programming.
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The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County will host a Zoom event at 2 p.m. March 29, where author Tom Gabor will speak on the “Gun Crisis In Florida & America.”
The link to register is https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UqGO4EksSLinXC3uH-5CAw
Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.
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