High-end tattoos and handmade fine jewelry have been added to the mix of businesses on Princess Street in downtown Wilmington.

Meow Meow, a studio created by tattoo artist Shawn Dougherty and his wife, jeweler TeriLyn Pugliese, opened June 1 at 226 Princess St., in a historic storefront rehabbed by Raleigh-based developer James Goodnight.

“I had worked downtown before,” said Dougherty, who has been a tattoo artist for a decade. “To be honest, I wasn't like super-looking downtown, but that's where all the cool spaces are at. So it's like you either end up in a strip mall or you're downtown.

“For us, most of our businesses is social media driven. So we could have been anywhere, I guess, at some level, but it is nice to be downtown.”

Dougherty, whose appointment book is filled until August, had previously worked out of an old warehouse closer to midtown.

“There was no foot traffic there. Zero,” he said. “Downtown, a lot of people like to poke their head in because they can’t quite figure out what we’re doing in here now. We don’t have much signage really, which is fine. It adds to the mystique.”

Pugliese’s jewelry is on display in the window, and she has a jewelry-making studio in the basement floor of 226 Princess St.   

“It's just nice to be out of my backyard and off the island [Pleasure Island] because now I actually get to interact with people,” Pugliese, who lives in Carolina Beach, said of her new studio space.

Dougherty said, “She did five sales just in the last week just from people walking past.”

Also working out of  Meow Meow are tattoo artists Drew Susi and Ruben Salazar.

Meanwhile next door, Goodnight is renovating 230 Princess St., the space he purchased in November last year.

“The rear window was originally much larger and we’ve uncovered some evidence of old skylights, so we’re having to hit pause on the design side and work within the framework of the State Historic Preservation Office,” Goodnight explained in an email. “We also found a half dozen original fluorescent light fixtures that had been put above the ceiling for storage at some point. It’s a very cool space that’s already getting calls, though we’re hoping to clear some of the small design hurdles before signing anyone [as a tenant].”

During demolition at 226 Princess St., Goodnight and his crew found 55 junction boxes above the ceiling that had belonged to an electric firm nearly 90 years ago.

“I love the way that we were able to bring back the lights in 226,” Goodnight said in an email. “It’s a very cool throwback to the City Electric Company showroom of 1930.”

Among other downtown Wilmington properties, Goodnight also owns 222 Princess St., home of GDN Nail Bar.

Of Meow Meow, Goodnight said, “The tenant is a great fit with GDN, Bespoke, Bloke and everything else happening on the street.”

So what’s the story behind the name, "Meow Meow"?

“Everybody wants to know that question,” Dougherty said. “All I can really tell you is that it’s [the name Meow Meow] so absurd, that people have to come in to see what we’re up to. People literary stop outside and take pictures of the sign, and send it to their friends; it’s all great for business.”