After 11 years in business, Middle Tennessee’s Kona Ice manager Mike Woods has stepped down from his position and sold the business.
Local Kona Ice trucks are now owned by Will and Sarah Rodriguez, who say they are committed to pursuing Woods’ vision for the business. Rodriguez said that within his few months in the business, he has turned three employees and trucks into 23 employees and multiple trucks.
Rodriguez also noted that he intends to have at least six trucks and a mini truck this year. He plans to acquire some Kona Ice kiosks, and depending on the turnout with local city parks this year, he may add a few more trucks.
“We just updated one of the trucks we got from Mike, so no one has seen it yet, but it’s my new favorite truck,” said Rodriguez in a recent email.
Rodriguez mentioned that the area he manages may be the largest of the Kona Ice franchisees in Tennessee; in addition to the Middle Tennessee area, the territory covers some of Kentucky and into the Soddy-Daisy and Chattanooga area.
“Mike established some good relationships within the community and always gave back. We carried on the tradition and always donate 20 percent back to schools and sports within our community, so anytime you purchase a Kona from us at a soccer game or a high school football game, 20 percent of that is going to the school,” according to Rodriguez.
Since 2014 alone, Kona Ice of Middle Tennessee has given back $280,000 to schools and community groups.
“Mike is still very involved; he stops by the trucks often to check on things and say ‘hi,’ but this time he’s on the other side of the serving window, and he’s loving life.”
___
TN Meat Co. has opened in Murfreesboro; located at 2926 Old Fort Pkwy., beside Little Caesar’s Pizza, TN Meat Co. serves as West Murfreesboro’s first butcher shop, and features prime cuts and Wagyu as well as exotic meats like buffalo, elk and kangaroo meat. The idea is that the meat options should be as unique as the atmosphere.
In addition to the variety of meats, TN Meat Co. sells an array of home decor and gifts including custom knives, skillets from Smithey Ironware Company, cutting boards and custom TN Meat Co. hats and other clothing items.
“Our atmosphere is really cool and inviting. We’re hoping people will come in and find something to cook and hang out and get to know each other,” said owner Andy Holmes.
Future plans for the business include events dedicated to bringing culinary experts together for cooking classes and bourbon tastings, where those interested can learn what pairs well with each type of meat.
Hours for TN Meat Co. are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/tnmeatco or call 615-962-9321.
___
Aldi at 3439 S. Church St. reportedly plans to open on Thursday, April 14 after a few years in development.
___
Carmen Mexican Restaurant at 1935 S. Church St. is temporarily closed due to rebranding. The restaurant plans to celebrate its grand reopening under the name of Toluca Mexican Restaurant, and has noted on its Facebook that the restaurant will be under new management.
___
La Michoacana, located at 810 NW Broad St., is temporarily closed for remodeling. La Michoacana provides ice cream that is made fresh daily and includes only natural ingredients, many of which include fresh fruits. The owner of the business hopes to reopen very soon, though a date has not been confirmed.
___
RHK Hibachi Grill and Seafood has opened at 2035 Lascassas Pk., in the old Food Lion shopping plaza across from Kroger. RHK offers a variety of chicken options, spring and egg rolls, fried and steamed dumplings, fried chicken, shrimp and oysters, bubble tea, salad, boiled seafood and hibachi. RHK offers in-store pickup for those who do not wish to dine in. RHK is open Wednesday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (closed on Tuesday). For more information, call 615-624-7539, or visit rhktn.m988.com.
___
Acapulco Express Mexican Food will open a drive-thru Mexican restaurant in the former Rick’s BBQ building at 3364 Memorial Blvd., just down the street from the VA, Taco Bell and Camino Real.
___
Luna’s Night Club and Event Center has opened at 527 W. Main St. The new nightclub serves adults 18 and up, hosts popular DJs, national and international musicians, and karaoke events open to all ages. The club also features a bar, pool tables and a second floor. The nightclub’s Google page notes that it is Murfreesboro’s first Latin nightclub. Hours of operation are 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. For more information, visit facebook.com/lunasnightclub or call 615-556-6402.
___
Pinnacle Financial Partners has reopened its main office and administrative building at 114 W. College St. after closing for construction. The site underwent a complete rebuild from the ground up after demolition of its original building, constructed in 1974.
The new building was designed so that the interior matches the uniform style of most other Pinnacle branches, with large amounts of natural light and a water feature. The building also features Pinnacle’s signature Learning Center with full audio-visual capabilities for financial education events with clients and community meetings.
“It was really something to watch the progress of this new jewel in downtown Murfreesboro from start to finish with anticipation for the moment we would open the doors to our clients and the community,” said Office Leader Russell Creech. “We’re grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to the character of downtown with a beautiful modern space that reflects Pinnacle’s brand.”
The new Pinnacle office is two stories tall and offers 12,250 square feet of space as well as onsite parking, with additional spaces in the back. It also offers a drive-thru and ATM.
