Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

January 4, 2007 issue

High Country Press Business Spotlight: 2006 in Review

Story by Sam Calhoun

The High Country—or any community for that matter—is defined by its local business people. Whether born and raised here or from out of town, these entrepreneurial spirits believe in the area so much that they have decided to meld, share and align their business passions with the everyday goings-on of the region. 

Over time, these businesses become the community. They are the community landmarks that visitors and locals could not imagine Boone, Blowing Rock, Seven Devils, Foscoe, Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain without.

Starting in May 2006, High Country Press created a column to celebrate these businesses and the people who run them.

From learning about the dreams that led to new housing developments to the compelling back stories behind a local cab company, from getting to know the owners of many downtown businesses to unearthing the secrets that help them survive, it was a pleasure to hear their stories and hopefully was a helpful insight for our readers.

The Business Spotlight will continue in 2007 but here’s a look back at who we visited in 2006.

 

Razzberry’s Celebrates A Birthday, A Move, An Old Friend

Published May 25, 2006

Boone’s natural food market, Razzberry’s, marked its 17th year in business in 2006. In the past few years, the store owned by Buzz Beeson moved from its longtime location at the now-demolished Log Village on Blowing Rock Road to the Heritage Court shopping center on Highway 105 to its current location at Winkler’s Creek Crossing behind Boone Mall. 

Beeson and his store manager Dee Dee Grant expressed their goal for preserving local, independently owned businesses, discussing how their operation faces from chain stores, corporations and franchises.

“If people don’t shop at independent stores, this is a dinosaur,” said Grant.

Beeson continued, “Shoppers will determine if Boone is a place for locally owned businesses or a corporate town. It’s a decision that each person makes to determine the town’s future.”

At the new location, Beeson and Grant welcome customers to shop for specialty groceries, organic produce, health supplements, beauty supplies, pet needs, organic wines and products to treat the body, mind and soul.

For more information, call 828-265-2700.   [full story]

 

Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant: Still Cooking With “Passion”

Published June 1, 2006

Since January 1995, Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant has been a fixture on the Blowing Rock dining scene, receiving praise not only from loyal customers, but also from newspaper and magazine critics in North Carolina and as far away as New York.

Relying on a menu that brims with inventive takes on what owner and chef Jimmy Crippen calls “modern American cuisine,” the restaurant and several dedicated employees made it to their twelfth year of operation in 2006.

While a number of establishments have come and gone during the restaurant’s tenure on Sunset Drive, Crippen insisted that the feel of Blowing Rock has more or less remained the same.

“The biggest change in town has been the quality of food,” said Crippen. “Everybody has stepped it up.”

But Crippen implements change often at his establishment to keep it fresh. From offering the unique chocolate steak to hosting theme dinners, from aligning with many annual festivals in Blowing Rock to filming a live cooking show, Crippen’s is constantly reinventing itself—a theme that will continue in 2007.

For more information, call 828-295-3487.    [full story]

 

Back From The Ashes: The Best Cellar In Blowing Rock: New Beginnings, Same Style

Published June 8, 2006

On May 1, 2006, one of the oldest restaurants in Blowing Rock—The Best Cellar—burned to the ground, destroying almost everything. Owners Rob Dyer and Lisa Stripling and their employees were devastated, as were many locals and visitors who had religiously frequented the old log cabin behind Food Lion in Blowing Rock.

But you can’t keep a good restaurant down. On June 12, the restaurant reopened its doors at a new location—The Inn at Ragged Gardens on Sunset Drive.

What was thought to be a temporary move turned into a permanent one. Toward the end of 2006, plans to rebuild on the charred restaurant’s footprint were abandoned and a new chapter in the restaurant’s history began. Dyer and Stripling bought The Inn at Ragged Gardens and settled at the new location—a location where guests can now spend the night if they wish. 

The new location is in addition to The Best Cellar at Linville.

For more information, call 828-295-3466.  [full story]

 

Lettuce and Lobelia—Choices Abound at Charlotte’s Green House: Family-Owned Valle Crucis Business Celebrates 30 Years

Published June 15, 2006

Down a gravel drive off Dewitt Barnett Road in Valle Crucis is a 100-year-old family farmhouse with a nursery on the grounds that celebrated its 30th year in 2006. Charlotte’s Green House—the business of mother and daughter team Charlotte Frost and Sharlie Siegmund—is one of the High Country’s agricultural mainstays.

