Starting Monday, there will be a new food truck on the block in Starkville.
Grenada native Hunter Bell is building his roots in Starkville with the incoming Mom and Pop Food Truck and Catering business.
The recent graduate of Mississippi University for Women’s culinary program said he wants to offer a twist on breakfast cuisine. Specializing in breakfast wraps, sandwiches and quiche, the food stop will advertise its menu and location on its Facebook page. Once quarantines end and a sense of normalcy returns, Bell said you can enjoy breakfast and lunch at Mom and Pop from 6 a.m.-2 p.m.
“My wife and I were thinking of a name and just about what we wanted it to be,” Bell said. “We wanted to keep it simple, like a mom and pop shop, and there it was and it just kind of stuck.”
Check out Mom and Pop on Monday morning and grab yourself a mom wrap with eggs, sausage, tomatoes, corn and black bean salsa, avocado, and spinach topped with chipotle mayo, or try the pop wrap on for size with eggs, sausage, cheese, jalapenos and bacon jelly.
Another business in Starkville has been on the move, albeit right next door to its old location. Fleur-de-lis Flowers and Gifts moved from 222 to 220 E. Main St.
The shop opened at its new location last week and will host a grand opening in the future.
Fleur-de-lis is open for curbside pick-up or delivery. Remember, be sure to support your local businesses during these trying times. For the Easter season, you can support a local florist or gift shop by sprucing up your dinner table with hydrangeas or a decorative centerpiece.
Moving to incoming business news, West Point is adding another restaurant. The fast food joint Jack’s will open by the end of May at 6795 Hwy. 45 S.
Jack’s first opened in 1960 in Homewood, Alabama. Since then, Jack’s has expanded throughout the Southeast with more than 145 locations in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia.
Things have changed since the last business column. Let’s take a look at how our area stores have increased safety measures since the statewide shelter in place order was enacted on Friday.
Nationwide, stores are limiting hours, initiating a senior citizen shopping hour and limiting the number of customers allowed in stores at once, in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus.
Kroger has limited its shoppers to 50 percent of the building’s capacity. For example, typically the grocery store allows one shopper for every 60 square feet. Now, stores will only allow one shopper for every 120 square feet. When that maximum capacity has been reached, customers will line up outside the door, six feet apart, and enter as other customers leave.
In addition to limiting the number of customers, Kroger has also placed purchase limits on items in “high demand” such as cleaning supplies, latex gloves, toilet paper and more.
Kroger stores in Columbus and Starkville are open 7 a.m.-9 p.m., with 7-8 a.m. Monday through Thursday reserved for senior shoppers 60 and older.
Walmart, which cut its store hours March 18, has continued to make changes across the board.
Store officials are encouraging shoppers to bring the “least number” of people possible when shopping at its stores. Since Saturday, stores have limited the number of customers to approximately 20 percent of building capacity, no more than five customers for every 1,000 square feet.
Stores now have queues at their doors, with markings about six feet apart, for when stores reach maximum capacity. A store associate will then allow shoppers in on a “1-out-1-in” basis.
Walmart has also designated every Tuesday the first hour of operation is reserved for customers 60 and older.
As with the trends, Tractor Supply has made some changes. The rural lifestyle retailer unrolled its new-curbside pick-up for those who purchased products online and want to limit social interactions. If you’re in desperate need for Tractor Supply goods but don’t want to leave your house at all, the company has also unrolled its same day and next day delivery to meet that need. Corporate officials said the store is continuing to change as new details are released to continue and promote social distancing throughout its stores.
Stores have also added a greeter that limits customers in the store in addition to cleaning carts and registers. Every Wednesday from 8-9 a.m. is reserved for customers 60 and older.
Remember to give when you can, help when you’re able and as always, be safe.
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