I remember making the trek out to Jacksboro years ago when somebody told me a guy was in the process of opening a general store way out in the country at the corner of Shelbyville Road and Jacksboro Road.
I made the trip and found Marcus Byler hard at work removing walls and converting what had been an old storage unit into a store called Four Corners Bulk Food & Deli. He was open in a limited capacity as he worked on the building. That was back in June of 2018.
Nearly four years later, I received another tip about that same store. Marcus has expanded, I was told. The place had exploded into a mega center of sorts. It’s the closest thing to Walmart that Jacksboro would ever see, my pal claimed.
So I made the trip out to Jacksboro on Friday afternoon and I’m here to report that not much exaggeration was taking place in the story about Four Corners. The store that was once a little boy had become a grown man.
Customers were everywhere, ordering sandwich meat at the deli counter and eating soft serve ice cream outside at the picnic tables. Eben Gilbert was one of the happy customers eating peanut butter cookies and ice cream under a canopy with his wife Linda.
“This store is what you’d call a success,” said Eben.
Inside, Marcus told me it had been over four months since his expansion was complete in early November.
“You look back and wonder how you did it before we added this new part,” said Marcus.
The deli meat and cheeses are sliced on site and are a smash hit. Marcus says the most popular are the black forest ham and Cajun turkey.
You can also build your own sandwich by picking your bread, dressing, meat, cheese and vegetables. The price starts at $4.98.
I was told the store’s all-time record is making 287 sandwiches in a single day and there were 220 sandwiches made one day last week.
Four Corners has become a destination store with people visiting from out of town.
“We have an antique car group from Murfreesboro that’s making the drive here for lunch,” said Marcus. “If people hear about us, they will come. We often get customers from Lebanon.”
The soft serve ice cream is known to bring a smile and there are jams and jellies to suit any taste. If you’re looking for a neat store to visit, try Four Corners at 5093 Jacksboro Road.
Group claims
Bridgestone hack
Bridgestone has been back up and running from its cybersecurity breach and it appears our local plant has been able to resume normal operations.
A ransomware gang called LockBit came forward on Friday and claimed responsibility for the attack. LockBit is said to be one of the most active ransomware groups today, targeting large corporations and sometimes asking for large payouts. Cybersecurity company Dragos said LockBit targeted 103 industrial companies last year.
LockBit said on Friday it wanted a large payday from Bridgestone to prevent it from releasing secret information it had stolen from the company. It’s not clear what information had been gained from Bridgestone and how it might be detrimental if released to the public.
Future uncertain
For Fiesta No. 3
I’ve received a number of questions in recent weeks about Fiesta Ranchero No. 3 located next to AutoZone. The restaurant has been closed for months with a sign on the door indicating that remodeling work will be taking place.
What has gotten folks somewhat confused is the fact no activity is taking place around the restaurant. It sits there quietly like an empty bowl of salsa.
I stopped by Fiesta Ranchero No. 1 last week to chat with owner Jurasmo Onate, who owns both locations. Jurasmo is a local restaurant hero, having opened Fiesta Ranchero at Plaza Shopping Center 29 years ago. Back then, it was the only Mexican restaurant in town.
The short answer as to whether Fiesta Ranchero No. 3 will be remodeled and reopened is that Jurasmo really is not sure. He said it was his full intention to remodel the aging building when he closed it, but since it’s been closed his opinion is shifting.
He says the phone number has been rolling to Fiesta Ranchero No. 1 so they are still getting some of the call-in business. He says the dining room at the Plaza restaurant has seen increased customers too and handling the extra load has not been a problem.
Jurasmo is wondering if it still makes sense to operate two restaurant one mile apart when one restaurant can essentially accomplish the same thing. He added the cost to remodel would be extremely expensive at this time.
In talking to Jurasmo, I didn’t get the idea he’s made up his mind completely, but I think he’s leaning toward just keeping the one restaurant open at Plaza. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.
Three Star Mall
Building speed
Three Star Mall is getting its mojo back. In recent weeks, the VA Clinic and a photo studio have opened at the mall and more great news is on the horizon.
This coming Saturday, March 19, Sam’s Deli & Sweet Box Bakery will open at 9 a.m. at the corner shop that was formerly Claire’s.
There is expected to be a crowd at the mall that day because that’s when the Southern Standard is holding our craft fair and beauty pageants with an exciting lineup of vendors registered to be in attendance.
Also of note, a new barber shop will be coming to the mall in the old GNC location across from Ascend. Eric Ortiz, a barber with some 28 years of experience, will be opening Scissor Hands Barber Shop.
I talked to Eric on Friday and he says he’s still about two to three weeks away from opening. He thinks the mall is going to be a great, long-term location for his shop.
I will provide more information about both businesses when it becomes available.
Job shadowing
Day at Morrison
So what do you want to be when you grow up? That’s a question Morrison eighth-graders considered with serious contemplation on Friday when they participated in Job Shadowing Day.
Three students visited Three Sisters Candle Company on Main Street to check out the retail industry.
“I like the idea of operating a small business,” said student Samantha Saldana.
“I wanted to check this out but I think what I really want to be is a detective,” said student Sasha Alvarez. “I have a cousin who is an officer in Coffee County and he really enjoys helping people and he really likes the job.”
For student Ally Johnson, choosing Three Sisters was an easy decision. Her mom Cassie owns the business.
“Greeting people when they come in is one of the most important things,” said Ally on what she has already learned in the business. “Good customer service is key.”
Cassie added that it’s important to determine the level of interaction each customer is seeking.
“You have to feel it out and do what the customer wants,” said Cassie. “Some people just want to look and be left alone. That’s fine. Others are more talkative and want more interaction.”
Two Morrison basketball players made their way to McMinnville Physical Therapy to get a first-hand look at rehabilitation services.
“I enjoy sports so I think I’d like to help other people train to get better,” said Isaiah Robledo, who plays football, basketball and runs track.
Added Braxton Gibbs, “If I don’t make it to where I want to be in sports, this is something I could do and still be around it.”
They were both impressed with the hands-on therapy and up-close interaction the employees have with the patients.
Unemployment
update
Each of Tennessee’s 95 counties experienced an increase in unemployment in January, according to information released Thursday by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Even with the increase, 85 counties reported rates less than 5%, while the remaining 10 counties all had rates less than 10%.
Williamson and Moore counties had the state’s lowest unemployment for the month. Both counties recorded rates of 2.2% in January.
At 9.2%, Perry County had the highest unemployment rate in the state.
Here are the unemployment rates for some counties of interest:
Cannon 2.6%
Coffee 3.3%
DeKalb 3.8%
Putnam 3.2%
Rutherford 2.8%
Van Buren 4.4%
Warren 4.4%
White 3.5%
That’s all folks
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