Charlotte’s Green House is a multifaceted operation. In their two greenhouses, the two women grow 12 varieties of specialty lettuce, as well as annuals, perennials and herbs.

More than 400 varieties of plants are available at Charlotte’s Green House, and Sharlie also has a complementary business in edible flowers, including nasturtiums, tuberous begonias, violas and pansies.

While the lettuce operation remains strong, the flower end of the business has changed over the past five years with the growth of plant sales at big box stores. Impulse buys at the large stores have had an impact on sales at Charlotte’s Green House.

Contrary to what some consumers believe, the big chain stores that sell plants do not buy their stock locally, but purchase from huge factory-type farms in warmer climates with acres and acres of greenhouses and enormous labor forces. The price competition posed by such operations and the easy accessibility of blooming plants in stores’ parking lots along High Country highways makes it difficult for small family-owned operations such as Charlotte’s Green House to remain viable.

One of the strategies the two women has devised is to raise new colors of flower varieties each year for returning customers.

For more information, call 828-963-5974. [full story]

 

Banner Elk Winery and The Villa at the Blueberry Farm: The High Country’s First Winery

Published June 22, 2006

In 2006, the High Country got its first winery—a winery that has gone on to win multiple awards throughout the year, namely for its blueberry wine and Cabernet Sauvignon. Dr. Richard Wolf—the same person responsible for setting up test vineyards around the High Country, prodding along the ASU viticulture program and being a forefather for the southwest Virginia wine industry—proved many naysayers wrong by growing grapes in the High Country. Told that the mountains of North Carolina were too high and cold for good grape growing, Wolf answered by growing French-American hybrid and American grapes that flourish at elevations above 3,000 feet and can withstand the High Country weather. On the property co-owned by Wolf and Banner Elk businessman Angelo Accetturo, the Banner Elk Winery is selling as much wine as it produces and has plans to expand its stock in 2007.

For more information, call 828-898-9099.  [full story]

 

The Lodges At Eagles Nest: Summer Camp For Adults… That You Can Live In

Published June 29, 2006

Readers got a glimpse into the mind of builder John Turchin as he explained his impetus for creating a summer camp for adults on the south side of Beech Mountain—The Lodges At Eagles Nest.

Perched on over 1,300 acres, Turchin created as much a lifestyle as he did homesites at Eagles Nest. Based on memories from summer camps romanticized in imagination, Eagles Nest features a toy barn, a large amphitheater, an equestrian center, multiple barbecue pavilions, rope bridges, art centers and many more activities for homeowners and visitors to explore while high on a mountain.

For more information, call 828-898-8645.  [full story]

 

John Davis & Banner Elk Realty: Selling The Past and Future of the High Country

Published July 6, 2006

Real estate is one of the most vibrant economic markets in the High Country and John Davis of Banner Elk Realty helped illuminate some of the buying and selling trends associated with the last few decades of the trade. Davis explained two terms of “explosive growth” of High Country market conditions in the article—one in 1983, 1984 and 1985 and one over the past three years. He also covered the slowdowns in the market—one from 1986 to 1990 and one that we are about to experience. In this upcoming “cooling period,” he expects middle- to low-income families to have a better chance to live where they work.

Davis said his business secret of success is listening to his customers to find them exactly what they want.

For more information, call 828-898-9756.    [full story]

 

Grandview Restaurant: Allowing People To Sleep In And Still Get Breakfast For 30 Years

Published July 13, 2006

Thirty years ago, there wasn’t a place to find a good cup of coffee between Boone and Banner Elk. That all changed when Debbie and Greg Cairns, united in marriage for 33 years, opened the Grandview Restaurant on Highway 105 near the entrance to Seven Devils.

Working off a romance that began at an IHOP in Miami, the Cairns have made a living operating a business—with a grand view of Grandfather Mountain—that has stood the test of time by serving breakfast, lunch and dinner all day long. With a host of regulars and longtime employees, survival has been based on consistency in both food and service.

For more information, call 828-963-4573. [full story]

 

Grandfather Trout Farm: An Anglers’ Destination For 22 Years

Published July 20, 2006

It’s hard to find an owner such as Bill Wilkinson of the Grandfather Mountain Trout Farm who has worked harder trying to preserve his passion. His longest stint without a day off is 210 days, showing that his determination for survival is still as strong as it was 22 years ago when he first began stocking his trout ponds and teaching visitors and locals how to fish, mountain style.

