Category Archives: Business

Bubble tea shop opens amidst pandemic

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By Krishnan Collins
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO- While some businesses struggle to survive during the coronavirus pandemic, a specialty shop serving bubble tea opened in August and business boomed from day one. 

   Tucked away in a suite of stores at 3800 S. Caraway Road over the I-555 bridge sits Bubblee, a shop started by owner Elna June, that serves bubble tea. Bubble tea is also sometimes referred to as boba. 

   Bubble tea’s name comes from the chewy tapioca balls that sit on the bottom of every cup of boba. The tea surrounding the tapioca comes in a variety of flavors ranging from the traditional just plain milk tea to even more exciting flavors like brown sugar milk tea, taro milk tea and many more.

   “I have been watching what has been missing in Jonesboro,” June said.

Instant success

   June moved to the United States around six to seven years ago from the Philippines. Although she has other businesses overseas in Asia, Bubblee marks her first business in the United States. 

   June’s friends in the Philippines opened bubble tea shops of their own and they flourished, so June conversed with them to see how to best start her bubble tea shop in the States. 

   “I did my research,” June said. “I did test market research here and the response was overwhelming. I didn’t expect it because I thought people from Jonesboro didn’t know what it is. But they do.”

   June started a website and tested out a delivery system at the end of August. Bubblee received so many orders the store had to move orders from one day to another just to be able to fulfill those requests. After the impressive test run with delivery, the shop opened its brick and mortar store Sept. 21. 

   Opening during a pandemic did not phase June. 

   “I don’t really consider it as the time of having the pandemic,” June said. “I always go by numbers. I’m a numbers girl. Numbers never lie. I watched my research, I saw how people reacted and I have data. So, I decided, ‘Hey, it is a good time. People are responding, so why not?’” 

Crafting the culture

   Social media played a big part in spreading Bubblee’s brand. June said without spending a single dollar, she sent out a post saying bubble tea is coming to Jonesboro and the post reached 24,000 people in Jonesboro alone. 

   June said one of the biggest challenges in opening the store came in the same form of challenges she faced in her businesses in the Philippines: That is finding the right people to work at the store with her. 

   “Finding people who are in the same culture,” June said. “We want fun, we want Bubblee. You know, that’s our name. It’s hard to find people who always want to come to work happy, enjoying life. That’s definitely the biggest challenge is finding the right people. Once you find the key people, your business can go on.”

   One of those key people June found, Chloe Barker, played an integral part in getting the store going. 

   One of the first to inquire about the job, Barker contacted June as soon as she saw a job offer. Barker worked in the food industry at Skinny J’s and at The Parsonage but decided she wanted to get out of the food industry and transition to the drink industry. 

   June wanted Barker to work for the store because of how tight knit the Jonesboro community is and Barker fits the bill perfectly: she was born and raised in Jonesboro. 

   “The first question I asked (Barker) was, ‘Are you local?’” June said. 

   Barker knew what bubble tea was before she worked at Bubblee and now she gets to experience the joy of watching new customers try boba for the first time. 

   “They never have experienced anything like that before,” Barker said. “My favorite is to interview the men. They’re like, ‘What’s a boba?’ I get to watch their reaction as they try it and they’re amazed and overwhelmed with what they expected to what they got. It’s just really happy, it makes me happy.”

Destination location

   June said sales have been great so far and called Bubblee a destination location. Since the store is tucked away on South Caraway, the store isn’t always easy to see. Customers come to the store because they know it’s there. 

   “Because we’re fairly new, we have about 70% new customers but about 30% returning all the time,” June said. “So 30% is a high number for returning customers for a new business.”

   One of those returning customers, Michaela Partridge, said she has been a bubble tea fan since the first time she tried it when she was 17. However, growing up in the small town of Sheridan made it hard for her to find bubble tea.

   Since coming to Jonesboro as a college student, Partridge found bubble tea easier and originally purchased her bubble tea from Chin Chin Express on East Johnson. Once she found out about Bubblee and its wide variety of options, she decided to try it.  

   “The people there are really nice and they make all of the drinks to order,” Partridge said. “You can customize however much boba you want, how sweet you want it, that kind of stuff, which I really like.”

   The first drink Partridge ever bought was the winter melon tea and said her first reaction to the tea was that it tasted exactly like Christmas. 

   Partridge goes to Bubblee about once a week, sometimes twice a week if it’s been a bad week and she needs a pick me up. 

   “I keep going because the prices really aren’t that bad,” Partridge said. “It’s really decent prices, there’s two different sizes and there’s all different kinds of flavors. They even have the popping boba, which I recently tried and I really love. It’s hard to find that at other boba places in town.” 

   Partridge said the only thing she thinks Bubblee could improve on is sometimes it takes a long time to get an order. However, she said she understands because they are new and really popular, it makes sense orders might take a little longer to be prepared. 

A sense of home

   Bubble tea represents a niche product and for June this resonates with a diverse group of people around Jonesboro. 

   “It provides a sense of being for some people that are implants, that have been implanted in Jonesboro,” June said. “Believe it or not, yes, Jonesboro is a small town, but it’s growing and not because people are having babies, but because people are being implanted into the community from different cultures, different backgrounds and different countries.”

   June said the Asian community has grown a lot in Jonesboro. When she moved to Jonesboro around six years ago, she said she only knew around 10 Filipino families and now she knows over 100. The owner also mentioned how Asian students in the community come to Bubblee and get a piece of home.

Expansion plans

   June holds plans to expand to a second location where the store will gain customers as people simply walk by the storefront. This changes Bubblee from a destination location to a location where casuals can buy bubble tea as well. 

   By December, June wants to have her location open on Main Street. 

   “Over here we’re a destination; over there we will not be a destination branch,” June said. “It will be a visible branch where people walk and say, ‘Hey, I want to stop there.’ In marketing they call the concept clustering. So I think I am clustered very well if we are on Main Street.”

The rich brown sugar milk tea

   Brown sugar milk tea reigns supreme on the menu as the most popular item. Brown sugar milk tea started in Taiwan and June found a way to bring that authentic Taiwanese taste to Jonesboro. 

   “In Taiwan people would line up all the way down the street, like hundreds of people, to have a brown sugar milk tea,” June said. “So I found a supplier who is from Taiwan and they’ve supplied us with all of our ingredients to make that very famous brown sugar milk tea.”

   Whether someone moved to Jonesboro from a bigger city around the world or someone came to Jonesboro from a small Arkansas town, Bubblee finds its way into the hearts of customers all around the tightly knit community of Jonesboro. 

