Latest / Mind Your Business - A Podcast Series produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce / The Student Economy, a Great July, and a Howard Street Update

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The Student Economy, a Great July, and a Howard Street Update · Mind Your Business - A Podcast Series produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_02: Fair fact.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_02: Students are everywhere and the impacts to local businesses are noticeable.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_02: This week we examine the student effect of a high country economy.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_02: From the Moon Area Chamber of Commerce, this is MindYour Business.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: Mind Your Business.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_01: Brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, providing professional commercial real estate services.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: Visit Appalachian CRE.com.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: Hello and welcome into Mind Your Business.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_02: I'm David Jackson, President and CEO of the Boon Area Chamber of Commerce.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for joining us once again this week, whether that's on the airwaves of WATA, here in Boone, or as a subscriber of the podcast version of the program, which is made possible each week by our good friends at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: If you haven't subscribed just yet, that's not a problem at all.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: Just search for Mind Your Business wherever you get your podcast.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_02: You can gain access to full archives, occasional bonus content, extended episodes, and plenty more as we connect you with the business news that you can use from right here in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_02: Monday marked the start of school for Appalachian State University, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, and Watauga High School.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_02: Three schools, three different parts of the community, each area showing physical signs and economic benefit from the return to the classroom.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_02: That also means businesses feel that boost.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_02: Some of them, at least.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_02: The immediate downtown shops and restaurants will benefit from the return of students and staff, but parking and congestion also take their toll for those that are not attached to campus.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_02: Projects like the Howard Street Revitalization are helping provide safer pedestrian passage in that immediate area.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_02: And let's not forget about AppleCart and the nearly 1.8 million trips they served last year.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_02: Those are people that are not in their own cars on the roads.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_02: The traffic is not limited to abstate, though.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_02: Drive around Wataga High School between 8 and 8.30 in the morning or 3.30 and 4 in the afternoon, and you see people, especially in the afternoon, students walking to places like Jeremiah's, higher grounds.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_02: And let's not forget the impact of the gas station trip when you were in high school.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I'm talking about, fountain drinks.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, nostalgia for some of us.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_02: Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, their Wataga campus tucked away on the 105 Bypass, also a magnet for student traffic, and their flexible schedule provides opportunities for academic activity nearly all day long.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_02: These students are not just in the classroom, though.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_02: They are a part of the seasonal workforce that is gearing up for a busy fall.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_02: How are employers positioning themselves to become the destination for those seeking jobs?
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_02: I know the narrative that's still out there.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_02: College students don't work as much as they used to, and that may be true to a point based on percentage, but they're still out there and heavily counted on by restaurants, retailers, nonprofits, and others.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_02: And if you don't believe me, just look at the wait staff at your favorite restaurant next time you're inside.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_02: On this week's Mind Your Business, we have a few voices that will explain the impact of students on business, how the return of class changes operating schedules and expectations, and how the return of available workers changes how businesses staff their operations, and how the behavior of downtown travelers changes the way the area behaves.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_02: This is one of the opportunities to hear from the folks that experience these issues, rather than driving past and looking in the window from the outside and assuming you know it all.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_02: So stay tuned, you may learn a thing or two about the importance of this time of year for our area.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_02: Also on the show, updates and numbers.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_02: July.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_02: It has been the month we needed, and we will tell you just how it delivered.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_02: We'll get back to those details and plenty more after the break.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: You are listening to mind your business.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: Are you a young professional looking to expand your network?
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: The High Country Young Professionals affectionately dubbed the High Country Young Ros, is a dedicated group of 200 plus professional young adults under the age of 40 serving in various industries across the high country.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Join us for our casual networking event on the first Tuesday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: As we visit locations across the high country.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Events are free of charge.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: However, donations are appreciated.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Not a chamber member, that's okay.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Join us.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Learn more about high tech video pros at com slash 80 wife.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_02: Before we talk to students, impact let us highlight a business that is always working to help connect you to the area of the community that will serve you the best.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_02: That's James Milner at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_02: They solve simple and complex commercial real estate problems in and around the Boone area and beyond.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_02: Whether you own or lease commercial real estate, regardless of the property type, have an advocate on your side, along with the expertise and experience to assist you and your business.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_02: For more information, you can check them out on the web, Appalachian CRE.com.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_02: One of the most unique things about the Boone area, the high country in general for that matter, is that we are a location that is made to play to different audiences.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_02: We have tourists, students, locals, day trippers, outdoor adventure seekers, arts connected travelers, all of these and plenty more.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_02: So our identity is not always the same.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_02: And it's not like we have just one big economic driver here that generates all of the outside interest.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_02: We have an economy that moves with the seasons.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_02: This is one of those peak times for movement, starting at the very end of July and running up to the onset of football season and leaf season soon after.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_02: The return of students means that some of our four-year friends are simply no longer here.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_02: They've graduated, their lease got paid up at the end of July, and they are out to the next step of their lives.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_02: Perhaps they'll boomerang back one day.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_02: But in their place, new students, new moms and dads seeking their favorite place to eat and stay, and if it's up to their student to stay out of the way, right?