He has stood by his land on the Watauga River in Foscoe for more than two decades watching other trout farms go out of business and battling the raging mountain waters as multiple hurricanes have wreaked havoc on his fishing sanctuary. Each time he survives, either changing his tactics of business or rebuilding his walls on the river.

For more information, call 828-963-5098.  [full story]

 

Peabody’s Wine & Beer Merchants: Still Drinking Well After 29 Years

Published July 27, 2006

In the current era of Wal-Martization, when an increasing number of mom and pop business operations are succumbing to growing corporate entities, some businesses seem to defy all odds by not only surviving, but thriving.

Now in its 29th year, Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchants has not only become a symbol of the independent business, but also a High Country institution for beer and wine lovers who come from all over to take advantage of the region’s largest selection.

A stroll through Peabody’s double doors and customers are immediately confronted with wine and beer stacked from floor to ceiling. Arranged by region, style and price for easy browsing, the range and depth of brands is staggering. In addition to beer and wine, Peabody’s stocks cigars, fine cheeses, imported chocolates and gourmet foods.

“Nobody can compare with the expertise of the staff, the quality of the selection and the hours that we are open,” said co-owner Jeff Collins, who owns the store with Gregg Parsons. “We’re still looking to see how we can fill the space more and still have people be able to walk through.”

With regular trips to tastings all over North Carolina, as well as visits to foreign countries, Collins and Parsons have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that the wine selection at Peabody’s is not only extensive, but also of a great value to customers of all kinds.

For more information, call 828-264-9476. [full story]

 

Phil’s Citgo: Where The University And The Town Meet

Published August 3, 2006

If you live in Boone, you probably know Phil Halbedel. The owner of Phil’s Citgo since 1997, Halbedel operates a one-stop shop community cornerstone that knows no stranger.

With six smiling employees, two full-time mechanics and, of course, Halbedel, Phil’s Citgo is open seven days a week, offering beer, wine, cigarettes, snacks, sundry items, lottery tickets, gas, car repair, camaraderie and one of the most popular morning coffee clubs in the area—it’s even got a drive-thru window.

If you can’t find it at Phil’s, you don’t need it.

And like others visited through the Business Spotlight, Halbedel’s a workaholic—he’s hardly ever taken more than two days off in a row.

For more information, call 828-268-0555.  [full story]

 

Wildcat Flea Market: From Kitchen Sinks To Wedding Gowns Since 1972

Published August 10, 2006

“We have sold everything from kitchen sinks to wedding gowns and that’s the truth,” said Wildcat Flea Market co-owner Elaine Richardson.

Richardson, her husband Jack and their son Kevin have operated their eclectic business from May to October annually for 34 years, in recent years dealing with the fact that with the new expanded Highway 421 into Boone their business is now located on Old Highway 421. That change meant less stop-in business and a battle with the North Carolina Department of Transportation for better signage.

Through it all, the family team has maintained a consistent customer base, an ever-changing stock of hard-to-find items and a thriving community of vendors—some who have been at the market for over 25 years.

For more information, call 828-264-7757.   [full story]

 

Highway Robbery: A Front Row Seat To King Street For 35 Years

Published August 17, 2006

Nestled in a shotgun-style boutique in the heart of King Street, Bill Parish has watched the High Country world go by for almost 36 years. If you live in or have visited the High Country, chances are that Parish has welcomed you with a smile and hospitable words.

Along with his wife Patricia, Bill, 60, has owned the self-described “little college kid boutique” called Highway Robbery since 1971, selling “a little bit of everything,” such as clothing, jewelry, antiques and all kinds of accessories, including hats, bags, gloves—you name it.

He is the new generation of a mountain man—with a trademark furry mustache, engaging personality, freethinking opinions, a love for humanity, an obsession with antiques—and he loves downtown Boone.

Although he’s seen the town experience great change during his tenure, his merchandise remains mostly the same as when he opened, helping to preserve a part of the culture of a mountain town that is often lost with time.

For more information, call 828-264-7604. [full story]

 

Carolina Shutter Company & Carolina Window Fashions: Meticulous Attention To Every Detail

Published August 24, 2006

Meticulous attention to detail—that’s the watchword at Carolina Window Fashions, a division of Carolina Shutter Company.

The company—based in Newland—manufactures custom shutters directly for consumers, as well as a select group of area retailers in an exclusive arrangement, offering customization in any stain or color to match any décor. In addition, the company carries a full line of Hunter Douglas and Prestige window fashions and other select brands that give consumers more options than the standard big box store or single product retailer.