   “I think it’s really cool because Jonesboro for me is a bigger town,” Partridge said. “The town I grew up in has like 500 people and I had to drive 30 minutes to go to school. It always felt weird there weren’t more options for bubble tea and then Bubblee opened and I fell in love with it. I really am happy we now have another option. It feels like it’s a little more inclusive.”

Housing development delayed by city council

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By Crystal Carter Harrell
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – The Jonesboro City Council motioned to postpone a zoning request at 1130 Greensboro Rd. on April 7 and left an African-American entrepreneur waiting another 60 days for his project to get the “green light.”

The rezoning request, made by Jackson’s Construction CEO and licensed realtor Rickey Jackson, managed to garner 86 signatures on a petition causing the delay according to Councilman Charles Coleman.

Coleman said the citizens on the petition do not have any problem with the request, but they want to appear in person to voice public opinions on the matter.

“When it comes to things like that, I would rather people be in front of me to voice their opinion. If I was in that area, I would feel the same way,” Coleman said. “I’m very impressed by Mr. Jackson trying to do something with the area. I understand, but I’m only going to vote with my conscience.”

Councilman Chris Moore said he had also received considerable objections to the request. He moved to second the motion of postponement for 60 days. Restrictions because of the COVID-19 virus pandemic prevented the public from attending the meeting in-person at the time.

The council received a zoning ordinance map amendment application for the 8.84 acres of land in December. Before the application, the property sat vacant for 10 years.

Jackson has worked as a licensed residential and commercial contractor since 2006, building duplexes for private owners and investors for years. He currently holds contracts with the highway department and has plans to develop a new roundabout connecting Harrisburg and Caraway Roads.

The first property solely owned and developed by Jackson, at 1130 Greensboro Rd., is five minutes away from Arkansas State University.

“Instead of apartments, I want to build stand-alone homes that serve single individuals or small families. I only want to place 41 homes in the area. I could go up to 53, but I do not want to congest the area. I’m only asking to build variant home sizes. I only want to help the area, not hurt the area,” Jackson said.

Each all electric unit in the 41-unit housing complex will range from 1,000 to 1,300 square feet. Some of the units will have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a garage. Fencing will be put up for privacy in backyards.

The rental cost with utilities could be between $800 and $1,000, but nothing has been set in stone. Jackson plans to break ground as soon as rezoning is approved at the third reading by city council.

“I’ll abide by what the city council decides and take it from there. It is setting me back, but I am an entrepreneur.”

Editor’s Note: Feature photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE IN POCAHONTAS BRINGS NEW BUSINESSES

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By Christine Miyawa
Delta Digital News Service

POCAHONTAS – The demographic in Pocahontas has changed tremendously in the past five years, as new businesses mushroom to cater to a growing populace of diverse cultures.

Until 2016, the town consisted of 93.6% Caucasian and 0.0% Pacific Islander. In 2015 plans to construct a chicken plant in Pocahontas began, setting in motion the wheel for economic growth the town currently enjoys.

In the beginning, many locals protested the construction of the chicken plant claiming it would open the town to foreigners. Local business owners feared it would cause minimum wage to rise, posing competition for the limited workforce. The city council went through great lengths to educate the locals about diversity and tolerance and how beneficial the chicken plant would be to the town’s economy. After several town hall meetings to convince the locals and business owners, Peco, the chicken processing plant, finally opened its doors in the Spring of 2016. Located along Highway 67 at the border of downtown Pocahontas and Lawrence County.

“Since Peco opened in 2016, our company has recruited 3,879 workers,” said Joie Saienni, the branch manager of Onin Staffing Company that recruits staff for Peco.

The plant hired many locals from management staff to track drivers and sanitation workers. Many locals found jobs in the hatchery, live processing, de-bone unit, evisceration unit and packaging section in quality assurance department, raising the local hourly wages from a minimum of $8.25 to $22 an hour for those working in the live processing.

Initially, the plant hired only locals from Pocahontas and nearby towns within Randolph and Lawrence Counties, but have since replaced them with workers from as far as the Marshall Island, in the Pacific.

With the opening of Peco, the demographic of Pocahontas began to change. The 2010 census shows a population of 6,608, and as of July 2018, the population had risen to 6,644. The 2020 census will tell how much the number has grown since. However, evidence shows a shift in the race composition and growth in new businesses. From 93.6% white, consisting of an older generation above 18 years old, according to the 2010 census, to young Micronesian families from the Marshall Islands.

Many Marshallese have enrolled their children in the Pocahontas Public School system. The superintendent of the Pocahontas School District, Jerry Martens, said Pocahontas School District has 250 new pupils from the Marshall Island.

In 2017 the Pocahontas School District began plans to build a new elementary school to cater to the growing population. The former Pocahontas School District Superintendent Daryl Blaxton predicted in 2017 a rise in the number of new students from 200 – 500 students by 2018. The new elementary school project is underway.

Because of the population shift, several new businesses mushroomed, adding to the growth of the city’s economy.

The city reported steady growth in the past few years with 2019, seeing a rise in revenue of 11%.

Paula Thorpe, who works for the Pocahontas Water and Sewer Company, said that in the past five years, she saw a rise in new water customers from 440 in 2015 to 500 in 2019.

Several businesses, including the grocery chain store Harps, opened in Feb. 15, 2017, giving competition to Walmart Superstore. Harps added to its services, a butchery, providing custom beef cuts and pork cuts.

Soon after the construction of Harps grocery store and a gas station was completed, the First National Bank built a second branch next to Harps, along Highland Boulevard, offering banking opportunities to newcomers and new businesses.

Among its customers is Herman Lopez, who owns a Mexican restaurant in Pocahontas. He has been through the lows of business. A shoe factory, which was a primary employer in the city outsourced when the government signed NAFTA, and with its move, most of the mom and pop businesses in town died. The town square had been left with a few stores as most shops closed down. For more than seven years, Lopez runs his Mexican restaurant, one of the only two Mexican restaurants in town.

Two years ago, he expanded his business, opening a mini-market grocery adjacent to his restaurant to cater to the needs of the Marshallese customers who have moved in town.

The mini-market called Mercadito Latino contains exotic food ranging from Fufu flour-a special kind of flour made from Plantain or Cassava to potteries and house deco. Lopez imports his groceries from far and wide, including Mexico. Lopez says business is booming.

Across the road from Lopez’s store, a new convenience chain store, Jordan’s Kwik Stop 52, a gas station and a travel center opened November 2019. Adding to the growth of the economy of the city. Jordan’s Travel Center is the only travel center in Randolph County along Highway 67.

With many new people in town from different places, the city, which was within a dry county for a good number of years, finally managed to gather enough votes to pass a liquor ordinance. And, as from fall 2019, Walmart, the biggest supermarket in town, began stocking liquor. Pocahontas has since seen its first bar in many years. Located across the road from the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce.