“Like everything we do, this office was designed to make it easy for our clients to do business,” said Area Manager Stephanie Kusch. “It’s easy to access and gives us plenty of room to work with clients at the counter or in private offices. Many of our business-focused financial advisors will call this their home base, and we’ll also be able to offer our full suite of personal banking services here. This is also the hub for our treasury management, merchant services and mortgage teams.”
___
Mind Matters Career Institute has opened in Murfreesboro, offering enrollment for a variety of online and in-person courses.
Mind Matters Career Institute specializes in providing outstanding in-class training, tools and highly effective programs ethically, innovatively and professionally. Mind Matters’ program will begin by welcoming students into a virtual learning environment, and will eventually progress to a point where coursework will take place in person. According to a recent press release from the institute, students of all ages will be accepted.
Current courses offered by the institute include virtual piano lessons, tutoring for math, reading, history and writing; and in-person real estate certifications. Future courses will include drum lessons, software coding for beginners, customer service training, and leadership and development training for businesses.
“I am confident that this institute will help mold and develop brilliant and talented men and women who will positively impact industries across the world,” said founder Deswick Bonds Jr.
For more information, call 615-933-9714 or email info@mindmatterscareer.com.
___
Middle Tennessee State University recently announced that it plans to shift all student flight operations from the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport to the Shelbyville Municipal Airport due to the ever-growing number of aerospace students. With this decision, MTSU and the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport will end their almost 75-year-old partnership.
The shift, however, will not take place for another three years.
During the last few years, the program has been exceptionally popular and is not expected to slow down anytime soon. The Shelbyville airport will provide a larger space for incoming and current students. Additional benefits to this decision include a significant reduction of air traffic, better access to the airport for non-student aviators, and much more room for students. While it would be more convenient to have a larger airport in Murfreesboro, there simply isn’t enough space, so Shelbyville’s airport will be accommodating the growing need.
Currently, the main concern is how the students will be affected, considering that the new location is located approximately 40 minutes from campus.
___
The Alley on Main has plans to open an outdoor food truck concept just outside its restaurant location. More information to come.
The Alley is currently hiring full- and part-time employees to work as line cook, grill cook and expo. Those interested can apply in person at 223 W. Main St.
___
Del Webb Southern Harmony has announced that it will bring around 1,100 new homes and an array of vacation-inspired amenities to Murfreesboro. This will be the company’s first 55-and-up community in Murfreesboro, and will open around the end of the year in 2023. It will be located at 7079 Franklin Rd.
During the groundbreaking in the beginning of March, the developer announced they would donate two acres of land to Rutherford County, with plans to provide another public health and safety building. The new building will offer room for another Fire and Rescue and EMS station.
The homes at this new Del Webb community will be situated on over 500 acres of land, previously owned by former Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess and his wife, Peggy.
Del Webb Southern Harmony will offer 12 single-story home designs from Del Webb’s collection. These innovative floor plans are the result of extensive research and consumer feedback focused on how today’s 55+ buyers live and what features they want in their homes.
Del Webb Southern Harmony will feature a residents’ clubhouse with a large patio and event lawn with fire feature. It will also feature a fully equipped fitness and aerobic area, an indoor pool, a dividable multi-purpose room for group events, an outside pool with cabanas and a sun deck, walking trails, bocci and an outdoor kitchen area.
Interested buyers can visit delwebb.com, call 615-729-7029 or email tennessee@delwebb.com.
___
The Float-A-Boat location in Wartrace, Tennessee, has closed permanently. Float-A-Boat was known as one of the closest canoe rental businesses in Murfreesboro, aside from Stones River Kayak and Canoe Rental, a mobile business that serves the area. The current Float-A-Boat location can be found in Normandy, Tennessee, and is called FAB on the Duck, a reference to the Duck River—which hosts the excursions launching from the business. More information can be found at fabontheduck.com.
Other nearby canoe rental businesses in operation include Higher Pursuits at 3114 Cheeks Bend Rd. in Columbia, and Bones Canoe and Campground at 16520 Bakerville Rd. in Hurricane Mills.
___
After 23 years in business, Coconut Bay Cafe at 210 Stones River Blvd. has closed “until further notice.” The announcement was made on the restaurant’s Facebook page on March 22, just a couple days after a fundraiser event hosted by Coconut Bay. The event’s purpose was to help raise funds for Coconut Bay manager Willy Funk, who suffered from a stroke earlier this year.
While Coconut Bay’s customers are saddened by the recent closure—with comments coming in from many who have patronized the Bay over the past decades—most understand that times have been tough for the restaurant’s staff and Willy since the beginning of the year. As of now, the restaurant has not mentioned any plans to reopen in the future. For more information find Coconut Bay Cafe on Facebook.
___
Acapulco Burrito at 1312 NW Broad St. announced its permanent closure on its Facebook page at the beginning of February. Although the building still appears to be fully furnished, there are not yet any solid plans announced for it.
___
Local Taco has closed its Murfreesboro location after about two years in business. However, fans of the restaurant can still visit the Brentwood location at 146 Pewitt Dr.
