For all my friends who have been blowing up my phone daily, I finally have the answer you’ve been waiting for. 7 Brew in Starkville is officially opening its doors on May 4.

I caught up with Hailey Nicley, the new stand operations lead, who confirmed the date. In the meantime, you might see some 7 Brew folks delivering samples around town.

Mark your calendars for May 9, which is the official grand opening. If you order a large drink that day, you’ll snag a free T-shirt. I almost kept that detail to myself because I want to make sure I get one, but I suppose it’s my duty to keep you informed. It also happens to be my friend Olivia’s birthday, and since she’s been one of the primary “When is it opening?” texters, I’d say the timing is perfect.

7 Brew first opened in Rogers, Arkansas, in 2017 with a simple concept: seven original coffees, hence the name. Fast forward to today, and the brand has expanded to more than 530 stands nationwide with a menu that includes energy chillers, teas, lemonades, lattes, mochas, chai, smoothies and shakes.

Moving over to Columbus, a local staple is seeing a changing of the guard. After 50 years in the business, Tommy Johnson is hanging up his hat at Johnson Carpet Center. At 88 years old, Tommy told me he’s ready to spend more time at the hunting club, fishing and some well-deserved time watching Mississippi State baseball.

“I’ve been doing it for 50 years, so I figured it’s time,” Johnson said.

Longtime store manager Cindy Morgan will still run the ship, and her son, Jason Morgan, is actually the one purchasing the business.

“Everything will still be the same,” Johnson said.

Johnson Carpet Center, 1825 Main St., opened in 1972 and offers a range of services from hard tiles, carpet, LVTs, wall coverings and more.

Johnson said that he’s been lucky after working in this industry since the 1960s.

“We’ve been so fortunate and have had good people,” he said about his tenured business. “It’s not me, it’s the people.”

He added that Morgan will take over sometime next month.

Johnson Carpet Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Also in town, the Columbus Tractor Supply store, 4010 Hwy. 45, is hosting a farmers market on Saturday with locally-grown, fresh produce, arts and crafts, canned goods, food trucks and more.

Check it out from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“This is a great opportunity for members of our community to support local farmers while also getting to enjoy deliciously fresh food,” said Fernando Palomino, manager of the Columbus store in a press release. “As a company, we believe in fostering community relationships while supporting the rural lifestyle, and this event allows us to do just that.”

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