Harbor Freight is planning a Starkville location.
Y’all, as a confident (but not quite competent) weekend warrior, I’m stoked about this one. According to City Planner Daniel Havelin, the tool and equipment retailer has filed a building permit that is currently under review. Harbor Freight will take the place of the outgoing Home Store Furnishings at 311 Hwy. 12 W. in Middleton Court shopping center.
Harbor Freight is a California-based business, with more than 1,500 locations nationwide and more than 7,500 tools and products. Eric Smidt, along with his father Allan, started Harbor Freight in 1977 in North Hollywood. This is very new news, so I haven’t heard back from Harbor Freight yet, but keep an eye out for details soon.
929 Coffee Bar served its last latte Saturday at 106 E. Main St. Good news though, the coffee shop is just moving locations. The Dispatch hadn’t heard back from owners by press time Thursday, but the company posted online last week that details would be released soon about its next location.
“We’re not sure how long it will be before our grand reopening,” the post read. “…We want to thank all of you for the support and love our loyal community has given us. See you soon.”
John Hughes would be happy to see a familiar face moving back to where it all began. In the simplest terms with the most convenient definitions, The Breakfast Club is moving back to 105 Eckford Drive. TBC closed its Research Park location Friday, with an reopening date yet to be announced. Once open, TBC will start serving breakfast and lunch seven days a week.
The Joint, previously located at 105 Eckford Drive, announced online it is “moooooving” (I may have missed an o) to the Jackson area. Craig Fant confirmed the restaurant’s move. Fant’s wife Michele owns The Joint, along with Taste and Bluto’s, and he said they plan to reopen in the Ridgeland area by next summer.
Xover0, a small Mississippi-based jewelry brand, will have a Netflix film debut. “Uglies” starring Joey King premieres Sept. 13 and her character is wearing one of the company’s signature necklaces, the geohart pendant. The company, founded in 2016 in Los Angeles, relocated to Starkville in 2019. According to its press release, this spotlight helps show off the craftsmanship of Mississippi. Check out the designs and jewelry from the company’s co-founders Duane McLemore and Katherine Voorhie at xover0.com.
“It’s beyond thrilling,” Voorhies said. “It’s a proud moment for Duane and I, and we hope this brings attention not just to our business but to the incredible talent and creativity that thrives in Mississippi.”
West Coast Furniture Framers, originally based in California, could be moving to the Friendly City.
Owner Javier Galiana purchased the former American Trouser property at 605 17th St. S. and said he is preparing to start interviews and operations in the coming months.
Galiana is discussing name changes for the company but hasn’t officially coined anything yet. He opened the company in 2017 in Hesperia, California, working with United Furniture Industries and Lane Furniture before their closures in 2022. Since then, West Coast Furniture Framers transitioned to fully upholstered furniture at “affordable rates” while still making their own frames.
Galiana has been in the furniture industry for more than 14 years.
The former American Trouser property is more than 11 acres with buildings totaling 162,000 square feet that shuttered more than two decades ago.
We’ll have more updates as this project progresses.
Whew, that’s a busy week in business, but keep those tips coming. I’ll see y’all next week.
Former Dispatch reporter Mary Pollitz writes weekly about interesting business news. Have a tip, send it to her at [email protected].
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