News

Big Creek Winery Tasting Room, FKS Kitchen, Southern Cravings, Xingha Sab Bor Lao, Champy’s Smyrna, Whiskey Dix, Handlebars

BY DELORES ELLIOTT

XINGHA SAB BOR LAO has opened at 120 Eleanor Way, just off Memorial Boulevard. The restaurant offers dine in, takeout and delivery for authentic Laotian food.

“Here at Xingha Sab Bor Lao we strive to bring you authentic cuisine made with only the freshest ingredients. We make our traditional dishes the same way they have been made for generations,” according to the restaurant’s website. “Come join us.”

Options include pad Thai, lo mein, lad nah, pho, banh mi, chicken wings, chicken satay, shrimp, pork and egg rolls, shrimp and pork rolls, soup options, salads, roasted duck, braised pork belly, deep-fried banana, coconut water and teas. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday (closed from 2 to 5 p.m.), 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday (closed 2 to 5 p.m.), 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday (closed 3 to 5 p.m.), and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

For more information on the restaurant, visit xinghasabborlao.com.

CHAMPY’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN has announced the brand will open a new location in Smyrna. A groundbreaking ceremony at the new restaurant site, 835 Isabella Ln., Smyrna (near Home Depot) is set for 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 8.

RB AGENCY, owned by Rochelle Brown, has opened its new location at 710 Middle Tennessee Blvd. The health insurance agency is dedicated to offering the highest levels of protection at affordable costs that fi t the needs and budget of its clients. It provides the necessary tools and experience to create a custom-built policy for each client.

The new brick-and-mortar location will further enhance the RB Agency’s customer service.

“We have built quite the clientele by maintaining a strict customer-comes-fi rst approach,” Brown said. “We believe in offering innovative benefi t solutions the old-fashioned way!”

Licensed agents are always available for clients to learn about RB’s range of products, which include family coverage, individual plans, and vision and dental add-ons. Clients can receive a free quote if interested.

“Our agency is built on the principles of honesty and integrity. We are not afraid to tell the client when our plan may not be their best option and we promise to leave them better, and more educated, than when they found us.”

For more information, visit therochellebrownagency.com.

WHISKEY DIX is now open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in their new location on the Murfreesboro Public Square from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. with free longneck bottled beers from 7 to 9 p.m., with an $8 cover charge. MARTIN FURNITURE’s showroom at 1000 NW Broad St. has reopened after Daniel Martin recently took over ownership of the business from his father.

“At Martin Furniture you will fi nd excellence. We partner with only the fi nest Amish shops in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Amish communities pride themselves in simplicity, and their reputation as true craftsmen is well known. We proudly showcase their work, and we invite you to feel the joy it can bring to your own home,” according to the retailer’s website.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit martinfurnitureusa.com.

Owner of SKIN JOY SOAP Katie Bouldin recently announced that she will begin selling her homemade luxury soaps at Re-Invintage Home, located at 3781 Franklin Rd. Bouldin is a Nashville native and mother of two with 20 years of business experience and several years of soap study, formulation and practice. Her soaps have also been sold at The Painted Tree, the Bell Buckle Arts & Craft Festival and many other events and locations.

“We are passionate about elevating bathing experiences with luxurious bar soap fi nely crafted of botanical oils and butters, clean fragrance and ingredients we trust,” according to Bouldin. “At the heart of our golden rule soapery will always be healthy skin, inner joy and artisan soap products.”

For more information on Skin Joy Soap, visit skinjoysoap.com.

’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ

BIG CREEK WINERY TASTING ROOM in Wartrace, now relocated from its previous location in Christiana, will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 5 to 8 p.m. The grand opening, sponsored by Wartrace Chamber of Commerce, is open to the public and will offer wine tastings, charcuterie boards, sweet treats, door prizes and more.

“We have relocated to the beautiful historic town of Wartrace. We hope you come celebrate with us and enjoy the charm of this small town. There are lots of locally-owned shops and boutiques, a bakery, and pizzeria to visit while here, so plan to make a day trip!” said Big Creek Winery Tasting Room owner and operator Candy Pomeroy.

The business is located at 100 Main St. E., Wartrace, and will be open Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 6 p.m., 1 to 8 p.m. on Friday, 12 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and 12 to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, visit facebook.com/bigcreekwinerytastingroom. CLOSINGS

VA GOLF COURSE will close, according to a recent statement from city offi cials. Effective Dec. 31, 2022, the property currently leased by the City of Murfreesboro for a 9-hole golf course near the Veterans Administration campus in Murfreesboro will return to VA management. The VA has plans for developing the land once the lease expires at the end of this year. City staff who are currently assigned to the VA Golf Course will be reassigned to other duties and positions.

HANDLEBARS, the 24-hour dive bar at 2601 E. Main St. popular with the area motorcycle community, remains closed following the death of business owner Mike Lewis. Lewis also owned a trucking company, an insurance company and Bojack’s Market in Rockvale.

The Old Fort Parkway BAR-B-CUTIE location has closed permanently. The building is available for lease.

CATHAY ASIAN BISTRO on Church Street has permanently closed. The restaurant did not specify what caused the recent closure, but many who visited the establishment recently commented that the restaurant was becoming outdated and was not as clean as it used to be. Despite this, many fans of the restaurant’s sushi and Japanese and Chinese fare expressed disappointment about the recent closure.