The city has also started work in 2018 to expand its court and jail size.

With the progress the city made due to the change in demographic, there are fears the scourge of the coronavirus outbreak may pose significant setbacks to the progress made over the past few years. But there is faith in the city’s capacity to handle the situation, especially with the merger of St. Bernards Medical Center and the Five Rivers Medical Center in Pocahontas in 2019 to improve services.

Suddenlink Reps Miss Connection with Disgruntled Customers

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By Chase Gage
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — The City of Jonesboro held a joint meeting with Suddenlink Thursday night to address numerous complaints by citizens. The St. Bernards Auditorium was at capacity; in fact, it was standing-room-only for disgruntled residents.

Hundreds of Jonesboro residents showed up to voice their complaints to media giant Suddenlink. Complaints ranged from wrongful charges to lack of competent service and were never in short supply.

“Our company has not delivered as it should. I want to apologize that it’s come to this. The crowd is evidence of how serious it is,” Brad Ayers — senior director of governmental affairs for Altice USA, the company that owns Suddenlink — said.

Hundreds filled the St. Bernard’s Auditorium for the meeting. Photo by Chase Gage.

Representatives from both Jonesboro and Suddenlink were available from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to answer questions and complaints submitted by customers. Ayers “promised” the company would address every complaint “within a week” of the meeting. Jonesboro’s communications director Bill Campbell read several of the complaints to the crowd.

The majority of the meeting consisted of Suddenlink representatives attempting to answer specific questions by residents, though they often received “corporate” answers instead of legitimate solutions. The crowd tried their best not to let the company off the hook.

Perhaps the loudest reaction of the night came when the company reluctantly revealed one of their call centers was located in South Africa; multiple complaints included call center employees not speaking fluent English.

“I can never get a real person on the phone, and when I do, they’re foreign and I can’t understand them,” Campbell read from a submitted complaint.

Further unrest ensued when a customer proclaimed “if you’re billing for services that aren’t provided, that’s a problem.” The statement was met with applause and a very audible “amen” from the back of the room.

“I’ve gotten your calls and emails. This (crowd) is evidence of what’s going on.” – Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin

State Senator John Cooper was in attendance as well to address his constituents and their frustrations.

“It looks to me like you’re trying to handle this with management. Personally, I would like to see highly trained people here to take care of this. It’s probably a little bigger than what you have here at this meeting tonight,” Cooper said to the Suddenlink representatives.

Cooper suggested a “task force” approach to solving the problems Jonesboro residents are facing.

“You’re welcome to contact me at any time over these issues. I will work with this company to improve the service,” Cooper said. Cooper can be contacted by phone at 870-761-0130 or by email at john.cooper@senate.ar.gov.

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An upset customer voiced their opinion on Suddenlink during the meeting Thursday night. Photo by Chase Gage.

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin arranged the town-hall-style meeting after a Nov. 7 meeting with Suddenlink representatives. Prior to the initial meeting, Perrin receiving numerous calls and emails complaining about the company and “immediately” got on the phone to fix them. Perrin assured citizens that their voices were being heard and their issues would be addressed.

Perrin also made sure to point out Suddenlink does not have a franchise with the City of Jonesboro and that any claims otherwise are misinformation. Instead, Suddenlink has a franchise with the state of Arkansas. There are multiple cable and internet providers in the city, though Suddenlink serves the majority of the area.

“Send any unanswered questions to my office. This is a serious issue we need to resolve,” Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin said to open the meeting. “I’ve gotten your calls and emails. This (crowd) is evidence of what’s going on.”

The Jonesboro Mayor’s Office is located at 300 S. Church St. and can be contacted by phone at 870-932-1052 and via email at hperrin@jonesboro.org.

In the end, the meeting did little to resolve any issues despite the best efforts of the Suddenlink representatives. However, if their promise is fulfilled, the residents of Jonesboro will be taken care of in the near future.

“We’ve heard you loud and clear,” Ayers said in his closing statement. Whether or not they listened, though, is yet to be determined.

Buying Local – Small business owners share their stories

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Students from the Multimedia Reporting course report on the benefits of buying local

Editor’s Note: Feature Photo shows The Edge Coffee House owner Brian Nobles as he examines his shop’s gardens. Photo by Krishnan Collins

Corporate vs local – a never-ending battle

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By Maddison Smith
Delta Digital News Service

   According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, 99.3% of business in Arkansas are small businesses and 47.8% of employees are employed by small businesses, as well. 

   Chandler’s Salon and Spa owner Angelia Austin said she feels secure and does not feel jeopardized by larger corporations. 

   “In a small business, we can be more loyal to our customers, with more detail,” Austin said “I have clients that will call me and say ‘hey, can you pray for me’ when times are tough. I can bring my own product in and do my own thing but, having the funds to bring is new stuff and have what you need is the hardest part,” Austin said.

   Drake Hill, a customer of Chandler’s Salon, reflected back to his first time with Austin.

   He said he went to several corporate owned salons because he did not have much money.

   “I always got my hair cut poorly and I am big on appearance,” Hill said, “It made me feel like they did not care about me. A small business cares about the customer and they thrive on repeat business.”

Hill also said he kept going back to Chandler’s because of the customer service.

   Chandler’s Salon uses only Jon Amico products and is designed for all hair types.

   “Our mission is to fight diversion and to fight against the big box retailer, supply houses and dry stores,” Austin said “As a Jon Amico member, I only use Jon Amico and you can only get this product in salons, not corporate salons.” 

   Chandler’s Salon and Spa has many good reviews on Facebook.

   “Angelia was fabulous! Took more time than planned to make sure my cut was exactly what I was wanting. Not to mention, how supportive she was knowing I was so nervous,” customer Jennifer Lyn Roach said.

Another satisfied customer reviewed Chandler’s Salon and Spa.

   Customer Karla Blackford said, “Love, love, love my haircut and highlights! Angelia is so friendly, listens to what you want and is able to give you honest feedback. Very comforting atmosphere!”

   Austin said she feels like she is making a difference in the community. Austin said, “Owning a small business shows my son and his friends that you can do anything you set your mind to do.” 

    Austin relies on Chandler’s to help support her and her family and has built her life around her brand.

   “I don’t know what I would do if I lost my business,” Austin said, “It’s like getting to see my grandmother every week and that’s how I feel about my clients. It would be devastating.” 

   Austin said giving her employees good benefits is hard in a small business. “I don’t feel that I can give them good health benefits because the deductible is so high vs if you were in a large corporation, the deductible would be much cheaper,” Austin said.

   Austin said she cannot give her employees paid vacation whereas a large corporation can, which is a problem.

