News

’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ

Joe and Dough Cafe, Whataburger, Electric Peach Tattoo, Doodles Kitchen and Bakery, Panda Express, Bean Loft Coffee Company

BY DELORES ELLIOTT

JOE AND DOUGH CAFE recently opened its new location at 1220 E. Northfi eld Blvd. in Murfreesboro. The cafe offers nearly countless breakfast options in addition to its lunch and dessert options, some of which include apple, cherry and pineapple fritters, cinnamon rolls, and gluten-free cake donuts during the weekend. Current hours are from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Sunday, which is 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Shortly after opening its current location on Old Fort Parkway, WHATABURGER announced that it will open a second Murfreesboro location, which, along with a Smyrna location, will make for three locations in Rutherford County. The new Murfreesboro location will be located on Memorial Boulevard, and will open in 2023. Other locations include Hermitage, Gallatin, Madison, Nashville, Mt. Juliet and two in Lebanon. The franchise expects to expand across Tennessee even more over the coming years, but as of now, these locations are the only ones that have been announced. For more information, visit stories.whataburger.com.

ELECTRIC PEACH TATTOO recently re-opened at its new location at 118 W. Vine St. after originally announcing its move two months ago. The new location is just across the street from the public library, and current hours are from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday through Thursday (closed on Friday). For more information, call 615-900-3768.

VINE STREET MARKET recently announced its rebranding and is now called DOODLES KITCHEN AND BAKERY, and is run by new owners Charlie and Danielle Gallipoli. The bakery, located at 117 E. Vine St., is considered a “prepared food and takeout style market.” Even with the recent rebranding and name change, the bakery still offers some of the same great lunch, dinner, snacks and sweets options as before, including ready-to-eat and readyto-heat full meals. Some of these items include casseroles, meat and veggies, soups and a variety of baked goods. The bakery offers online access to its weekly menu as well as a service for ordering ahead. Other offered items include gift items, local homemade goods and products from other local companies. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. For more information, visit thevinestreetmarket.com.

Although THE WELLNESS EMPORIUM has closed its Murfreesboro location, its Woodbury location will remain open. The Murfreesboro location has been successful for three years, but with unexpected challenges the business experienced during COVID, ownership opted for the Murfreesboro closure. The business mentioned in a recent Facebook post that closing the Murfreesboro location will help to ease the workload and provide more time to discover what works for the team and their mission to help people who are dedicated to better health and well-being. For more information, visit halfhillfarm.com.

In related news, The Wellness Emporium’s previous location will soon be home to BEAN LOFT COFFEE COMPANY’s fi rst brick-and-mortar dine-in coffee shop, which is located just beside The Boulevard Bar and Grille at the corner of Middle Tennessee and Main streets. Bean Loft Coffee started out as a small food truck, and with the support of locals and local businesses, owner Akirah Chaney has decided to open a permanent location and a second coffee trailer. Both are expected to be used for weddings and private events. The projected opening date is this September. Products offered at this location will include coffee, smoothies and loaded waffl es. For more information, visit facebook.com/beanloft.

BACKROOM UNIQUE HOME FURNISHINGS is coming to Vine Street at the corner of Walnut Street near Boro Kabob. Lots of business news on Vine Street lately.

FRONTIER BUILDING, a general construction and design-build contractor recently broke ground on a new commercial development project at 2901 S. Church St. Frontier Building has worked on over 400 projects across 22 states. This upcoming project is scheduled for completion this October and will include a 9,388-squarefoot complex that will host a PANDA EXPRESS with a drive-thru, a JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS, and three other businesses. The parking lot will provide parking spaces for 74 customers. For more information, visit frontierbuilding.com.

7BREW COFFEE announced that it expects to open its fi rst Tennessee location by Sept. 9, located at 217 N. Thompson Ln. beside Slim Chickens. The location will feature a drive-thru with two lanes, which differs from 7Brew’s usual coffee-stand experience. 7Brew currently has 21 locations across the southern and midwestern states including Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina, Kansas and Texas.

