Owner Joe Christina wants his Local 77 tattoo shop to be more than a place for people to get inked up. The Longview shop started selling High shirts, pants and other clothing for young adults late last month, and Local 77 hired a graphic designer, Dan Nunes, to make business cards.

“I wanted to make a store that isn’t your normal tattoo shop,” said Christina, a Longview resident.

The front of the store at 1429 15th Ave. is devoted to clothing racks and accessories arranged by Christina’s girlfriend, Regina Cox, and the tattoo chairs are in the back behind a counter.

A full outfit can cost anywhere from $10 to $100, Christina said.

The side wall is adorned with rows of glass art and pipes, left over from Glass Works on Commerce Avenue, which Christina closed in 2008 after eight years. The glass art hasn’t been selling, so Christina said he’s looking to remove it from the shelves.

The shop is “continuously morphing,” he said.

Christina also boosted his core business by hiring two tattoo artists in the last two months. Donovan Andrews, a Southern California native, came to Local 77 after shutting down his 10-year-old tattoo shop in Battleground this summer. Sam Woodard, a 16-year veteran artist, returned home to Longview after stints in Las Vegas and California.

Both have been featured in national tattoo industry magazines for their work, Christina said. They join Eddie Saraphanh, who was hired six months ago.

“They’re all on the highest level, and it sends us into the stratosphere of artistry,” Christina said.

Tattoos are gaining in popularity because so many professional athletes and prominent people sport them, said Christina, who has 13 of his own.

The appeal crosses class lines, he added.

“I’ve had every walk of life in here, from pastors to firemen to police officer to you name it,” Christina said.

Local 77 is open from noon to 8 p.m. daily and by appointment. Call 501-4565 for more information.

No-Frills Networking group forms

A new business-networking group, without all the bells and whistles, is meeting weekly in Kelso.

No Frills Networking meets 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Backstage Cafe inside the Kelso Theater Pub.

The group attracted 12 professionals to its first meeting last week, said Jim Teasley, who owns the Vancouver franchise of SendOutCards.

No Frills is free to join, and attendees pay for their own food and drinks at the cafe, Teasley said. The meetings feature presentations by the attendees, he said.

“We welcome anybody. Bring your friends, your neighbors and your enemies,” Teasley said.

Call (360) 314-8691 for more information.

Talking Business is a weekly column about business openings, closings or major changes. Contact reporter Erik Olson with any business news tips at eolson@tdn.com or at 577-2510.