   Austin said, “What I can give my employees is me, my time, my love and my person.” 

   According to the official Sport Clips website, Sport Clips has 1,500 stores in the United States and Canada. 

   Sport Clips assistant manager Jessi James said she feels secure in her job, but like every job, there are several disadvantages and advantages. 

   “We have corporate come in every three months to check and see if we are doing well and sometimes it’s a little robotic what they want you to do,” James said “I can also move anywhere in the United States and still have a job because we are everywhere. You get what you pay for every time, its consistent and it’s a professional environment. We do extensive training and classes for our employees and all of our products are professional.” 

  Each employee is equal, even though there are managers and assistant manager, James said. 

In a CNBC special report, Sport Clips Haircuts franchisees was featured among the “Top Franchisees in America,” according to Sport Clips press release.

   While Sport Clips is the “Official Haircutter” of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and provides haircuts through “haircuts with heart.”

   Facebook reviews show some of Sport Clips customers are not satisfied with their work. 

   “Uneven sides and sideburns and choppy. Back uneven. Kept pulling his head/hair. Terrible job,” customer Lindsey Cullen Burgess said. 

   Customer Christie Selfors left a review on Facebook as well, she said, “Thanks for ruining my fiancé’s hair today, by advising him that the hair cut he wanted ‘wouldn’t look good on him’ and then continue to buzz his hair off.”

 

Local downtowns experience a business renaissance

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By Tristan Bennett
Delta Digital News Service

PARAGOULD – Downtowns in the Delta undergo a renaissance thanks to local businesses.

Paragould’s Main Street houses many local businesses. Photo by Tristan Bennett

The resurgence of boutique-style shopping led to a growth in the downtown areas of Jonesboro and Paragould. They became destinations for both local and national businesses that work together to attract customers to the area. Lindsey Wingo, Downtown Jonesboro Alliance executive director, assists downtown business owners by promoting them to the public.

She said, “Downtown is the heart of Jonesboro, in my opinion. Five years ago, the main thing was shopping malls and different things like that, and really you see downtown on the uphill trend of things.”

In both cities, local owners occupy almost all of the downtown buildings; Only one Dollar General sits on the outskirts of downtown Paragould. Gina Jarrett, Main Street Paragould executive director, said local businesses occupied downtown since its beginning.

“Downtown started when Paragould started, and there weren’t franchises then,” Jarrett said. “We’ve always been mom-and-pops.”

While many of downtown Paragould’s businesses continue to survive after decades and ownership changes, Jonesboro’s downtown just flourished in the past 10 years. Many of the businesses followed Gearhead Outfitters and other developers into the area.

Jonesboro’s Main Street became a destination about 10 years ago. Photo by Tristan Bennett

From its humble beginnings in Jonesboro, Gearhead owner Ted Herget grew his company into a regional company quickly, and recently, the company bought Rock/Creek Outfitters and Uncle Dan’s Outdoor Store to further expand their reach to Chicagoland, Illinois.

Gearhead marketing director Whitney Eldridge said, “Downtown businesses and the boutique retail format have made a resurgence in recent years. The environment tends to be more personalized and close-knit. While we try to provide this environment whether in a mall setting or not, a downtown or neighborhood business tends to have a more pronounced presence in the community, which contributes to the neighborly and warmer feel that a mall store may not be able to provide.”

National businesses in downtown spaces can be helpful to small businesses. They possess the potential to draw more customers to the area, and hopefully, to the stores around them.

Wingo said, “All of the places that are down here, just like any other business started in a local community. It’s so important to not see people as competition always but also as help.”

Even with all the help chains bring, local downtown owners feel the effects of national business in their stores. Cynthia Allison Jones owns Addie’s Soul Food & Grill located in downtown Jonesboro. She said she sees chain restaurants negatively affecting her business

“I think they take business away from us,” Jones said. “It’s hard, but I’ve cut down on staff and hours of operation.”

Kayla Gramling, owner of The Tiny Twig Boutique, sells homemade gifts and offers services such as flower preservation in her downtown Paragould shop. National businesses caused her to adjust her pricing strategy.

“We charge what we have to have but try to keep it as low as we can, too, and we try to offer different stuff that you can’t find anywhere else,” Gramling said.

Creating an environment like a downtown takes planning and hard work. The DJA and Main Street Paragould exist to ensure these areas continue to draw customers to the businesses there. Walkability and catering to pedestrians continues to be a crucial of a part of the downtown experience.

Jarrett said, “Because downtown is walkable, everything is brought down to the pedestrian’s level. The signage, the window displays, everything is for the pedestrian, and that’s what people want nowadays. They want that comfortable, strolling feel.”

Customers cannot have that comfortable feeling without feeling safe. Recently, Wingo and the JDA took part in an initiative to add lighting to downtown Jonesboro so customers could feel more relaxed while in the area at night.

“We felt like there was definitely a stigma that downtown wasn’t safe,” Wingo said. “We felt that the reason people thought that was because it was dark down here, and when things are dark people don’t feel safe.”

In the past two years, over $20,000 worth of lights came to the downtown Jonesboro area because of the JDA along with $60,000 more from the city of Jonesboro.

The JDA and Main Street Paragould offer a way for owners to work together to promote the area and drive traffic to businesses downtown by planning events to take place in the downtown areas.

Gramling said, “There’s a lot of different events that are held downtown, so that kind of gives us an advantage. People walk around more than if you were just a free-standing building out in the middle of town.”

Both cities belong to the Main Street Arkansas organization, so downtown business owners can take advantage of an interior and exterior designer and small business consultant at any time. Both also receive grant money to help with improvements to the area and certain businesses.

Jarrett said, “We can mini-grant out that grant funding to help people make improvements in their buildings. It’s for what you can see: exterior improvements, and we go as far as the inside of the storefront windows.”

Improvements happening in both downtowns work to preserve the areas’ history. This revitalization of the downtown couples with a revitalization of the two cities’ histories. Downtowns once served as the only marketplace in small towns across the Delta, and this seems to be becoming more common again.

Wingo said, “Whenever you visit somewhere, you want to know what their downtown is like. That’s where the history of the city is, it’s the heart of the town, and in my opinion, for it to be a vibrant community there needs to be a vibrant downtown.”

Editor’s Note: Feature Photo – Main Street Paragould operates out of an old train caboose. Photo by Tristan Bennett

Local coffee shops raise the bar

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Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – In a time when craft and speciality coffee seems to be a major trend, a variety of passionately run local coffee shops conduct business in Jonesboro and beyond throughout the Delta. 

   As a consumer, one’s options prove numerous when deciding what coffee to pick up on a morning drive to work or on an afternoon study break. The consumer might choose a coffee giant like Starbucks, but the consumer might also know of a place in town that feels just like home. 

