Ivory Palace Plays On Arts Movement

Kirk Lewis wants to help people get their hands on a grand.
It doesn’t actually have to be a grand, he has pianos of all kinds, plus a variety of keyboards and other instruments.
Kirk and his wife Kathy opened The Ivory Palace in Bentonville on Feb. 1.
With 4,350 SF, the store has about $100,000 in its piano inventory, ranging from a $3,000 upright to a 5-foot, 10-inch grand for about $22,000. Ivory Palace carries pianos made by Kawai, which can run up to $180,000 for its handmade, concert grand piano.
Kirk Lewis said he will soon carry a second line of pianos to offer a different price point for shoppers.
While selling pianos is integral to the store’s finances, teaching is the heart of the business. Kathy Lewis, who has played piano since the age of 4, teaches piano. Frustration in finding sheet music and teaching materials led to the idea for the store. Together, they decided that if they would open a new studio, they might as well sell pianos.
The Ivory Palace has 20 students, but the duo hopes to add more for voice, brass, oboe, saxophone and percussion as they add more instructors to fill the six studios.
In addition to sales, the store rents instruments, targeting beginners.