The Nail Inn Academy Ready To Open In Joliet's Downtown

JOLIET, IL — Back in January, Michele Birk held a ribbon-cutting event for The Nail Inn Academy in downtown Joliet. Then, she waited, waited and waited some more. She needed state of Illinois regulators to give final inspection to her nail school. Now that it's finally happened, Birk is ready to open at 160 N. Chicago St.

"It was a year before the state inspectors came in," she said.

This past weekend, Birk held an open registration event for The Nail Inn Academy.

She told Joliet Patch that her first class on nail technology will begin Sept. 20. The full-time class will last about 14 weeks. A class for part-time students will last about 29 weeks.

She also plans to offer night classes.

For several years, Birk has operated The Nail Inn and School of Cosmetology in historical downtown Lemont. Now, she will have a second location, one closer to home in Joliet.

"I live six minutes away," she told Joliet Patch. "I like being downtown. It's a perfect location for traffic. I'm very pleased.

"A lot of Joliet students go to our Lemont location, so they're excited about this."

Birk's leasing commercial space from Joliet property owner Mike Petry. The other part of his building includes the CUT 158 Steakhouse. The Nail Inn Academy has about 10 stations for students, and there's also an area for pedicures.

"We'll also have a program for nail teachers and refresher courses," Birk added.

For more information about the upcoming nail technology classes, call 630-514-6642.

She is filling the vacancy created last summer when the Fitwell Fashions clothing store closed.