Greg and Shannon Seiz own the company, with Larry Zalewski overseeing the retail division. Forty percent of the company’s business comes from the three-county area—primarily in Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk and the large developments—but the company also gets many jobs in Florida through word of mouth, as well as in Winston-Salem, Asheville and Johnson City.

For more information, call 828-733-3318. [full story]

 

Mark Harrill: King Of The Mountain: Local Developer Introduces Phase III of Echota

Published August 31, 2006

During 2006, Mark Harrill, owner of Echota in Foscoe, added a third phase to his “peaceful haven” (Echota in Cherokee)—17 new lots ranging in price from $215,000 to $265,000—that already encompasses 120 acres with 556 units.

A High Country local since the age of two, Harrill took many jobs in the region before devising plans to rescue area developments that had fallen into bankruptcy. From that job, Harrill was able to find enough capital to finally purchase the land that Echota rests upon—an area he describes as “just special.”

The newest member of the Echota family is Morgans Ridge—a plot of land where customers can purchase lots that either look at Grandfather Mountain or Valle Crucis and beyond.

For more information, call 828-963-7600. [full story]

 

WASU: Rocking The Rock Since 1972

Published September 7, 2006

Since 1972, WASU has had music through the wazzou.

Found on the dial at 90.5 and online at www.wasurocks.com, WASU is the student-run, alternative, modern rock, ASU radio station—streaming 24 hours a day from Boone to Blowing Rock, from Valle Crucis to Rutherwood.

“We’ve got everything from bluegrass to metal,” said WASU General Manager Dan “Vallie” Hill.

 With 12 part-time paid student management positions and 54 disc jockeys, WASU has been entertaining Boone audiences young and old for 34 years—and has big plans for the future.

Already heralded by other college radio station broadcasters around the nation as one of the best college radio stations, WASU, under the direction of Hill, will enter uncharted radio territory in 2007. Hill has organized a new Radio Farm System Institute at ASU with the help of a $500,000 grant from friend and fellow broadcaster Art Kellar—the first program like it in the world, much less North Carolina. ASU will set up a professional radio station on the ASU campus, find and attract young broadcast talent and work as a farm system for major radio markets.

For more information, call 828-262-3170.  [full story]

 

Stick Boy Bread Company: Boone’s “Real” Bakery For Five Years And Counting

Published September 14, 2006

It’s hard to believe that it’s only been five years since Stick Boy Bread Company has been open across from the ASU campus, what with the constant bustle of regulars and widespread appeal of its array of bakery products.

Since Carson and Mindy Coatney opened the store, a baker has been baking 24 hours a day seven days a week. It’s that passion for great-tasting baked goods that has made a name for Boone’s only real bakery. And that passion continues—the Coatneys recently purchased a $70,000 bread oven and expanded their store.

For more information, call 828-268-9900.   [full story]

 

Downtown Boone Development Association: Developing Our Future

Published September 21, 2006

A thoughtful force has been guiding the progress of downtown Boone since 1993—the Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA).

Currently led by Executive Director Tuesdae Rice, the DBDA’s mission “is to improve the central business district of Boone.”

In 2007, the DBDA is continuing work on the Public Art Project—led by project coordinator Mary Baker—and hopes to move along with the Howard Street Restoration Project—led by project coordinator Jessica Montford. This work is in addition to the multiple festivals and events they organize and implement and the help they grant to local businesses.

For more information, call 828-264-4532.   [full story]

 

Dan’l Boone Inn Restaurant: Serving Family Style From The Corner Since 1959

Published September 28, 2006

In 2006, the Dan’l Boone Inn Restaurant received some much-needed renovations to its facility on the corner of Highways 421 and 321 in Boone. The restaurant closed for much of the year leaving many visitors and locals without the family-style country cooking landmark. But in September, the restaurant re-opened its doors. Since then, the customers are back in earnest—as well as the tour buses.

The renovations in 2006 included work on the heating and air conditioning units, an expanded kitchen and aesthetic improvements to the dining room.

For more information, call 828-264-8657.   [full story]

 

Sunfast Professional Tanning: Bronzing Boone Since 1997

Published October 5, 2006

Valerie and Tom Hutchens know everything about tanning—in fact, they believe in it. As the owners of Sunfast Professional Tanning, which has two locations in Boone and a soon-to-be-open location in Lenoir, the couple has gained a dedicated customer base of locals, sharing their knowledge that stems from Tom’s father who is credited as being one of the first inventors of the tanning bed.