   Brian Nobles took over operations of the Edge Coffee House in August. The Edge sits right off the edge of Arkansas State University’s campus and the shop actually used to be a residential home. 

   “An experience,” Nobles said. “It’s really about the experience that you get from a mom and pop type shop. The charm and the quality and the characteristics of an old actual house turned into a coffee shop gives it all the unique characteristics.”

The Edge Coffee House owner Brian Nobles examines his shop’s gardens. Items grown in the gardens will be used for dishes at the Edge.

   The Recovery Room, in downtown Jonesboro, also boasts an atmosphere that is welcoming to people of all backgrounds. Since the Recovery Room is a small locally owned shop, employees do many different things to help out the shop. 

   Pat Warren, a woman of many trades at the shop (which includes making the pastries), said some customers first assume the Recovery Room is too fancy of an establishment for the everyday coffee drinker. But in reality, the shop opens its doors to anyone of any background.

   Warren describes the Recovery Room as a home for students and businessmen alike, and really anyone who enjoys a good cup of coffee or a great meal. 

   “Downtown Jonesboro has its own unique atmosphere,” Warren said. “You’ve got the old buildings. We get a lot of students that like to come in and study. We have the nice soft seating, the sofas and we have Wi-Fi. We’ll have students that come in first thing in the morning and maybe sit here most of the day and sit here and study while drinking coffee.”

   The culture and atmosphere represents one aspect of a local coffee shop, but the product has to be good too. A lot of local coffee shops also use locally roasted coffee;  the Edge is no exception. 

   “We use local, local as in Arkansas. We use an Arkansas based company out of Eureka Springs,” Nobles said. “They’re called Mountain Bird Coffee. They’re really great, nice people. They’re fair trade, they’ve got a great product and we’re proud to be able to use something from Arkansas.”

   The Recovery Room also fits the bill of a shop that uses local coffee. Warren said that just because coffee is locally roasted does not mean it automatically becomes good tasting coffee. The fact that locally roasted coffee can be great-which she said the Recovery Room’s coffee is excellent-truly makes the idea of locally roasted coffee so special. 

   Also based in Jonesboro, the Coffee Gallery prides its use of Westrock Coffee. The Coffee Gallery’s owner Nicole Townsend holds family ties to Westrock. Westrock’s owners use to own Alltel, which was based in Little Rock. Townsend’s dad worked for Alltel and a connection was born. 

   “We were really excited to partner with a local coffee roaster that also has ties with my family,” Townsend said. “We’ve known them since before I was born. We have a really close connection with the owners of Westrock. Their coffee is just wonderful. It’s roasted in west Little Rock. They bring it right up to us so everyone gets fresh roasted coffee.”

   While the main attraction of many local coffee shops might be the coffee itself, a lot of shops put a major emphasis on food. The quality food just adds another level to the overall offerings of a locally run coffee business. For the Edge, the food aspect came naturally. 

   “For my partner, my wife, that’s her realm,” Nobles said. “That’s her forte. That’s what she does and she does it really good. We want to ramp up the other areas of this restaurant that makes it more appealing to a broader audience. So we’ll have the coffee and we want to make the food something that makes it stand out by itself.”

   The Edge takes food to another level when it comes to the idea of local. The Edge boasts multiple gardens in the back, growing a wide array of foods including mushrooms and lettuce to use in dishes made in the kitchen. 

   The Edge also plans to put a bar in the upstairs section of the house. Nobles’ background comes from the restaurant and bar industry; adding a bar to the Edge just adds something else to attract a broader consumer spectrum.

    Mugs Cafe, a coffee shop based in the historic downtown area of North Little Rock known as Argenta, serves breakfast and lunch all day. Owner Michael Hickmon commented on just how important food is to Mugs. Hickmon said food stands as a way to differentiate coffee shops in the market and provide something else than just coffee. Mugs hosts an event every Saturday and only on Saturdays where customers can purchase all you can eat pancakes for $6. Most Saturdays, customers also find a special flavor of pancakes available like cinnamon roll pancakes or many others. 

   “We wanted something, especially on a Saturday, a special something that is unlimited,” Hickmon said. “(We wanted) something you can only get once a week and you can only get it here. It creates an excitement we feel like with customers.”

    The Recovery Room also puts an emphasis on food. 

   “We have an award winning chef,” Warren said. “At 5 p.m. we turn into fine dining. We have excellent food. It’s needed. We serve duck here. We have a great Sunday brunch here with crepes. You have to be skilled to call yourself a fine dining restaurant.”

   Involvement in the community represents another aspect that makes local shops stand out from national chains. 

   “We’re really involved in the community,” Townsend said. “For example, we have a Santa Claus coming to let the kids take free pictures. On top of that, we do a lot of donations. We donate to a lot of the charities, the marathons, the golf tournaments, the local schools, the football programs and everything like that.”

   Hickmon said just simply shopping local also supports the local community. 

   “In just kind of the movement of shopping local is (the fact) that you’re supporting your local community,” Hickmon said. “When you get a national chain, the coffee is not crafted locally. It’s crafted in some other state and shipped here. That was a big thing for us. From the actual coffee roasting side, we’re creating quite a few jobs here locally. There’s a huge difference between craft coffee and coffee you would get from a really large chain. We put a lot of tender, love, and care into all of our processes from coffee selection, from the bean selection to roasting it.”

   While many of the shops spoken to did not really see Starbucks or national chains as a major threat due to the different niches of a national grab-and-go chain compared to a local coffee house, many did acknowledge the power of advertising and reputation Starbucks boasts. Townsend said the Coffee Gallery makes coffee better than Starbucks, but the Coffee Gallery just cannot spend tons of money to make a commercial about its products. 

   Hickmon noted how Starbucks basically owns convenience in coffee, but how there are many other niches to be filled.

   “I wouldn’t call them a threat because they can’t compete with what we do as far as our relationships with customers,” Townsend said. “But, of course, whenever I drive by and see a big line around Starbucks, it makes me wonder why are they not trying us out.”

   Warren said people sometimes just do not realize what a local coffee shop has to offer. Starbucks boasts a worldwide reputation built over years and years, which makes people build habits of visiting chains. 

   “They don’t really try anything new,” Warren said. “But once people try our coffee and come in and catch our vibe here, they’re hooked.”

   While both local and national coffee shops have their advantages and disadvantages, Nobles said it’s all about the love when it comes to the local shop. 

   “I think with just like food and anything else that comes down to somebody hand making things with recipes and stuff like that, it comes down to love,” Nobles said. “You put a little love in it and you can taste all the difference.”

