Columbus has been waiting for the better part of a year for its latest vendor of frozen treats. Well, the wait is over.
Dairy Queen, located at 1902 Hwy. 45 N. finally opened April 20 after more than nine months of renovations and set up to the building that once housed Jimmy John’s.
General Manager Amanda Cathey told me she and her team came prepared Thursday as more than 500 people visited the new location for one of their legendary blizzards, ice cream pops and meal options.
“I think it went smoothly,” Cathay said. “Everyone was talking about how excited they were that Dairy Queen was here.”
Cathey also said she was happy to finally have the store open and that she and her staff look forward to serving the fine folks of Columbus.
But Columbus isn’t the only town spicing up the restaurant industry.
In West Point, Cinco Hermanos Taco Shop, a Mexican restaurant chain started in Corinth, is moving into the old Wing King building at 6984 Hwy. 45 Alt. N.
The company opened in Corinth in 2021, but it now seems owner Silvestre Jaimes Delgado is looking to break into West Point with the business’ second location.
I tried to contact Delgado, but I never heard back. I hope the renovation of the former chicken restaurant goes smoothly for him and his team, and I look forward to hearing more.
Moving back to Columbus, Friendly City Mini Warehouse manager Courtney Laury said the self storage business is looking to stretch their storage space business at its Highway 45 North location near Columbus Air Force Base.
Laury said the business, which is owned by The Commercial Dispatch, will start on the expansion project within the next few weeks and will add 150 storage units to the 158 it already has on site.
Friendly City Mini Warehouses opened those first 158 units in spring 2022, but with 95% of the units filled up right now, it just feels like it’s time to double up, Laury said.
“There is a demand for it out there,” Laury said. “Of course, there is the Air Force Base, and we have a lot of air force people coming in and going out. … Again, we opened that facility in April of last year, and we pretty much filled it up within, I would say, three or four months.”
Moving to a broader perspective, it would appear two locally owned bookstores in the Golden Triangle are celebrating Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday with various sales, games and even a reading of “Salvage This World” a novel by Michael Farris Smith.
Friendly City Books, located at 118 Fifth St. N., will hold a doorbuster sale for its children’s and genre fiction sections, with 15% off on those genres and 30% off signed novels until Smith arrives for a book reading at 1 p.m.
In Starkville, Carolyn Abadie, owner of Book Mart and Cafe located at 120 E. Main St., is holding a day of readings from Smith from 11 a.m. to noon and several games for kids to win prizes like gift cards during the all-day celebration. At 2 p.m., she will even feature local poets to read and discuss their work.
Finally, my friends, we circle back around to Columbus. Unfortunately, every business that opens does eventually close.
Shoe Dept. located inside Leigh Mall at 1404 Old Aberdeen Road has closed.
District Manager Todd Morris said the store’s last day in business was Friday.
Well, folks, that’s all for now. Make sure to check back in next week for more goings on in business.
Dispatch reporter Grant McLaughlin writes about business openings and closings, as well as other unique business news. Send business tips to [email protected].
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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