Personal grooming: one out, one in

One thing you notice when you walk inside Kiara Nail Spa on Chicago Avenue.

It's huge.

Nail stations stretch from front to back in the former bank building

Pedicure chairs fill separate alcoves on the side.

Owner/manager Eric Nguyen said he took the spot in the 1600 block of Chicago because it's a "really busy location." And being near Northwestern University, he said, was also a plus.

Based on a website search, there are around 15 nail spas/salons in Evanston.

And speaking of 15, that's how many people will work at Kiara, which is also putting up another location in Chicago.

But if the news is good on Chicago Avenue, there's a sad story a couple of blocks away.

Benefit Cosmetics is now closed, after 13 years in business on Sherman Avenue, across the street from Target.

Sunday was Benefit's last day.

An employee named Carol Y. told Evanston Now that things have been rough financially lately.

"It dried up post-COVID," she said.

The six Benefit employees have found other jobs, she noted.

There are several other Benefit locations in Chicago.

Benefit is an international company based in San Francisco.