Editor’s Note: Photos by Krishnan Collins

‘THE ROOST’ PROVIDES COMPETITION FOR CHAIN STORES

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By Christine Miyawa
Delta Digital News Service

POCAHONTAS – Walking into The Roost, one may mistake the furnishings on sale as brand new. The touch of snow-white color exudes the ambiance of a rich country with a splash of Bohemian flavor.

The merchandise may look new, but most of the furnishings are from a different era. An era when quality and functionality trampled the mere aesthetic value. Quality quite elusive in most of today’s house furnishing. But don’t be mistaken, the store refurbished all the furnishings.

From a hobby to a full-time occupation, Kimberly Jo Chaffin started refurbishing and selling furnishings while still in college. She did it for five years while in business school. Chaffin taught herself from watching videos.  She began by painting her furniture.

“I had junk furniture and did not have a lot of money, so I painted it to make it look nice. I would disassemble the furniture and play around with the pieces to create a new pattern. It takes practice and patience,” she said.

It wasn’t until a year later when she could paint a profitable furnishing.

“I look back at the furniture I did when I started and say, ‘Geez, did I do that?’”

After attaining her degree from business school, she worked in the public school system for eight years. Chaffin said she felt she needed a more flexible schedule to cope with family demand.  She decided to revisit her old hobby, rented a booth in a store in Walnut Ridge and engrossed herself into refurbishing.

In 2016, she moved the business to Pocahontas. She opened her store in 2,200 sq. Feet building across the road from the Pocahontas Municipal Airport along Highway 67.

By the seventh month after the store opened, the business expanded so fast she needed more space. She moved the store to its current location in 7,000 sq. Feet building along Highway 62. She named the store “The Roost”.

Chaffin said the name ‘The Roost’ started with the coming to Pocahontas of Peco Foods Company a chicken processing plant.

She said Peco made a big difference in the economy of Randolph County and they wanted a throwback to Peco.

“I affiliate the name “Roost” with chicken and since our store theme is a farmhouse, we thought, why not use the name “The Roost,” she said.

Chaffin buys used furniture, mostly made of wood like hickory and White Oak. She refurbishes and re-sells them.

“All the furnishings in the store are mostly real wood,” she said.

Chaffin said most of her buyers like the looks of the items. The piece may remind them of their childhood. The store focuses on the farmhouse look, which most locals like. The store custom paints too.

She said to buy a dresser in a store chain, one would pay over $1,000. Whereas one can come to the Roost and find something trendy, midcentury look or farmhouse look for a fraction of that cost. Sometimes a third of the cost.

Recently, a refurbished hardwood dresser at The Roost went for the price of a new vanity dresser with a similar design at Bed Bath and Beyond, a chain store for furnishings and housewares.

“We are not a flea market. We are an upscale resale store. We base our prices on what we paid for the item,” Chaffin said.

In setting her price point, she factors in the cost of hiring someone to run the store while she moves around sourcing for items.

She sources furnishings from Texas, Illinois and upper western Arkansas. Sometimes people call them or send them messages on their Facebook page to pick up items for re-sale.

“A lady I sold to a piece of furniture two years ago and she wanted to re-sell it again, so I went, looked at it and saw it was still in good shape. Bought it and resold it a few days after,” she said.

Chaffin said her business extends to the states of Missouri, Tennessee and most parts of Arkansas. She markets her goods on Facebook and receives customers from as far as South Dakota.

“A customer was sending children to Williams Baptist College and arranged to have a two-sitter glider set shipped from The Roost to South Dakota,” she said

Myra Alexander, a frequent customer at The Roost, said she likes shopping there because the store sells authentic items.

“They are livable; they are comfortable with my grandkids. They have good stuff,” she said.

She said the store calls her when they bring in items she may like.

“I couldn’t find something for less than 1,500 at Hesner, so I called The Roost, told them what I wanted, and they went looking for it and called me. They are personable with me,” Alexander said.

She said her living room contains a modern section and she uses items from the Roost to blend her furnishings. Alexander said the art of painting furniture also inspires one to get creative and do something beautiful to their old furniture.

She said she likes shopping at places like Bed Bath and Beyond, but their products are too commercial looking, and they produce many pieces of the same thing.

“The Roost sells authentic and different items you won’t see anyone where else. If you see something at The Roost, you better get it because next time it won’t be there and it’s not like you can get the same kind at Walmart or Bed Bath and Beyond,” Alexander said.

Chef Donald Smith moved to Pocahontas from New Orleans six weeks ago to work as the new executive chef of Rolling Hills Country Club in Pocahontas.

Moving into a new town, Smith needed furnishings for his new house.  He first bumped into the Roost by chance as he walked across the road from a nearby supermarket.

“I’m the type of guy that likes antique stuff, so I don’t mind if it’s refurbished.  If it’s nice, I buy it and the price point at the Roost is good. Some of their prices are not expensive at all, but I didn’t find what I wanted,” Smith said.

Smith wanted a TV stand and not finding one at the Roost, he decided to look at Walmart. He said even though he did not find the TV stand at the Roost, he will go back there to look for other stuff.

Human resource manager at Walmart, Sherley Ringo said she knows there are other stores out there, but she is confident about the products Walmart offers.

“Walmart stocks a variety of items to meet higher demand,” Ringo said.

If spoilt for choice on a place to shop for furnishings, Smith said, “I prefer buying at the Roost because it’s local and the money stays within the community.  If I buy in stores like Walmart, the money won’t stay here in the community.”

Chaffin said the benefit of shopping at a re-sale, refurbished shop like The Roost can replicate looks at a fraction of the cost.

So far, two individuals approached her and asked if she would consider opening a branch of The Roost in Missouri. The second one offered to run the store three days a week if she would open a branch in Paragould. But Chaffin said the present store takes all her energy and leaves no time to spare nor desire to open branches.

She does not consider franchising either because she did not patent the name “The Roost.”

She said her goal is to give customers pleasant shopping experience. She wants to help them get what they want without looking through a bunch of junk to get it or spending so much money on a low-quality item at a chain store.

Chaffin said her main challenge is to keep the right attitude when running behind on a customized item. She said working with family member poses its kind of problem, especially when dealing with illness in the family. However, the store allows her flexibility to take care of her ill mother.

The popularity of her refurbished goods continues to drive up the cost of the materials she uses for refurbishing, which in turn, raises the price of the items. But the niche market for her kind of goods continues to snowball.

Local boutiques thrive during challenging times

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By Crystal Carter Harrell
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – The fashion world appears to be in dire straits as big fast-fashion retailer companies file for bankruptcy and close stores down.

Stores such as Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Dressbarn, Payless ShoeSource and Gymboree register among the many brands shutting doors, yet still maintaining an online presence.

