Nothing says spring is upon us like a good clean-up.

With that in mind, Ashley Home Store at 1721 Hwy. 45 N. in Columbus is closing on March 5 for a month-long renovation, store manager Josh Moorehead said.

Moorehead told me the renovation has been a long time coming and that it will include an updated logo on the front of the building, creating an open floor plan. Even the walls will be repainted with a new cream-white color.

“A lot of the walls are going to be torn out to give it more of an open floor plan with a modern look,” he said.

Moorehead said the store had undergone a few other touch-ups like repainting and scheduled maintenance since opening in its current location in 2006, but this is a much more involved affair and will take all of March to complete.

The store is also offering a 50 percent discount on all furniture until its closing day, so if you need a new couch on a budget, that’s the place to be.

Moving south, Slim Chickens at 1923 Hwy. 45 N. is creeping closer to opening, though the buildout has hit a few minor snags, contractor Frank Culpepper said.

Culpepper said the restaurant’s interior buildout is all but complete. Still, some of the landscaping work, which some of you may have noticed as it blocked traffic on the road earlier this week, has taken a little longer than expected as well as HVAC units not being delivered on time.

“Hopefully, construction will be done within the next two weeks,” he said. “We had to get the HVAC units shipped and delivered. Then the other one was MDOT (Mississippi Department of Transportation). We had to get a survey on that and then get lane closure approval, get a permit, close the lane off, pour concrete and tie into it with asphalt. So, that was just a minor delay, but it’s done now.”

The restaurant is now expected to open in April, Culpepper said.

But Slim Chickens isn’t the only restaurant falling behind the line.

Sol Y Luna, a new Mexican restaurant coming to the former Logan’s Roadhouse at 589 18th Ave. N. has yet to open.

Owner Felipe Hernandez previously said he had hoped to be up and running by Valentine’s Day, but the closed doors and empty parking lot tell a different story.

I couldn’t reach Hernandez, but I did drive by the new restaurant and saw the place was pretty much ready to rumble with furniture and even a few beers chilling in the fridge behind the bar. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see for now.

Moving east on Highway 182, Barksdale Catfish Lakes at 130 Hillcrest Drive in East Columbus will open on March 1 and have a grand opening ceremony on March 4.

Tony and Jennifer Hannah previously said they were thrilled to open up the new fishing business, and I could not be happier for them.

For those willing to put it “on the line,” fishing at the lake costs $2 and an additional $2.85 for every pound of fish caught and taken home.

Customers can also pay $3.85 per pound for cut and filet service. Once open, the business will run until November, when the lake will close for the winter.

Finally, my friends, it would appear that El Rodeo, a new Mexican restaurant located in the Triangle Crossing Shopping Center at 665 Hwy. 12 W in Starkville, is making strides in its buildout.

Castle Properties developer Luke Castleberry told me the business is initially shooting to open by the end of March and has completed the initial plumbing work necessary before any serious decor gets put in there.

“They’re running a lot slower than I imagined,” he said. “But they have all their utilities in. So I think it’ll start moving a little faster now.”

Well, folks, 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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