Kernersville Chamber hears downtown business complaints
The Kernersville Chamber of Commerce invited Kernersville business owners and community members for an open dialogue on how the chamber can continue to support downtown businesses.
Tim Dixon, the owner of Solve IT and the chamber's vice chair of small business, said the meeting was intended to gather ideas on how to keep Kernersville's downtown thriving.
'We're all on a mission to make downtown Kernersville successful, and we're all on a mission to make downtown Kernersville thrive. We're here because the chamber is really trying to prioritize small business and make sure that downtown is successful. So, we're honestly in the process of reevaluating everything. We're looking at all of our efforts to support businesses and to create opportunities for businesses to be successful under a microscope,' Dixon said.
Some of the business owners voiced concerns regarding limited parking for their customers.
Julie Barham, the owner of Dermacademy, said the reason her business has beauty schools in two places is limited parking downtown.
'We thought that by bringing 100 students and their clients and my faculty and staff downtown that we would support the businesses and your restaurants and buy gas and buy food and all of those things, but we feel like we've been met with some hostility,' she said.
Anna Freiberg, the owner of 119 on North, said that customers have complained that businesses have limited operating hours.
'People complain about the fact that none of us stay open late on a Friday or on any night, and that everybody closes after 5:30, but we don't get the support to stay open late,' Freiberg said.
Freiberg proposed that businesses have a special day where their hours were extended to let people experience downtown.
'If everybody would agree to have a 'first Friday' or something, where all the businesses stay open, and then we could push it and advertise it that we're all going to be open, and then maybe close down Main Street and have people walk around and enjoy being in downtown Kernersville,' Freiberg said.
Brooke Cashion, the owner of Busy As a Bee, said that the monthly car show downtown hinders their businesses.
'All of us small businesses, we lose business. I'm open, but no one is shopping because they're bringing their own coolers. That group is bringing in its snacks, like including the things that we sell, like cookies and peanuts and Cokes, and they're not shopping, but the streets shut down so people can't even come to our stores. And those are typically because it's during the summer, April, October, those are pretty high-traffic areas for small businesses,' Cashion said.
Cashion suggested for the car show to be moved to a different part of downtown.
'I would just like to suggest that the town has a ton of parking in the rotary hut that's open on Saturdays, and the little cars can be lined up over there between the chamber and the town hall,' Cashion said.
Cashion also brought up the idea of the town creating a social district, which is an area where people are allowed to walk around with alcoholic drinks purchased from businesses within the district.
'For stores like us who serve alcohol, I don't want somebody to feel like they have to power-drink in my shop, because, I mean, I'm only 600 square feet. It would be nice if they could take it and go up to 119 on North or they could take it and go to Eclection, where those folks are not serving alcohol, but then still be in compliance without feeling rushed,' Cashion said.
Dixon said that with the approach of the Spring Folly, which is Kernersville's largest festival, businesses should coordinate with the chamber on tent placements that don't obstruct the visibility of their businesses.
'Communicate with the chamber to make sure that there's a spot in front of your business that is open. Spread the word and let other businesses know that. Let other businesses know that the chamber wants to work with you,' Dixon said.
In a follow-up after the meeting, Dixon noted that the concerns will be allocated to the appropriate parties.
'The town of Kernersville has a lot of moving parts. The goal and the mission of the chamber is to advocate for businesses to stimulate the economy, to support and create opportunities for businesses. There were several concerns that were brought up were things that are impacted by the town, whether it's the board of aldermen, zoning and permitting or things like that. We definitely intend on forwarding those concerns to the pertinent parties and making them aware of these concerns,' Dixon said.
Another meeting is planned for September.
'We are talking about having a few more members of the aldermen and the city planner at the meeting so they can address these concerns when they come up in the moment,' Dixon said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Lottery ticket worth $339,000 is sold at North Carolina store. Here's where
A lottery player spent $10 on a ticket — and hit the jackpot in North Carolina. On June 9, the player bought a 50X the Cash ticket that won the game's top prize, the N.C. Education Lottery wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. The winner scored $339,703 after trying their luck in Cornelius, a roughly 20-mile drive north from uptown Charlotte. The ticket was sold at the Cashion's Quik Stop convenience store on Statesville Road. 50X the Cash is a Fast Play progressive jackpot game that offers $10 tickets. To score a prize, a player must match at least one of their ticket numbers to a number from a winning set, rules show. As of about 1:45 p.m. June 9, the lucky ticket holder hadn't claimed their prize yet. In North Carolina, the winners of Fast Play games have about six months to cash in, a lottery spokesperson told McClatchy News via email.