FOREVER 21 FILED FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY THIS YEAR

Forever 21, the fifth largest specialty retailer in the United States, filed for bankruptcy in September. The family owned business, first introduced as Fashion 21, operated for over 30 years before making closing announcements. Out of 460 stores across the country, up to 178 Forever 21 stores anticipate closing. According to USA TODAY, 111 stores in the court records and additional locations may close. 

Locations include Avenue at Murfreesboro and Hamilton Place in Tennessee, Eastern Shore Centre and Outlet Shops of Grand River in Alabama, Lincoln Park and Loop Chicago in Illinois, Lake Charles in Louisiana and Willow Bend in Texas. Only 13 stores received a closing date of Dec. 29. Arkansas locations remain open. Holly Rutledge, Forever 21 Red store manager in Jonesboro, welcomed the announcement. 

“Yes we’re staying open for now,” Rutledge said.

Ronica Versie of Jonesboro appreciates the in-store Forever 21 shopping experience versus buying online.

“Usually when I come here, I always get great deals. I can find a really cute shirt to wear for $3. I can try my outfit on. I don’t have to deal with it coming in the mail and me not being able to wear it. It’s just my go-to place whenever I shop,” Versie said.

CNN Business reported Forever 21 was “burdened by expensive store leases, unprofitable markets and continuing disruption from online shopping.” 

GAP INC. SPLITS COMPANY IN TWO

Earlier in the year, Gap Inc. announced its closing of 230 stores and making Old Navy its own company. The separation will consist of two publicly traded companies: Old Navy and a company comprised of other Gap brands. Old Navy, named after a bar in Paris, became the first retailer to reach $1 billion in annual sales in less than four years of operation in 1997. It has grown to $8 billion in annual sales since it opened its first store in 1994, according to CNN Business. Old Navy locations continue to operate in-store and online.

Christy Harvey and her family shop Old Navy for leggings and T-shirts. For Christmas, Harvey partners with Central Baptist Church to buy clothing for orphaned children.

“I prefer online shopping, but my better deals come from in the stores,” Harvey said.

BELLABIRD BOUTIQUE CLAIMS SUCCESS

Bellabird Clothing Co. began in 2012. A sign posted on their Jonesboro location claims the business was voted best boutique in Northeast Arkansas. The store sells sweaters, jeans, jackets, dresses and more. The owner, Sydney Oliva from Batesville, expanded the business and created an online page in 2017. 

“We have been very successful in the Jonesboro area. We keep our prices affordable and don’t do a high mark-up,” Oliva said. “I definitely get more local business, especially in Batesville. In Jonesboro, I am getting to know and establish relationships, which is very nice. I love meeting new people!”

Oliva plans to grow her online business instead of expanding to more locations.

Mollie Breckenridge of Mountain Home works for Bellabird Clothing Co. in Jonesboro. She said the store offers giveaways and special promotions on social media to gain customer retention and sales.

“We do online where you can order, but I would say most people buy stuff in-store,” Breckenridge said.

LARGER CHAINS ARE FIGHTING BACK

Kohl’s began shrinking some it stores and leasing its space to Planet Fitness earlier this year. Kohl’s partnered with Amazon in 2017 to offer free returns and began a relationship with the Aldi supermarket chain.

In October, Dressbarn announced it will “begin the final stage of its planned wind down by commencing store closing sales at all of its brick and mortar retail stores.” The company sold the intellectual property assets of Dressbarn and will transition its e-commerce business to a subsidiary of Retail Ecommerce Ventures LLC.

In a press release, co-owner of Retail Ecommerce Ventures Tai Lopez said, “We believe the future of Dressbarn is bright and we are excited to grow and expand the online presence for the brand.”

Chico’s, a women’s apparel store, holds 1,400 locations in the United States and Canada. According to Yahoo Finance, the company is closing up to 250 stores beginning in 2020. However, Chico’s recently began partnerships with Amazon, QVC and ShopRunner to help turn things around.

NEXT STEPS FOR RETAIL EMPLOYEES CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

Express Employment Professionals work with job seekers to help them find the right job for their skills and experience. 

Jonesboro Workforce Development Committee partnerships between education and industry, gives employer-driven training and arranges face-to-face industry visits. While they personally do not work with retail employees, they point them in the right direction.

“There are several great agencies that can help people find their next job that can lead to a career,” Craig Rickert, Jonesboro Unlimited director of communications said.

Small businesses gear up for the holidays

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By Maddison Smith
Delta Digital News Service 

JONESBORO – Small Business Saturday is a big deal for some, for others – not so much. 

   Small Business Saturday was first observed in the U.S. on November 27, 2010 and was trademarked by American Express. 

   Refinery Store Manager Amy Willhite said their company will be participating in Small Business Saturday, along with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

   “We want people to shop local and to keep business here in town,” Willhite said, “We want them to come into the store.” 

   On the contrary, Smoothie King Owner Linda Bradley said she did not know about Small Business Saturday and if she did, she would have participated. 

   Bradley does support shopping local. “Your helping those local businesses to stay in business,” Bradley said, “It gives a more ‘hometown’ feel. Instead of spending your money on cooperate businesses, you should shop local to help our community.” 

   Shop local supporter Jessica Blevins said she shops local because it supports the community and those who live there.

   Blevins said, “It’s about being able to communicate about small businesses and being able to put a spotlight on a few of those locations on Small Business Saturday.” 

   “Black Friday absolutely helps us, and Small Business Saturday is just an extension of that,” Willhite said, “People are still wanting to shop local, but they are also wanting a deal.” 

   Bradley said, “We can’t offer that much of a deal on Black Friday, but if there was a small shop festival, where we could get our products into consumer’s hands, that would benefit us more.” 

Willhite said that consumers should shop local because they have good customer service, people that wait on you and want to talk to you.

   Willhite said, “You’re going to get a one-on-one experience and you’re going to talk to someone who has knowledge about the products in store.” 

   American Express also holds what is called “Neighborhood Champions,” which are towns or cities who have pledged to put small businesses first. 

   Conway, Paragould, Little Rock and West Memphis, to name a few, are part of Neighborhood Champions. Jonesboro is not included in this list. 

Editor’s Note: Feature Photo taken by Maddison Smith

Grocery store offers all-natural foods

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By Melissa A. Palumbo
Delta Digital News Service

MOUNTAIN HOME – Local grocery store Truck Patch offers bulk foods and spices, all-natural beauty products and plant-based meals. 

Named after small farmers’ markets from the 1800s, the Truck Patch grocery store opened May 23, 2010 in Mountain Home. From there, the store added a larger Jonesboro location.