Valerie pointed out that new medical research has shown that light therapy via tanning beds can be an effective treatment for some skin disorders, and she has seen more and more customers coming into her shop for that reason. Also, when the Boone winters cause days without sunshine, her shop is bustling with people attempting to reset their body clocks by accumulating missing Vitamin D through tanning.

For more information, call 828-264-9992.   [full story]

 

Makoto Seafood And Steakhouse of Japan: The Best Tasting Show In Town For 25 Years

Published October 12, 2006

Great Food. Great Service. Great Show.

This phrase often adorns the sign in front of Makoto Seafood and Steakhouse of Japan and serves as a perfect synopsis for the Asian enclave that has been a High Country staple for 25 years.

Co-owners Gwen and Ronald Dhing explained the restaurant’s operation after the passing of longtime owner Ted Mackorell, who died from cancer in 2005. The couple didn’t change much but went to great lengths to preserve the atmosphere, food quality and service that had become associated with the restaurant for a quarter of a century.

For more information, call 828-264-7976. [full story]

 

Eric Fidler’s Ace Cab Company: Hauling The High Country For Over A Decade

Published October 19, 2006

Cabs are not a common sight in the High Country, nor are people waiting on the street corner with their hands extended in the air flagging them down. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.

Driving the Ace Cab for more than a decade, Eric Fidler discussed exciting moments on the job, balancing working as a cabbie while going to school for nursing and how he met his wife on the job.

For more information, call 828-265-3373. [full story]

 

Watsonatta Western World: Serving The Horse And The Horse’s Boss For 37 Years

Published October 26, 2006

As the owner of Watsonatta Western World, Darrel Watson, 59, has had a front row seat to King Street for almost four decades, selling cowboy boots, hats, caps, men’s and lady’s clothes, leather coats, genuine furs, purses, leather handbags, saddlebags, belts, belt buckles and some of his own designs. He’s brought the great American west to Boone for 37 years.

“We sell everything for the horse and the horse’s boss,” said Darrel. “Nothing cheap. We specialize in quality. Everything’s the real thing.”

Walking into Watsonatta is like walking into a cowboy paradise. Customers drive from all over the east coast to buy their annual pair of boots or to see what jacket designs Darrel has added to its collection.

Darrel is somewhat of a cowboy himself, tending to cattle on his time off and dressing in his best western wear on a daily basis. With his wife of 28 years Ellen, he has survived with an eye for western fashion and a mouth for friendly conversation.

For more information, call 828-264-4540.  [full story]

 

New River Building Supply: New Showcase And Design Center Extends Tradition Of Quality And Service

Published November 2, 2006

Contractors and homeowners got a welcome gift in 2006—the New River Showcase and Design Center on Highway 105. The center is the third member of the Boone-based New River Building Supply and Lumber Company family.

The center allows customers and contractors to see the latest in the design industry as they tour hundreds of displays and vignettes showcasing fine home products such as windows, doors, cabinetry, light fixtures and log home products.

For more information, call 828-268-0450. [full story]

 

Family Billiards: One Decade In Front Of The 8-Ball

Published November 9, 2006

Chris Aldridge, co-owner of Family Billiards in Foscoe, has been in front of the 8-ball for one decade.

Surrounded by nine, nine-foot, $8,000 pool tables, a raised wooden bar, comfortable seating, a host of regulars and family, Aldridge has achieved his dream of owning his own pool hall.

Since July 12, 1996, Family Billiards, located at 9021 Highway 105, has offered what few pool halls in the nation do—a non-smoking, alcohol-free, family-friendly environment. And Aldridge has been successful doing it.

“Family Billiards is a family-owned pool room and grill,” said Aldridge. “Pool rooms historically have not been conducive for kids or females, but at our place, everyone feels comfortable. There’s no smoking and no beer.”

But it’s not just a pool hall. Aldridge runs a pool table retail business and an extremely popular food business that feeds families, locals and workers on a daily basis.

For more information, call 828-963-6260. [full story]

 

SOS Printing Inc.: Dependable, Friendly Service Since 1973

Published November 16, 2006

“There’s an old saying, ‘Price, Quality, Service—choose any two,’” said Linda Steele, co-owner of SOS Printing. “The greatest of those is service and we desire to give people all three.”