The 7Brew menu features seven original fl avors, hot and cold coffees, energy drinks and teas, sodas, smoothies and shakes. THE RUTHERFORD COUNTY VETERANS COMMUNITY CENTER recently opened at 439 Rice St. near Memorial Boulevard. The location will host many upcoming events for local veterans and others, including fundraising events, meetings and more. It will serve as an event space for different local veteran organizations and events, as well as a site to collect donations. For more information on the center and upcoming events, visit rutherfordvetcenter.com.

THE JOURNEY HOME recently announced plans to build a new facility to host those in need and provide resources for the local homeless communities. According to the recent announcement, the new building will provide 23,000 square feet of space with 10 short-term family units, as well as resources for mental and physical health support, programs to provide assistance with employment, hygiene and clothing, wellness, meals, and more—all of which are offered by the current location at 308 W. Castle St. For more information, visit lovegodservepeople.org.

Experienced real estate professionals Tabitha King and Melanie Harper recently launched AUTHORITY TITLE AND ESCROW—located at 319 Hickerson Dr. in Murfreesboro—dedicated to the real estate and title industry. King and Harper are known as veterans of the business and offer more than 40 years of combined experience, top-notch service and trusted solutions. The business includes providing customized and tailored solutions for residential and commercial closings, and is open to serve realtors, lenders, investors, home buyers and sellers throughout Tennessee.

King was raised in Middle Tennessee, while Harper, a native of Southern California, moved to the area in 2007. They aim to make closing a smooth, effortless and hassle-free occasion.

“Launching Authority Title is the culmination of years of planning and dreaming,” said King. “We’ve recognized the growing need for a closing partner that is a true master over all areas of a real estate transaction. I’m thrilled to be working with this team to provide exceptional service and peace of mind for such an important milestone in so many people’s lives.”

In addition to residential and commercial properties, Authority Title and Escrow provides title closing services for land purchases and new construction projects. The CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

THE ALLEY ON MAIN, 223 W. Main St., has dubbed the lot next to the primary restaurant THE YARD, calling it “a sister restaurant of The Alley featuring high fl avor food straight from our food trucks.” The open-air space, with canvas coverings for shade and rain protection, and turf on the ground, has games like giant Jenga and outdoor seating to enjoy drink specials and fi ne food outside the popular downtown Murfreesboro restaurant.

team also has the ability to conduct remote closings, and performs 1031 exchanges, private lending transactions, and quitclaim deed preparations.

For more information, visit authorityclosings.com.

DISCOVERY PLAZA, the large development at the corner of Church and Broad streets, is for sale for $9.5 million. This includes the main building, which houses the United Grocery Outlet and other tenants as well as the Party Fowl and Sammi’s Pizza buildings. Find more information on this and other area commercial properties at swansondevelopments.com.

According to a banner hung above a space within the Kroger shopping center at Northfi eld Boulevard and Broad Street, a restaurant called Q&R CAFE will move into the unit.

SKETCHERS, the family footwear brand featuring athletic and casual shoes plus apparel, has opened a warehouse outlet in Murfreesboro at 1971 Old Fort Pkwy. in Towne Centre near Target and T.J. Maxx.

EPICUREAN OLIVE OIL CO. recently closed its store at The Avenue after a decade at the location, due to medical circumstances. However, the company announced that it will continue to offer its well-loved products on its website and at The Painted Tree Marketplace locations.

THE PAINTED TREE locations include The Oaks Shopping Center at 552 N. Thompson Ln. in Murfreesboro, 1113 Murfreesboro Rd. in Franklin, and 9630 Kingston Pike in Knoxville. For more information, visit epicureanoliveoil.com.

CLOSINGS

MURFREESBORO PAWN & GOLD (formerly known as Murfreesboro Pawn & Gun) on Broad Street has closed permanently.

PITA PIT on South Rutherford has permanently closed after about a decade at the location. However, there are more than 200 locations across the United States, and 580 worldwide. Fans of the restaurant are sad to see it go and hope that another Tennessee location will eventually open, although as of now, there are not any current plans for another location.

GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL in Smyrna has closed.

“The economy, coupled with surging gas and food prices, has put us in a position where we can’t afford to keep the business open any longer,” according to a farewell statement from owners Jason and Georgia Warrick. “We want to thank all our employees and customers for everything they have done for us in the last 10 years. It has been an interesting ride for sure.”

MURFREESBORO CHAMPY’S CELEBRATES ITS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY ON AUG. 20

GRAB A 40-OUNCE BEER AND JOIN CHAMPY’S IN CELEBRATING its fi ve-year anniversary on Saturday, Aug. 20. There will be food and drink specials all day and live music starting at 4 p.m.

Champy’s, a locally owned restaurant, specializes in serving Mississippi Delta style food with an emphasis on fried-to-order chicken and 40-ounce beers.

The eclectic, country-style interior design, continuous blues music and Southern hospitality oozing from the staff create a laid-back atmosphere that is hard not to fall in love with.

Seth and Crissy Champion opened the fi rst Champy’s in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in June 2009. After working for the Champions for many years, Samantha Newson and her family brought Champy’s to Murfreesboro in August 2017.

“We heard some great things about Murfreesboro, so we started spending some time up here and after doing that we realized that it would be a great spot to raise a family and start a business,” says Samantha’s husband and business partner, Johnathan Newson.

Since coming to Murfreesboro, Champy’s has made its mark on the community. Champy’s supports and works with a diverse group of local organizations, such as MTSU’s athletic program, Murfreesboro Young Professionals, the Murfreesboro Soccer Club, Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, MTSU’s Greek life and the Murfreesboro Pulse. The local Champy’s team tries to give back to the community in any way it can.

“You can’t have a restaurant or any sort of business in a community without engaging with it and actually being a part of it,” says Newson’s brother and additional business partner, T.J. Goonan. “As we got involved, Murfreesboro really embraced us.”

Celebrating their fi fth year in the community, they chose to use the occasion as another opportunity to give back, with live music, good food and cold beer.

“We want to use this as a time to celebrate the people of Murfreesboro, as well as our employees, who have given a lot of their time and effort to support our livelihood,” says co-owner Rachael Goonan.

There is much to celebrate, so come see the team at 1290 N.W. Broad St. on Aug. 20 to get the full Champy’s experience of forties, fowl and fi ve years! For more information, updates and specials follow Champy’s on Instagram @champysmurfreesboro. — BAILEY FINN

Tennessee Department of Labor, BBB encouraging businesses to host apprenticeships to train and educate workforce

BY LAURA LINDSAY

THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky recently partnered with the state of Tennessee to build up an apprenticeship program for various businesses throughout the state. The program helps companies attract and retain employees.

“The apprenticeship program is part of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development,” said Charlene Russell, Middle Tennessee regional apprenticeship director with the state of Tennessee. “Our office was established in 2019 . . . we have had tremendous growth in apprenticeships across the state since then.”

Russell says the connection with the BBB started after a conversation in Rutherford County. The Better Business Bureau team in Murfreesboro was looking to form an apprenticeship committee.

“I went to that meeting and talked to them and realized we could really help them with the process of establishing the apprenticeships and building their businesses.”

The partnership can help get the word out about the services the Department of Labor provides, including helping businesses establish registered apprenticeship programs.

“The Better Business Bureau is so much more than just an organization that regulates scams and bad reviews,” said Lorneth Peters, director of marketing and communications at the BBB. “We are here to help businesses grow and be better.”

Peters says a lot of challenges businesses face have to do with the workforce. The BBB of Middle Tennessee and Kentucky work with over 4,000 businesses, and she thought that many of the businesses would love the idea of an apprenticeship program.

“We are all about finding opportunities that support businesses as they continue to grow and face challenges,” she said. “The main problems they have right now are with staffing and retention. Employees are looking for better opportunities. This apprenticeship program provides more opportunity for companies to keep their great employees. And after the employee makes it through the apprenticeship program, they will see a pay increase.”

