When it opened in September, Phone Restore functioned as a small entrepreneurship between two UA graduate students. Due to its success, the company is planning to expand their store to Birmingham in Homewood and also to the outskirts of Birmingham, most likely in a suburban area.

Chris Koerner, a graduate student with a degree in business management and entrepreneurship, and Andrew Batteen, a graduate student with a master’s degree in sports management and a Ph.D. in higher education, were tired of breaking their iPhones and sending them away to be repaired.

Koerner and Batteen both felt that it would be a great idea for there to be an easily accessible store where customers could have their iPhone, Droid or Blackberry repaired on site, instead of having it shipped to the company.

“We knew that the store would be successful,” Koerner said. “We have more opportunities in a bigger market like Birmingham.

“I realized repairing my iPhone would be easier and take less time doing it myself,” he said.

“The most common repair we make is repairing a broken screen,” he said.

An online customer review of Phone Restore reports than an iPhone user accidentally put his iPhone in the washing machine. Even though he thought it would not work again, Phone Restore was able to repair it and have it running.

Another Phone Restore online customer said the service is professional and welcoming.

Batteen said on average the store sees about 10 customers each day. Koerner said students were initially the intended customer base, but the clientele has broadened in the past several months.

With their increased popularity and success, both Koerner and Batteen intend on opening classes for their customers to learn about the iPhone. With this class, the customer will learn how to use the iPhone, download the applications they need and apply them to their everyday lives.

Phone Restore is located on 15th Street in building 505C. They can also be contacted at phonerestore.com.