Trek Bicycle and Sanitas Medical Center will become tenants at Parkside Murfreesboro, the same retail center on Memorial Boulevard where Climb Murfreesboro, Primrose Table and The Rain Tree Salon and Spa operate.
Trek, one of the global leaders in the design and manufacture of bicycles and related products, will open a corporate-operated store in Murfreesboro during a year that leisure bike sales have jumped.
Sanitas Medical Center will provide primary and urgent care. Sanitas serves more than 5 million people globally, with 50 medical centers across the United States. This will be Sanitas Medical Center’s first location in Middle Tennessee.
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Eric McGill has big plans for his new massive property on the Murfreesboro Public Square.
McGill purchased two adjacent properties, totaling over 19,000 square feet, at auction on July 30.
After placing the $810,000 winning bid for the structures, formerly the Rutherford County Judicial Center, McGill, who also owns Whiskey Dix Saloon on West Main Street, said he plans to renovate the smaller of the two buildings, 124 N. Maple St. as rentable office space.
In the main building, 22 N. Public Square, he intends to open a restaurant and bar with live entertainment and even a rooftop patio area.
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Mufreesboro Axe has announced that it will move its axe-throwing operation to 211 W. Main St. and will share the building just off of the Murfreesboro Public Square with The Empanada Sonata.
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Murfreesboro nonprofit Amelia’s Closet is expanding its mission of helping those struggling to find employment enter the workforce. Since 2015, Amelia’s Closet has helped prepare the unemployed, those released from jail, rehab and shelters, and the otherwise disadvantaged for sustainable employment by providing professional attire, tips for successful interviews and makeovers. Once an individual is hired, she is provided a week’s professional wardrobe from the Amelia’s Closet collection, located in the Jackson Heights Plaza on Broad Street.
A new program will be housed in the former Reox Automotive garage space, just across the parking lot near Toot’s.
“Our newest program and additional facility will provide paid internships for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities or other employment obstacles as they build their skills so they may acquire long-term sustainable employment in the community,” Amelia’s Closet Executive Director Jody Powers shares.
Amelia’s Closet works to remove employment barriers for economically and socially disadvantaged individuals and at-risk and marginalized populations, with the goal of ending poverty cycles and other results of hopelessness.
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Gary Walker, founder of the retail chain The Great Escape, which carries records, comic books, movies, video games and other pop culture products and operates a store in Murfreesboro’s Jackson Heights Plaza, died at the age of 87 in July 2020.
The farm boy from Romance, Missouri, developed an interest in country music early in his life. He went on to attend Southwest Missouri State College and, while still a college student, Porter Wagoner, Carl Smith, Brenda Lee and others recorded songs written by Walker, and his wife, Peggy Jo.
Painted Desert executives Gary Walker (right) and Emil Laviola (left) produced Eddie Rabbit’s first record, Six Days and Seven Nights
Walker moved to Nashville in 1956 and over the next decades became heavily involved in the Nashville music industry as a “song plugger,” recording artist, songwriter, recording studio owner, artist manager, music publisher and record label owner. In the spring of 1974 Walker began selling comic books as a hobby after his son, Greg, developed an interest in collecting them. By the fall of that year, Walker quit the music business entirely to sell comic books full time, at flea markets in Nashville, Memphis and Louisville and at other shows and events. Walker opened The Great Escape’s first brick-and-mortar location on Division Street in Nashville in 1977.
Today the company operates stores in Nashville, Madison and Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Louisville and Bowling Green, Kentucky, as well as at thegreatescapeonline.com.
Rob and Candace Baker became the majority owners of The Great Escape in 2018, although Gary’s son Greg retained an ownership stake and continues to serve as vice president of the company.
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Petland has opened at 433 N. Thompson Ln., next to Plato’s Closet and Play N Trade. The store sells a variety of pet food, grooming supplies, toys and more. To view puppies available for adoption locally, visit petlandmurf.com.
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The Quick Stop Food Mart at 760 E. Northfield Blvd. has become La Frontera Carniceria y Taqueria (butcher shop and taco restaurant) offering hot Mexican food items and fresh meat cuts.
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A Jersey Mike’s Subs has opened at 2113 Memorial Blvd. Chris Brown owns and operates this franchise location of the sandwich shop.
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BounceU has closed at 1222 Park Ave. Steered Straight will move its thrift store into that space.
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The founder and operator of Virus Shield, Cash Finerd, has recently moved to Murfreesboro. The product, VS-1000 (Virus Shield) is a multi-purpose, germicidal, virucidal and fungicidal surface cleaner that kills 99.999% of Coronavirus. It deodorizes, disinfects, cleans and sanitizes hard, non-porous, non-food-contact surfaces.
Finerd owns a plant in Indiana and makes it there, and will ship the product anywhere—to nursing homes, hotels, schools, fitness centers, churches, tanning salons, households or otherwise—though he wants to let the people of Murfreesboro know they can purchase Virus Shield without paying the shipping fee. To learn more or order call 615-295-6981 or visit virusshieldusa.com.
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La Flor De Michoacan, an ice cream and paletas shop at 1002 Memorial Blvd., has rebranded and will now operate as Scoopy’s Ice Cream Bar.
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Florida-based Lazydays RV, which sells, services and rents recreational vehicles, has announced plans for a Murfreesboro location. The dealership will sit off of Salem Road near I-24 and the coming Costco.
“Tennessee has a very large community of outdoor enthusiasts,” said Lazydays Chairman and CEO William P. Murnane. “We are thrilled to expand our footprint in the state of Tennessee.”
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Hungry Bear Cheesesteaks and Wings is open at 2830 Middle Tennessee Blvd.
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Clothing company H&M will host its grand opening at the Avenue on Aug. 13.
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CLOSING CORNER
The last remaining Jack in the Box in Murfreesboro has closed.
Mediterranean Grocery, 1630 S. Church St., has closed
9Round Fitness on New Salem Road has closed; the 9Round on Wendelwood Drive on the north side of Murfreesboro is still in operation.
Fat Mo’s, known for its gigantic cheeseburgers, has closed its Murfreesboro location. The Smyrna Fat Mo’s is still in operation.
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