It didn’t take long for Columbus to find a successor for Hollyhock’s. The downtown staple at 204 Fifth St. S. closed this May after nearly 30 years of business. Angie Atkins has already started fixing up the space to open Florals on Fifth – Gift and Flower Shop. For the past year, Atkins has operated her shop out of Ali Kat’s, her daughter’s downtown boutique.

“It’s definitely going to be a great location, and we’re really excited about it,” Atkins said. “… We want to be your local florist. We want to be the place you go to for weddings, funerals and we really just want to complement downtown.”

With her new location, Atkins said the space will allow her to expand her business. Hoping to open in July, the floral and gift shop will have glassware, pottery, baby gift items, Tyler candles, Beatriz Ball, cocktail mixers, grab-and-go floral arrangements and more.

Though Florals on Fifth is fairly new, Atkins, owner of 25-year-old businesses Angie’s Catering and Floral Design and Events on Fifth, is no stranger to the floral market. Once officially open, you can check out the new space from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Stay up to date with Florals on Fifth on their social media.

Fear not. Atkins fully intends to carry on the beloved Stella Shouting Contest, a quirky downtown tradition launched in 2009 by former Hollyhocks owner Gloria Herriott. Contestants belt out their best Stanley Kowalski impression, screaming “Stella!” in honor of Columbus’ own Tennessee Williams and his iconic play, “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Also making moves in Columbus is Shemeka Williams-Payne, the founder of Little Legends, a Montessori-based after-school program opened in Columbus in 2024. Now, she’s expanding her vision with plans to open a full pre-K through 12th grade Montessori school called Tomorrow’s Legends Academy.

Williams-Payne will host a public interest meeting at 11 a.m. on July 12, offering a question and answer session along with details on enrollment, tuition and support services.

After quickly outgrowing her initial space, she recently relocated to 925 Tabernacle Road – the former home of Tomorrow’s Pride – to accommodate the school’s growing footprint.

The Montessori model emphasizes self-directed, hands-on learning where students progress at their own pace, encouraging independence, collaboration and creativity in the classroom.

Moving out toward New Hope, check out the latest spot for Mexican food.

Birria Bros, located at 246 Hillcrest Dr., is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The new spot serves various items including quesadillas, tacos, tortas, quesabirria and more.

Moving over to Starkville, it looks like a new Dollar Tree is moving in.

Starkville City Planner Daniel Havelin confirmed that a Dollar Tree is moving into the former Owens Outfitters at Middleton Court. I did reach out to Dollar Tree to see if this location is in addition to or may replace the current location, but did not hear back by press time on Wednesday.

See y’all next week!

Former Dispatch reporter Mary Pollitz writes weekly about interesting business news. Have a tip? Send it to [email protected].