Exciting news continues to boom in Starkville. The former Rex Theater on Main Street will have a new “Glo” by the end of this year.
According to Glo’s press release, the Rex Theater will undergo a $1.2 million renovation through a partnership between Glo, Castle Properties and the Starkville Masonic Lodge.
Glo’s new permanent home will be the latest evolution to the company that began as a class project-turned-startup business through the Mississippi State University College of Business. Originally a drink light maker, the company has since expanded to also make light-up bath and body products.
Glo founder Hagan Walker and his business partner Anna Barker have been on the lookout for a larger property for the company, which currently operates out of a former house on the corner of East Lampkin and Montgomery streets.
“We’re so excited to firmly place our roots in Starkville,” Walker said in a press release. “What started in a 30 square-foot closet as a student startup, Glo has transformed into a local business employing more than 15 members of our community.”
The Rex Theater, at 103 W. Main St., might just be the new hidden gem downtown. The site’s history goes back more than a century when the Freemasons purchased the property at the corner of Main and Washington Street in 1906. Although the original lodge was destroyed in a 1929 fire, it was rebuilt in 1931 where the Rex Theater was built on the ground level.
“Even as a member, I was unaware of the former glory of this space,” said Starkville Freemason Kyle Jordan. “When I became Master of the lodge, I had high hopes of restoring our building so we could shift our focus from maintaining our property to philanthropic efforts, member outreach and retention.”
Throughout the renovation process, Mark Castleberry, owner of Castle Properties, will work with the National Parks Service and Mississippi Department of Archives and History to ensure the building’s history remains intact.
“I’m absolutely elated that we have found a place that allows us to stay in Starkville and a partnership with Mark and The Masonic Lodge will help revitalize our downtown,” Walker said.
Speaking of Glo, Glo Pals is now partnering with an all-time favorite children’s show, “Sesame Street.” Sunny days, sweeping the clouds away, Glo’s kid-friendly light-up cubes for bath time will soon feature your favorite “Sesame Street” characters.
Elsewhere in Starkville, it’s been years of planning, changing and anxious waiting, but Humble Taco has finally found its place.
Chef Ty Thames, of Eat Local Starkville, confirmed to The Dispatch he hopes to open the Southern-style Mexican restaurant in the former City Bagel building (511 University Drive) in time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
Humble Taco will be added to the eateries owned by Eat Local Starkville, which includes The Guest Room, Bin 612 and Restaurant Tyler.
Initially, the locally-sourced eatery was slated to open at the corner of Highway 182 and Jackson Street, the former Humble Oil Service Station. With construction costs and location changes, Thames said he’s finally glad to see the restaurant’s opening date within his sights.
“It has been a long road, there’s no doubt about it,” Thames said. “There’s been ups and downs. You can’t control life. … It’s been a lot of changes, but we finally got to where we pulled the trigger on it. It’s still a little nerve-wracking, but we are excited about bringing this offering to Starkville.”
With the new restaurant opening, Thames said Restaurant Tyler General Manger Hunter Smith will be added as a partner and operate the new eatery.
In Columbus, you may have noticed another business pop-up on Frontage Road near The Granite Guys.
TraxPlus, a forestry and construction sales, parts and service company, opened a location at the start of this year at 2891 S. Frontage Road. TraxPlus first opened in Hickory in 2013. Representatives from TraxPlus said the company expanded to Summit and Columbus to “meet the needs of its customers.”
Check out TraxPlus Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Headed out toward East Columbus, Furniture Medic by Southern Restoration opened late last year. The furniture repair company, owned by Suzy Robertson and Chad Thomas, is located at 2412 Hwy. 69 S. and is managed by Stephen Farrar.
Farrar said Furniture Medic can restore water and fire damage, reface and refinish cabinetry, furniture refinishing and re-polishing, and on-site furniture repair.
Furniture Medic first opened in 1992 and now has more than 300 independently owned and operated franchises in more than 40 states.
If you’re in need of a furniture fix that’s got you in a pinch, give Farrar a call at 662-328-2784.
For Thomas, the need to open Furniture Medic in Columbus was simple: the high demand of furniture repair, both commercial and residential.
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