Editor’s Corner: Waffle Inn is open for business

The Waffle Inn in Blytheville is open for business and just waiting on you to try their home cooking.

There has recently been a rumor floating around town that the restaurant is closing and Dardan Balazi wants you all to know this information is false.

Apparently, the rumor was started when the NEA Town Courier published a front page story on May 8 quoting Rick Ash stating at a Lions Club meeting that a medical clinic would be moving into the old Hardee’s building.

This was, in fact, incorrect. The story should have stated the clinic was moving into the “old Wendy’s building.”

Waffle Inn is located in the old Hardee’s building and, as I stated, open for business. We apologize if this has caused any inconvenience to the restaurant or the customers.

I have to admit, I had no idea there was a Waffle Inn in Blytheville. I plan to make a trip there really soon. With any luck, the rumor will bring in new customers.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are now 31.7 billion small businesses in the United States. Small businesses are over-whelming family-owned businesses and remain the heart of any small town. Here’s an eye-opener for you. Sixty percent of the U.S. workforce is employed by a family-owned business. Family-owned businesses are responsible for creating 78 percent of all new jobs in the U.S. And, family businesses are contributing more than half (57 percent) of the total U.S. GDP. It is no surprise, almost three-quarters (74 percent) of family businesses report a strong sense of culture and values.

I understand this....

As many of you know, I grew up as the youngest of 10 siblings living on a small farm in the Clover Bend area. I’ve always been proud to be a farmer’s daughter. My fondest memories include building forts in the cotton wagon and busting watermelons in the middle of the field... eating it with my hands, juice dripping everywhere. It was a great way to grow up. I was carefree and full of dreams. I would ride my pony, Trixie, through the fields and down by the creek bed for hours.

When I was 12 that part of my life ended. There were only three kids left at home and my dad was not getting any younger. So, he traded his farming equipment for a two-story house in Alicia and decided to become a small business owner. He bought the only two businesses in town, besides the cotton gin, a gas station and cafe.

My brothers learned how to fix flat tires and I learned how to run a cash register and wait tables.

During the next five years, I learned how to hustle travelers with the use of a checker board and get big tips with a winning smile. I could pump gasoline, clean your windshield and cook you a burger on the grill.

We all know it is very important to support local businesses, so join me and give the Waffle Inn a try.

Sandra Brand is the editor of the NEA Town Courier and The Osceola Times. She may be reached by phone at 870-563-2615 or by email at brand@osceolatimes.com.