Business Mayor
26-05-2025
- Business Mayor
How small c-stores can survive
From the rise and fall of the COVID-19 pandemic to ballooning inflation and interest rates, difficult economic conditions have forced many small c-store operators to sell to competitors that are seeking more scale. Large c-store companies have pricing power and economies of scale that make it easier to weather turbulent economic times, while their juggernaut marketing programs boost brand awareness even outside their main areas of operation. These brands are moving into more and more communities, and their strategic initiatives — like expanding foodservice programs or testing retail media networks — dominate the industry conversation. All of which can leave small-scale operators wondering how they can stay competitive. Part of the challenge, said Mike Lawshe, founder of c-store design and consulting firm Paragon Solutions, is being able to look beyond the big chains' playbooks to define success and set strategy. 'The thing that drives me a little crazy is when we have customers come in and say, 'I want to build a [QuikTrip], a Buc-ee's,' said Mike Lawshe. 'Well, you can't. You're in a different game.' Even if a retailer doesn't have the scale of a large regional chain, there are a few things they can do to keep their business standing strong even among the industry giants. Solve problems, find niches Relying on smokes and Cokes is no longer going to be enough, experts pointed out. 'The Coca Cola they're buying is the exact same Coca Cola in every single c-store,' said Kevin Farley, chief client officer for c-store consultancy W. Capra. 'You have to change what you offer outside of this traditional c-store offering for them to come into your store.' Many small and mid-size c-store chains are adding proprietary QSRs or building bigger stores that offer prepared foods in a broader effort to compete with restaurants. Before then, there have been significant changes like the reduction of service centers or the move toward food-focused stores that aim to compete with QSRs. These changes have left a vacuum in the industry, said Lawshe, creating space for 'someone with a little creativity, someone wanting to change the industry' to step in and cater to these needs. Gas N Wash added a Mickey's Greek-style restaurant to one of its sites. Permission granted by Gas N Wash Small operators could test the waters with new, efficient technology, like Family Express has done with its recently launched mobile app and AI-fueled management software. Or maybe small retailers want to address the lack of third spaces with a welcoming new design, like The Rusty Lantern. They could even try opening in nontraditional locations like sports and music arenas, a tactic GoMart and Wally's have tested. Even within areas like fresh foodservice, which is growing more commonplace in convenience retail, there are ways to iterate and stand out. This could mean partnering with local restaurants, the way Gas N Wash has, or developing a proprietary program like Gastro High Octane Eats at Schmitz Sunoco. 'Who's going to challenge the norm?' Lawshe said. 'Who's going to bring technology? Who's going to have the best solution?' Building the brand Small retailers also need to improve their brand strategy to connect with customers. There are many ways for retailers to tell their story. They can promote their history or their mission and share their values with customers — something that's especially important for younger shoppers. 'This generation is very brand aware and very brand loyal,' said Austin Burns, president and CEO of Paragon Solutions. 'And there's a really good opportunity out there for these retailers to grab onto.' This can look like Buc-ee's, where the company mascot is plastered everywhere and its fans make trips just to visit its stores. Or it can look like Rutter's, which often promotes its 270-year history in its home state of Pennsylvania and ties its roots as a dairy into the marketing of products like milk and egg nog. However, if a chain is hoping to get acquired, building a strong identity could work against it. Art Sebastian pointed to TXB as an example. While the chain is in a good position — well known and well loved — if it did want to sell, it might have a difficult time. 'The way they've built a brand, it would be hard for a big player to acquire them and just weave them into their system,' said Sebastian, CEO of c-store advisory firm NextChapter. 'Casey's just can't take that chain and slap pizza in there, right?' Experts emphasized retailers need to figure out what their value is to the shopper and how to connect. Differentiating their offering and experience from the big players to the point where people are talking about it among friends and on social media has become a valuable commodity. 'You have a real opportunity now,' said Burns. 'Your brand is more valuable than the real estate.' TXB is an example of a regional player that's build a strong brand. Permission granted by TXB Know when it's time to cut losses C-stores should look for ways to update their stores in order to keep them competitive — but they should also know when the extra investment just isn't worth it, experts say. If a store is underperforming and the owner can't or won't invest back into it, ownership should ask themselves if the site is still worth running. There's a lot of data out there that can help retailers make the decision, Burns noted. With larger companies expanding their reach and some smaller companies innovating to change the game, it could just hasten the decline of aging locations that don't get updated. 'We see it all the time, whether it's a Buc-ee's or [QuikTrip] or RaceTrac, going up against legacy stores across the street,' said Lawshe. 'And those legacy stores, they just go in the tank.'
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
Bill advances to give Visit Baton Rouge $100K annually for sports promotion
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A Louisiana bill that would redirect state funding to promote sporting events in Baton Rouge has cleared its first legislative hurdle. House Bill 226, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Freiberg (R-Baton Rouge), would reallocate an existing $100,000 appropriation from the now-defunct Baton Rouge Sports Foundation to Visit Baton Rouge. The funds would come from the East Baton Rouge Parish Enhancement Fund, a special state treasury fund established to support local economic and tourism-related efforts. The bill, which passed out of the House Appropriations Committee, updates state law to reflect changes in local organizations. Freiberg told lawmakers that the sports foundation is no longer operational, and Visit Baton Rouge has since absorbed its responsibilities. Visit Baton Rouge President and CEO Jill Kidder testified that the funds would not be used for salaries but would instead help the tourism bureau bid on and secure major sports events that generate hotel stays and visitor spending. She noted that Visit Baton Rouge does not receive state general funds and relies primarily on a local occupancy tax. In its 2025 business plan, Visit Baton Rouge outlined sports development as a key priority. Among its stated goals are launching a sports foundation, securing a large professional sports event in partnership with LSU, and advocating for new sports facilities. The agency also hopes to increase overnight visitors and tourism revenue by leveraging sporting events to bring more travelers to the city. If approved by lawmakers, the $100,000 annual appropriation would be codified into law and take effect immediately upon the governor's signature. BRAC, Visit Baton Rouge launch campaign to bring young people to the city Gunmen kill at least 20 tourists at Kashmir resort, Indian police say What's in the new Army Fitness Test designed to improve strength, lethality? Baton Rouge man arrested after allegedly firing at neighbor during dispute over trash Trump ordered to give some Venezuelans 21 days notice before deportations Bill advances to give Visit Baton Rouge $100K annually for sports promotion Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