That desire has been the tie that has bound SOS Printing Inc. since 1973. In November, the printing company celebrated 33 years of serving the High Country.

Co-owned by Linda and Steve Steele, and Kevin Conway, SOS Printing Inc. has two locations—one in Boone at 967 Rivers Street and one in Banner Elk on Highway 184 across from the entrance to Sugar Mountain.

According to the owners, SOS Printing Inc. is the oldest owner-run printing company in Boone—a feat accomplished with perhaps the smallest amount of employees as well.

With only four full-time employees—Kevin, Linda, Steve and Donna Sollecito—and three part-time employees, it’s hard to imagine how the minimal crew handles the workload. But they do and plan on continuing to do so in 2007 and beyond.

For more information, call 828-264-4262. [full story]

 

Boone Mailing Center: Promoting Community In The Community—And Shipping Too

Published November 23, 2006

“Being kind to people,” answered Whit Whitley, co-owner of both locations of Boone Mailing Center, when asked his secret to success.

His strategy is working. After a year in business, Whit and his wife Marie just opened their second location of Boone Mailing Center at 276-Suite H Watauga Village Drive in Boone next to Wal-Mart. The original location is the log cabin at 1095 East King Street in Boone.

Boone Mailing Center is an all-inclusive operation, offering shipping via UPS, FedEx and the United States Postal Service; a total of 260 24-hour mailboxes between the two stores; a variety of printing services, including brochures, business cards, presentations and invitations; online auction management through eBay; international shipping; and a full-service copy center.

The Whitleys opened their first location in September 2005 and their new location on November 16, 2006.

For more information, call 828-264-4524.  [full story]

 

Bob Caldwell Photography: Memorializing Our Community For 28 Years

Published November 30, 2006

Talking. Chatting. Listening.

These aren’t the first activities that come to mind when you think about having a photographer memorialize your family, yourself or a special occasion. Instead you may think in terms of a snap of a picture here and there, awkward poses in a studio foreign to you, or the uncomfortable feeling that does little to help produce memorable and cherished photographs.

But that’s not the case at Bob Caldwell Photography and it’s exactly the tactics that have kept his business alive for 28 years in the High County. Paired with his wife and photographer Sharon, the couple moved their business in 2006 from 130 Highway 105 Extension to 211 Keystone Drive in Boone and added a new studio at the office of High Country Press on Depot Street. Although most of their photographs are taken on location or outside, the move has helped their business by creating more space for customers to sit with Bob and Sharon to review work and chat about upcoming projects.

For more information, call 828-264-9026.  [full story]

 

ABC Store of Boone: Boone’s Lone Liquor Source For 20 Years Gets A Renovation

Published December 7, 2006

In 2006, Boone’s lone source for liquor—the ABC Store of Boone—celebrated 20 years of liquor sales and underwent its third renovation—an 875 square foot addition to its sales area that cost roughly $320,000.

The renovation came from financial success, which has been a growing trend for the operation since it opened in 1986. During fiscal year 2005-06, the ABC Store of Boone posted $3.7 million in gross sales and by statutory requirement paid the Town of Boone $319,000. Since the store opened, the operation has produced $4.4 million in revenues for the town.

For more information, call 828-262-3616.   [full story]

 

Foscoe Country Corner: A Community Cornerstone Like No Other

Published December 14, 2007

Foscoe Country Corner is the place where everyone knows your name.

Co-owned by Billy and Nicole Shoemake, the Country Corner is an all-purpose country store with that small town feel that is almost gone from the business landscape today. A bustle of regulars—construction workers, skiers, business owners and locals—flows in and out of the double-glass doors. Smiles beam from faces behind the register; friends greet each other by name en route to the deli counter; there’s talk of politics and fishing, sons and daughters, old friends and new, the weather. 

Foscoe Country Corner is a true community meeting place.

For more information, call 828-963-9512.  [full story]

 

Christmas In Blowing Rock: Fifteen Years Of Year-Round Holiday Cheer

Published December 21, 2006

Christmas in Blowing Rock is a 15-year-old year-round Christmas gift-buying boutique in Blowing Rock owned by Sue and Milt Thompson.

“We’re not a typical Christmas store,” said Sue. “We view Christmas as a gift-giving time, so we stock unusual gifts and different gifts.” 

Sue and Milt are both in their 70s and split the year between Charlotte and Blowing Rock, but they are determined to keep their store open and thriving for many years to come.

For more information, call 828-295-9696.