Butcher, boutique, brewery businesses budding | Business

One Laurel businesses has added on and another started from scratch.

The Knight Butcher owner Chad Knight recently announced the new shop’s location — the building currently known as Central Avenue Cafe at 520 Central Ave., in downtown Laurel.

Knight grew up in Laurel and moved to Seattle years ago to pursue a music career. Before that, however, he earned an associate’s degree in meat processing and merchandising from Jones County Junior College. He learned everything from slaughtering the whole animal to butchering retail cuts of meat and spent about nine years working as a butcher in local grocery stores.

“I can remember customers coming to me with stories on how they’ve missed having a real butcher shop to get their meat from,” Knight said.

In Seattle, he had the chance to work in some of those “real” butcher shops and got more training.

“We decided to come back home and give something back to our community because of family and the desire to bring something new to Laurel,” Knight said.

The Knight Butcher is expected to open soon, though an official date has not been set. Knight promised to bring back the “old school” feeling with great customer service and quality meats. They will source meat straight from farms, not factories.

“This means we will be able to utilize the whole animal and cut fresh to order,” Knight explained.

Specialty items like sausage, smoked bacon, deli meats and beef jerky will also be available. A goal is to also offer other local products that local farmers and vendors bring in. Anyone interested in submitting their products can e-mail theknightbutcher@gmail. com.

The shop will also feature a Knight Sugar section in honor of Knight’s family the Bohannons. They formerly owned The Popcorn Place in Sawmill Square Mall. Knight’s wife Terri will make his grandmother Jean Bohannon’s famous fudge fresh in the store each week.

For more information, visit www.theknightbutcher.com or www.facebook.com/ theknightbutcher or www.twitter.com/knightbutcher.

Boutique

Hannah Watts folds a pair of jeggins at 7th Style Boutique. (Photos by Cassidi Hankins)

A new boutique in town came from necessity rather than a long-time dream.

7th Style shares a space with Style Master’s Salon. Dale Murphy, the owner, has been a hairdresser for 32 years, and owned Style Masters in Laurel almost 17 years and owned a salon with the same name in Bay Springs for six years before that. In 2013, he suffered a stroke that left him temporarily disabled and out of work for eight months, his wife Tina explained.

“He was fortunate to have other stylists renting from him that helped him and pretty much carried the weight of the business financially,” Tina said.

He was able to return to work after his recovery, but since he still couldn’t carry a full load, he worked part-time. A co-worker ventured out on her own to a new location. The Murphys thought of several ideas that might generate more money, including a gift shop, jewelry and pottery, but Tina said none of that felt right.

“We even considered selling the business,” she said. “But we couldn’t stand the thought of that.”

Eventually the idea of a gift shop turned into opening a boutique. Tina said she loves boutique shopping, so it just felt like the best fit for both of them.

“Dale has gained several new clients, sends us his regular clients and I get new clothes any time I want them,” Tina said. “It works great for both of us.”

She enjoys the boutique business from a distance since she is content with her full-time position at Southern Pipe & Supply/Southern Bath & Kitchen. Her sister Kimber Pittman is in charge of managing the online orders, and stylist Hannah Watts and Tessa Anderson run the front boutique. Her husband is at the salon daily and is able to manage the business.

7th Style Boutique has junior, misses and plus sizes as well as maternity clothes. It carries exclusive lines like Lenny & Eva and Tarina Tarentino. The boutique also has Capri Blue candles and a variety of jewelry and other accessories.

For more information, visit the boutique at 411 Short 7th Ave., or go to it’s Facebook page, 7th Style.

Brewery

Another business is brewing downtown, too — literally.

Kenny and Carrie Mann and Josh Ishee recently announced plans to open Slowboat Brewing Co.

Believed to be Jones County’s first legal brewery, it will be located at the corner of 5th and N. Magnolia streets in what was once the WAML radio station. They have not set an opening date yet.

“We have a very unique opportunity to grow our beer culture from the ground up,” Kenny Mann said. “I can tell you for certain that there are some very amazing people working toward some very amazing things right now. The stove is hot and Mississippi is hungry.”

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