STATIONERY STOP

Resident's shop offers patrons a unique environment

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Step into Sweet Cheeks Papier and witness a new concept in retail display. There are no racks of items crowding the paperie, no posters of this week's latest sale item. Instead, tall bookcases feature select items, oversized art hangs on the wall and a dining table with high-back wicker chairs occupies one whole area. Huge colorful vases are set off against the beige colors. The only indications that this is a stationery store are the items that spill from wicker basketry or are nested in corners.

"I wanted to do something a little different to help people express themselves, their personalities," said Melissa Branco, owner/operator of the store. "We're shifting away from the mainstream retail mind-set."

That means ferreting out small companies that offer a unique touch, whether it's baby announcements, wedding invitations or party invites. Sweet Cheeks opened in August and much of its work involves specialized printing. Its own business card is a distinct departure from the usual size. The company offers offset, letterpress and thermography printing. Quick turnaround jobs can be done in-house with a laser color printer.

The shift away from the mainstream also means Branco is happy in a small retail area where her store doesn't face the street. It's an advantage, she said, as it slows down the pace of the everyday hustle and bustle.

And it fits her lifestyle. Branco and her husband, Mark, a dealer at a casino, have a 2-year-old son named Noah. Mark works evenings, so he will often bring Noah to the shop at noon so they can all have lunch as a family. The name of the store -- Sweet Cheeks -- stems off that family connection.

"It's not as vulgar as you might think," Branco said. "Both my son and my husband have really full cheeks. And when my son was born, all you saw was a big face of cheeks."

Being at the store five days a week, however, means Branco misses some special moments. Her husband called her one day, for example, with the news that Noah had just counted to 10 for the first time, a feat the tyke was able to repeat over the phone.

Branco said she always envisioned herself an entrepreneur of some sort. Like her way of decorating, she said it comes naturally, as does "a love of stationery and an obsession with fonts."

She moved from Hawaii to Las Vegas in 1991 to study at UNLV, majoring in the restaurant and hospitality program. She worked in fashion retailing, then spent 10 years as restaurant manager of a PF Chang's China Bistro near Summerlin. Setting up a business from scratch meant a learning curve -- like realizing she would need an alarm system. But her marketing savvy means she's participated in a bridal show to network and has literature placed in doctor's offices to garner clients.

Gina Pfersching, a northwest area resident who does marketing for a country club, found one of Sweet Cheeks' cards at her doctor's office. She was in need of personalized stationery so she decided to give it a try.

"I ran right over there and I immediately loved it, how comfortable it is," Pfersching said. "It wasn't like a regular store. I felt like I was in a friend's home."

Sweet Cheeks Papier is located at 2400 N. Buffalo Drive, Suite 105, in the same center as Becker's Steakhouse. It is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with scheduled appointments on Mondays.