If a business is interested in the apprenticeship program, Russell will work with them on setting that up.

“You can tailor it to the needs of your business,” Peters said. And if a company needs more employees, the program can help connect them with individuals looking for employment.

The registered apprenticeship program involves structured on-the-job training with a mentor, and the apprentices are getting paid while they are learning, Russell said. The program also includes some classroom time. The hours of on-the-job learning and classroom time vary depending on the occupation—for jobs including electrician, lineman, nursing assistant, dental assistant or an entry-level manufacturing job, just to name a few.

The Department of Labor also offers more than 8,000 online courses for all Tennesseans through Coursera, an open online course provider.

The next Apprenticeship TN informational session is on Aug. 29 from 4–5:30 p.m. at the Better Business Bureau office headquarters, 25 Century Blvd., Nashville. For more information in getting involved in the apprenticeship program, either as an employer or as an apprentice, visit apprenticeshiptn.com, or contact Dr. Charlene Sands Russell at charlene.russell@tn.gov or Lorneth Peters at lpeters@gobbb.org. Free online courses for any state resident are offered at coursera.org.

Obligations of Being a Member of the Team

WHEN ONE ATTENDS college, the student decides a field of study and maybe joins a club or two. When joining the Army, a soldier does so to start a career, earn a college fund, or just buy time to figure out life. These people think in terms of an established institution and the resources it provides. The motivation is “what’s in it for me?” But the team itself has much more of a human element than that of the organization.

There is stability in being part of a team, providing the individuals are all pulling their own weight. So, it should be a fair question for members of a functioning organization to ask “what have you done for me lately?” Membership into the group is predicated on each member being devoted to that team. Our devotion goes far beyond vocation alone.

Each person is to be accountable to the team. This goes to individual responsibility. Waiting for management to make corrections is not proactive and not being an effective part of the whole. Our individual perspective needs to be that of “what will the organization get from us?”

Let’s discuss what some of these obligations are:

GET ON BOARD

The first obligation is a willingness to change. When onboarding for a similar job with a new company, we many times assume the process and responsibilities are the same as the employer we just left. Though this is a rational conclusion, it is not always the case. The work might be very different from what we are used to. It is up to us to figure out the new procedures and implement them. GET PRESENT

We may dream of the future or live in the past, but the only reality is the here and now. However, we are easily knocked out of the present tense. An earlier argument with a family member, or thoughts of where we will meet up with friends this weekend are compelling, but not where we are at the moment. Lashing out at a colleague because your 2-year-old was especially terrible that morning does not create esprit de corps.

GET SKILLED

Many employers offer additional training to assist their people conduct the work. It is important to stay abreast of new procedures, techniques, and even trends, whether training is offered or not. If one is not current with the latest ideas in marketing, that person or firm is not in marketing at all.

GET INVOLVED

Some people are introverts. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. But there is a need to engage with the other members of the team from time to time. This necessity is more than just the occasional required business meeting.

People are social. They want to know they are not alone. They like the idea of reaching out to someone else should they need help. But you will probably need their help one day as well, so overcome any urge to create your personal silo.

GET HELP

Though it may sound like selfserving more than an obligation to the team, it is not. If you need help, get help. Be prepared to offer it as well. This is how healthy teams function. People are less impressed with your independence than accomplishing the mission. Raise your hand and stop slowing down everyone else.

GET POSITIVE

Attitudes are contagious, especially when working in close proximity. Often, those mindsets spill over the cubicle wall and into the minds of our neighbors. We rely on management to set the tone of our workplace, whether we realize it or not. If that leadership is absent, we look to others for cues on our mental points of view.

This is all the more reason to carry the right frame of mind with you. But this can be a definite challenge around the wrong co-workers. You have to be conscious of who you socialize with, because their beliefs will affect yours.

Blaine Little is the founder and CEO of Momentum Seminars Training and Coaching, a veteran owned business, helping companies remain profitable by investing in their people. He publicly trains and privately coaches the power skills of leadership, team building and better communication. Learn more about the power of Momentum at momentumseminars.com.