“We don’t currently have plans for another location, but we’re always open to expand,” said Mountain Home Manager Virginia Embry. 

Truck Patch sells ingredients by bulk, allowing customers to bring their own reusable jars, bags and containers with which to shop. 

Tori Forkum, assistant manager at the Truck Patch Jonesboro, said they tare the container before the customer shops. 

“You can bring your own jar and we weigh it,” she said. “Then we take the weight of the container off the final price.”

Many ingredients cost less to to buy in bulk than in individually packaged portions, such as spices and grains.

Olivia Simpson, an employee who works in the kitchen at the Jonesboro location, suggests reusable glass bottles and jars to cut back on waste.

“Buy bulk and ditch plastic,” she said. “Use glass whenever you can.”

The store carries plastic-free, plant-based and biodegradable household products. Products made from plants have a lower environmental impact than hard plastics made from oil, and paper packaging decomposes much faster than plastic wrapping. 

They also sell pet products, like biodegradable doggie bags, organic treats and food.

Truck Patch focuses not only on reducing plastic packaging, but also increasing healthy eating. Employees at Truck Patch help customers find ingredients to suit any diet, from vegan to paleo. They also help those with allergies, diabetes and other health needs find appropriate meals.

“Our staff is well versed in different diets, and we are more than happy to help,” Embry said.

Camron Collins began working at Truck Patch as a cashier about four months ago. He said he was drawn to his job because of his interest in health-conscious eating and reducing environmental impact.
“When we started damaging our environment, it was fast,” he said. “We’re starting to revert that now. It took a lifetime to realize it, but we’re a force.”

Truck Patch strives for zero-waste within the business and community, according to Embry. Because of the large population of farmers in the area, the Mountain Home location established a composting system. 

“We are considerably smaller than the Jonesboro location, but we do pack a big punch,” Embry said. 

The Truck Patch Jonesboro plans to carry composting supplies in the future.

When the Jonesboro location opened in 2015, the Stem and Spoon Cafe was added within the store. The cafe offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, sides and drinks. All the ingredients Truck Patch uses stay organic and hormone-free.

“We use ingredients from the store,” Forkum said. “The kitchen workers will ‘grocery shop’ for the cafe.”

To avoid waste, fruits and vegetables that aren’t as pretty as the rest are turned into smoothies. Food that doesn’t sell is often given to employees.

“We don’t throw anything away,” Embry said. 

Editor’s Note: Photos by Melissa Palumbo.

New travel center opens in Pocahontas

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By Christine Miyawa
Delta Digital News Service

POCAHONTAS – A new convenience store opened its second location in Pocahontas.

The Jordans Kwik Stop #52 is located at Highway 67 and Carter Lane in uptown Pocahontas, beside Randolph Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Unlike the current convenience store, the new travel center contains a diesel truck stop, however, no showers are included.

Although the first store is still operating, Jordan’s Kwik Stop #52 Manager Devin Soles said more people are coming into the new travel center since it opened Nov. 1.

“It’s crazy. Many people are walking in from all the doors. They say they like the store because it’s new, clean and a family environment, so it’s good,” Soles said.

The store side doors open to a lounge with black leather couches where customers can relax and watch television or sit at the dining area next to the lounge with a restaurant-style setting. The service center has four diesel pumps and over 20 spaces for big trucks to park. Soles said they take Comdata, EFS, T- check and a variety of fuel cards.

Kenny Rasmussen, a driver associate working for Crete Carrier Trucking Company said he liked the travel center because it’s clean, the workers are friendly, the center has a large parking space for trucks as well as a clearly marked truck entrance and exit.

“It’s nice to have a place to park a big truck. There are not enough places to do that. This is our first time at this center; we definitely will keep it in the memory bank for being able to park here safely,” Rasmussen said.

Soles said, “Unlike a regular truckstop, the downside to the center is we currently do not have showers for the trucker.”

A.J. Parker, a customer traveling on his way to Texas, stopped at the store to charge his phone on the available plug-ins the store provides for customers.

Soles said store 52 is the first of the Jordans’ stores to sell Big Rock Pizza in its food deli inside the store while all its other stores are selling Hunts Pizza.

“People are loving the food and pizza. Our pizza is quick and takes only three minutes to make from scratch.  Before those in the trucking business are even done fueling, we’ve made a fresh high-quality pizza. That’s hard to beat; people here are loving it,” Soles said.

He said they can custom make the pizza for a customer. The deli also makes specialty pizza with beer sauce wings. Pizza price ranges from $7.99 to $11.99.

The store offers free coffee for police officers on duty, so more police officers are visiting and helping with security.

Sara Caster, the nightshift lead at the store said it’s her first time working at a convenience store. She works with 20 other co-workers. She said the store runs three shifts.

“We get so busy at the deli; we are open 24 hours. There is a rush hour when Peco employees come to the store; they come in groups and they want hot food and energy drinks,” Caster said.

Peco is a chicken plant just a few blocks away from the store.

Caster said the minimum wage the store pays is $9.65 an hour but she is not worried about the salary competiton from Peco, which pays a minimum of over $13 an hour.

“Peco is a factory, they are mass producing and the workload is just not the same. Besides, I don’t and have not earned a minimum wage in a long time,” Caster said.

Soles said so far, the travel center filled all the employee positions.

T’Ricks, the closest convenience store is located just on the opposite side of the road to the new Jordans currently faces a lot of competition from the new Jordans Travel Center. T’Ricks also hosts the Citgo gas station. Citgo changed all its old and slow fuel pumps and replaced them with new ones a few weeks before the opening of the new Jordan’s Kwik Stop.

“The old pumps dispensed gas slowly. We went 50/50 with Citgo company on the new pumps,” Mohamed Zoro, the T’Ricks manager said.

With the more efficient fuel pumps, they may keep their old customers from running away to the new Jordans.

“Business is slow, we are headed to the holidays,” Zoro said.

Rancho Bravo, a Mexican restaurant and store also opposite the new Jordans gave its building a new face-look keeping up with the competition.

All three stores serve hot meals and are competing for the same customers, especially the customers from Peco food processing plant.

Presently, Exxon, the oil and gas company stationed at the new travel center, has a reward program giving its customers a discount of $.50 per gallon on gas. The station sells gas cheapest compared to all other fueling stations in Pocahontas.

“Everyone seems to be going to the new travel center, but, after the novelty dies down, we know they will be back,” Zoro said.

Soles said they foresee a brighter future for the travel center because it’s the only one currently in Pocahontas. They also look forward to getting a liquor license Nov. 13 and are expecting more customers to come to the store to utilize their lounge and dining area.

Editor’s Note-Feature Photo taken by Christine Miyawa

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