PUPUSERIA SALVADOREÑA has closed its Murfreesboro location on North Rutherford Boulevard near Thai Spice. Reportedly, the restaurant may reopen in another location, although details have not yet been released. The restaurant’s two locations in Antioch and Nashville remain open.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

Tim Otis recently relocated his restaurant, FKS KITCHEN, to 2804 S. Rutherford Blvd., beside Daily Buffet, at the Walmart shopping plaza. The new location is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. Since relocating, FKS Kitchen has upgraded its menu and is now offering live music on select evenings. For more information, visit facebook.com/fkskitchen.

SOUTHERN CRAVINGS, owned and operated by Teresa Waters, has opened at the former FKS Kitchen building at 2333 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Southern Cravings offers Southern meals and soul food including fried chicken, ribs, meatloaf, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, fried okra, potato wedges, pork chops, turnip greens and more. It offers an all-you-can-eat option for $23.99. Southern Cravings offers free deliveries in Murfreesboro on orders of at least $40 and also has discounts for students, seniors and military. For more information, call 615-617-3151.

, owned and operated by Teresa Waters, has opened at the former FKS Kitchen building at 2333 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Southern Cravings orders of at least $40 and also has discounts for students, seniors and military. For more information, call 615-617-3151.

OTHER NEWS

OVERFLOW—BREWS & BAKES is conducting a coat drive for the homeless as the cold weather sets in. The business will offer a free 12-ounce latte to anyone who donates a coat at the store.

Overfl ow is located at 115 N. Maple St., Murfreesboro.

CENTER FOR THE ARTS recently announced a new executive director.

“We are pleased to announce Regina Wilkerson Ward as our executive director and welcome her to the team,” said Director of Education Denise Parton. “Regina brings to us a new positive energy as well as a deep love, understanding and enthusiasm for the arts. We are very excited to have her on board!”

Regina holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication from MTSU and has 13 years of experience in fundraising, nonprofi t strategic growth and community leadership. She recently served as a regional philanthropy strategist for Bethany Christian Services, covering the east coast of the United States, and their global entities.

“I am excited about being able to engage the entire arts community in the work happening within The Center for the Arts and how we will continue to share the power of art with the community at large. I am an advocate for education and community growth. I believe that the incorporation of art into both of those spaces allows us all as individuals and as a community to thrive,” Ward said.

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Trained by His Father

Local Tennessee Furniture and Lionel Train dealer Thor Rankin remains a man in motion

THOR RANKIN, the proprietor of Thor’s Furniture and Lionel Trains on Medical Center Parkway, is a staple in Murfreesboro. In the midst of all the Marvel Universe popularity, I had to ask the Murfreesboro businessman if Thor is even his real name. He said it is, and his parents got the name from a movie.

Oddly enough, the parkway his store is on was named Lokey until recent years. Loki is the mythical brother of the Nordic god Thor, but Rankin insists the name had nothing to do with the selection of the shop location.

Rankin opened his furniture store in 1986 and has worked there nearly every day since. One Christmas, he went on vacation to Gatlinburg and saw some of the toy shops there. Rankin fell in love with the model railroad sets, and Thor’s became an authorized Lionel Train dealer in 1994.

He is not the fi rst retailer in his family. His grandfather opened a clothing store in Clarksville over a century ago. Thor’s father later took over the business, relocating it to Alabama and then to Murfreesboro. His father continued in retail, selling Levi’s jeans until the late ’90s.

Thor initially set off down a different path in business. As a teenager, he was an assistant for local auctioneer Colonel Tom Dement.

A few years later, he would earn his own auctioneers license. With that, he learned how to appraise antique furniture. That skill has served Rankin well all these years. He currently sells bookcases, pantries, chests of drawers, chairs and porch rockers, most made by hand right here in Tennessee.

But what many local people think of when thinking about Thor’s is the big assortment of model trains. Shoppers from all over Middle Tennessee and beyond pop in and buy something to add to their own sets. Even people from as far as South America and Japan stop in to see the collection.

And it is defi nitely a trip to take! From the moment you walk in, you will see model train engines, cars, cabooses, landscape pieces, buildings, pieces of rail in various gauges and other accessories from fl oor to ceiling. There are several tracks set up with different size trains making the rounds. One can defi nitely be captivated watching all the action and trying to guess which engine will pop out of a tunnel next. It’s like Christmas year-round!

“A lot of engineers got their start with model railroads when they were kids,” Rankin said. “A lot of the cars you see driving down the road, or the planes and rockets in the sky, the designers behind them got their start with train sets.”

He accredits being in business for so long to his father, who gave him some advice years ago.

“You have to have reasonable rent. That’s key to keeping your overhead down. Of course, a good location helps,” the store owner says. “And you have to have a good accountant. Taxes can be complicated, as the laws often change.”

That is certainly sound advice for anyone in business for themselves.

“If ever you were self-employed, you will never go to work for someone else,” Rankin said. I’m not certain that entrepreneurial philosophy is necessarily true for everyone, but the man’s love of his business and what he does is defi nitely apparent.

And he loves playing his music, too. Especially bluegrass and rockabilly. He has even been featured as an entertainer at the Tennessee State Fair.

To conclude, Thor said, “I want people to support all of the local businesses, not just shop with me. Shop local and the money stays local. It’s important to support all of the mom-and-pop shops. These are the people who pay local property taxes, support the local charities and support the local ball teams.”

Stop by his modelers depot, Thor’s Furniture and Lionel Trains, located at 416 Medical Center Pkwy., Suite F, or give him a call at 615-895-6918. He enjoys it when people just to stop by and say “hello” and to see the trains run—and he might even serenade you with a little music.

Blaine Little is the founder and CEO of Momentum Seminars Training and Coaching, a veteran owned business, helping companies remain profi table 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.