BIZ // innovation

When One Business DoorCloses, Another One Opens

by Dustin Cardon

One of the sadder hardships to witness over the course of this pandemic has been the indefinite closings of many locally owned businesses. Nevertheless, Jackson has a way of encouraging entrepreneurs to open new businesses and programs to bolster our local economy. Read on to learn of the several additions the metro area has welcomed over the last quarter.

Black Axes Throwing Club at The Outlets

Black Axes Throwing Club, a family-owned axe throwing club for which customers compete in throwing an axe at a target, opened at The Outlets of Mississippi in October.

In addition to indoor axe-throwing equipment, Black Axes offers pool tables, dart boards, food, flat screen televisions and a bar. Black Axes also operates a mobile axe-throwing trailer for events. Black Axes is a member of the International Axe Throwing Federation, which establishes competitive rules and safety standards for the sport.

Black Axes is open on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., on Fridays from 6 p.m. to midnight, and on Saturdays from 3 p.m. to midnight. For more information or to book in advance, visit blackaxesms.com. Walk-ins are welcome on Thursdays and Sundays.

For more information, call 769-972- 3000 or visit outletsofms.com.

Inaka Tea Company

Belhaven resident Chat Phillips launched his own bottled beverage business, Inaka Tea Company, in Jackson in October. Phillips sells homemade barley tea, which is a variety popular in Japan and Korea in which tea leaves are prepared in a roaster in a manner similar to coffee beans.

Phillips learned to make barley tea while living in Japan and working as a consultant for international companies in 2010. He roasted his own barley at home to serve to friends and, after returning to the United States, decided to start selling the tea in Jackson due to its scarcity in the U.S.

Inaka Tea is available in original, mint and ginger flavors. The tea comes in 16-ounce glass bottles, which are roughly $2.49 apiece, though the price may vary by retailer. Phillips sells his tea through local retailers and is also opening an online store at inakatea.com.

For more information, follow Inaka Tea Company on Instagram @inaka_tea or on Facebook @drinkinaka.

Thailicious Restaurant Opens in Jackson

A new destination for Thai food in Jackson, Thailicious Restaurant, opened for business in October.

The menu at Thailicious includes appetizers such as crab rangoon, edamame, egg rolls, fried calamari, gyoza and more. The restaurant also offers noodle dishes such as pad thai, lo mein and pad woon sen, as well as red, green, yellow and pineapple curry.

Chef specials include crunchy chicken, sweet and sour chicken, orange chicken, grilled chicken teriyaki and more. The restaurant also serves Thaifried rice, pineapple fried rice and stirfried dishes such as broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, ginger, spicy basil and more.

Thailicious is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call 601- 398-1456 or find the restaurant on Facebook.

A Thailicious Restaurant favorite is Thai-fried rice.

Mississippi Health Access Exchange

In November, the Mississippi State Medical Association partnered with patient data and technology organization KONZA to establish a physician-led statewide electronic health information exchange called the Mississippi Health Access Exchange.

The program allows physicians and other clinicians to securely share important patient information at the point of care, a release from MSMA says. Patients can view their medical information from participating providers through a single patient portal, while physicians and other clinicians can meet quality reporting obligations under federal and commercial health plan payment systems.

For more information about the Mississippi Health Access Exchange and participant benefits, visit mhax.org.

Stuffed Asian Street Food at Cultivation Food Hall

California native Rachel Phuong Le, owner of the Poké Stop sushi restaurant at Cultivation Food Hall at the District at Eastover, launched a new restaurant in September inside the food hall called Stuffed Asian Street Food.

Stuffed serves a variety of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese street food, all with a stuffed theme. The menu includes items such as Chinese egg rolls, Japanese dumplings, Chinese steamed bao buns and more.

The main attraction of the restaurant is Vietnamese banh mi, a type of sandwich similar to a po-boy. Stuffed’s bahn mi are all Le’s own recipes and feature meats cooked and marinated inhouse, including pork belly, lemongrass beef, Asian fried shrimp and more.

Stuffed is open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, find the restaurant on Facebook @stuffedjxn.

La Brioche Pop-up Shop at Highland Village

La Brioche Patisserie in Jackson partnered with Highland Village Shopping Center in September to open a temporary pop-up shop in its courtyard.

La Brioche’s pop-up stand sells a rotating assortment of eight gelato flavors, including flavors such as strawberry, mango, chocolate, coffee, sorbet and more. The shop also sells 12 flavors of macarons as well as seasonal flavors for fall and winter.

The Highland Village La Brioche stand will remain open through February 2021. The shop is open Monday through Thursday from 10 am. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For information, visit highlandvillagejxn.com or labriochems.com.

La Brioche’s temporary pop-up shop in the Highland Village courtyard offers a rotating assortment of eight gelato flavors, and will through February 2021.

Expanded Health Insurance Market for Mississippi

Molina Healthcare of Mississippi expanded its health insurance marketplace this November from 19 counties to all 82 counties in the state. In addition to its healthcare exchange, Molina offers services for Medicaid members through MississippiCAN and the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Members of Molina’s marketplace can receive free preventive care services including screenings, family planning and preventive drugs, a release from Molina says. Molina marketplace plans also include telemedicine services for the same copay as a primary care visit.

Open enrollment for Molina’s marketplace in Mississippi runs through Dec. 15 for a membership effective date of Jan. 1, 2021. For more information on enrollment, visit choosemolina.com. For more information on Molina Healthcare, visit molinahealthcare.com.

Send business-related news tips to dustin@ jacksonfreepress.com.