By GAYLE WEBER

gweber@dailynews.net

A new business will be open in downtown Hays by the time Blues and BBQ rolls around July 18.

ScrubMed owners Melissa Granberry and Megan Webb hope to be open by July 13 so they can take part in their first event as a downtown business.

"To be a part of that and have the masses of people come and walk by your store," Granberry said is the reason she and her sister decided on the downtown location.

They first wanted to be located on 27th Street close to medical offices and Hays Medical Center, but the former Seibel Law Office at 113 W. 11th proved to be a better fit.

"Everyone pretty much owns their own business down here, so it's just a neat dynamic with everyone," Webb said. "Here, if you work together, you can cut down on some costs and get some great exposure."

ScrubMed is a medical uniform boutique that will carry nurses' scrubs, shoes and accessories for anyone in the medical industry.

Webb worked for a similar store in Topeka while attending college.

"Our mom is a nurse," Granberry said. "She loved going to the store Megan worked at in Topeka."

The sisters conducted a survey of about 1,000 people to see if there was interest in such a store before laying the groundwork.

"It was amazing," Granberry said of the responses. "All the comments were, 'We're so excited. We don't have to order everything online. We can try things on.' "

There was no doubt, then, that they would pursue opening such a store. A similar store, The Touch, operated in downtown Hays previously, but closed earlier this decade.

The duo, originally from Damar, have found support among not only their family, but also from the other business owners in downtown Hays with ties to Rooks County.

Simply Charmed and Simply Elegant owner Tammy McClellan lives in Palco, and C.S. Post and Co. operates in both Hays and Plainville.

Granberry and Webb, with help from their husbands and father, have done some remodeling in the store and hope to be able to start displaying their inventory in the next week.

"There's an end in sight now," Webb said.

ScrubMed will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.