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_02: Businesses around our community are working to make a first impression, and also staying true to those other audiences I was just mentioning.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_02: South End Brewery is one of those businesses, and Aram and Megan Kavorkian definitely feel the impact of this time of year.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, so when the students return, we definitely see a little spike in business, um particularly in the evenings.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_05: That's obviously very helpful for business overall and helps smooth out the midweek.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_05: Thompson definitely drives weekend business pretty significantly.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_05: Uh we target all demographics that we see.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_05: Everyone from the locals and tourists to students coming in.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_05: Um but it does it does help, you know, just boost August up over July and then September again over August.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_05: We see a continual trend upwards in business from August through October into November generally.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_04: December.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_04: Um I mean, particularly move in week is uh it you know, like comparing that to when students aren't there, even with the summer vacation traffic.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_04: Um move in week is it's just it's a higher week for us revenue or yeah, revenue wise.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_04: Um, particularly, you know, students are bringing their parents and they want to go out to dinner and and it's great.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_04: Um yeah, I have to say we were a little short staffed, uh, maybe didn't quite prepare for how much the people wanted to go out that week.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but it was great.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, we really appreciated people coming out and um then it's quieter this week, you know, because parents have left and kids are getting into the rhythm of school.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_02: We'll talk about staffing in just a second, but I want to go back to setting the impression that you get a chance to set, whether that's through orientation sessions throughout the summer or move-in week, like you just mentioned.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_02: How important is it to you to cater to this brand new group of the student population every year that comes in fresh, wide-eyed, and looking to establish some of their favorite places?
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_04: Um, well, I would say that as Aram said, you know, our our ideal demographic is kind of everybody.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_04: Um I know that that's maybe a cop-out answer, but we're not specifically trying to entice college kids to come in.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_04: Um we, you know, we kind of bill ourselves as the family restaurant, but also, hey, we can be fun for late night if you want.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_04: And hey, bring your parents or your grandparents.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, it's just it's kind of a fun vibe for everybody.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, specifically through social media, I continue to push that we have events throughout the week, whether that's, you know, Monday night trivia, Tuesday night run club, um, and then free music on the weekends and whatever happens in between.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_04: Um so just continuing to push that and maybe trying to push it in a in a way that specifically um caters towards the college kids as they move in, just so it, you know, pops up on their feed.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_04: Um but otherwise, I'll be honest, we haven't we haven't specifically tried, but we seem to we seem to have plenty of college kids that like to come and and hang out.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, all of our music and events are completely free.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_05: We never charge a cover as an organization.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_05: And just from that front, I think we've been rather successful in bringing students into our bar.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_05: We're also an alumni-owned organization that hires it's generally around 45 individuals.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_05: So we have a lot of connections to the student body in that manner as well.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_05: Um but yeah, it's a I would say it's in the range of like a 15% bump on a business.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_05: So we don't really need to drastically shift our staffing or organization in any meaningful way when they come, but it's just nice additional revenue on top of what's already happening.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, from the staffing perspective, I I know that there are a number of businesses that use this time of year to kind of gear up for the busier sections of fall, whether that's football weekends, October, the the whole entire month.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, do you see more hireable people when students come back to town?
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, definitely.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_04: Um, so you know, as an example, probably Jill throughout June and July, I posted maybe three or four different times that we were looking for staff, um, both front of house and back of house, and maybe got one or two inquiries um, you know, outside of an indeed posting.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_04: And I have not posted anything.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_04: And within the last two weeks, I've probably had about 30 people email, you know, here's my resume.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_04: We would I would love to work for you, you know, or come in, just stop in.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and that's just because there's more people in town, right?
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_04: And it makes sense.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and they're trying to start their year with with some money, and that's awesome.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_04: And um, yeah, we really appreciate that the student body wants to be um active and engaged in the community of Boone.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_05: Go ahead.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, you go ahead.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_05: Uh yeah, there's a rhythm in downtown Boone.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_05: You know, after graduation, after move out, um a lot of organizations, companies lose staff and then are scrambling to hire um while the summer you know, tourist traffic is coming in, a lot of seasonal work is coming online.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_05: And so it's a really difficult time to hire.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_05: In fact, you're just you're struggling sometimes to hold on to your staff as the country clubs are doing a big hiring spree for front front and back of house folks.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_05: But then it's like a switch is flipped as soon as move-in happens, and now people who were in jobs previously are coming back to those jobs and taking them.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_05: Um, other seasonal work is leaving those jobs, and all of a sudden you have a huge glut of labor in the economy just from one day to the next.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_05: It's pretty shocking.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_05: We're now thankfully familiar with this rhythm, having been a few years into this business and can plan appropriately.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_05: But move-in week and graduation are two really critical staffing times for downtown Boone, I would say.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, you bring up a great point.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_02: And and I wonder with the time that you've had in this business, and then I'll take it back to even your own personal experiences, how much do you feel like you've honed in on what college students want for employment?
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: Because there's this narrative out there that college students don't want to work.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't necessarily believe in that as much as they may not want to work in the traditional ways that 20 years ago college students were working.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_02: How have you made sure that you are a destination for what they need, what they want, and probably scheduling as much as anything?
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I definitely push back on that narrative that college students these days don't know how to work.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_05: I think we like to, some people like to have that narrative in their head, and whenever they see an employee that isn't a great employee, they apply that narrative to the broader population.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_05: We have a lot of amazing employees.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_05: And when I was working in college, there was a lot of amazing and not amazing employees then as well.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_05: Um, but that said, yeah, we we look for people who can be honest about their class schedule and we always talk to them about availability upfront.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_04: We also early on game days.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_05: We also, because we sell alcohol, we really emphasize people who are older, over 21, who have some experience in the industry, preferably, um, before letting them serve in our establishment.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, we always want to have people do a shadow shift so they can come in eyes wide open before any formal offer is provided, so they know exactly what they're getting themselves into, um, what the culture is in our company.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_05: Um generally our bartending and server spots are already full, and so people need to start in some kind of a support role and move in.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_05: And so we're also looking for people who are willing to put the time in with the organization to work, to learn, and then to move up into a more desirable role in general.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_04: And that is normally like the freshmen or the um the sophomores, because they, you know, a host doesn't have to be 21 and that's just fine.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_04: And and I would say again, um I think what we really have put a lot of time into is just creating a culture that is both kind and accepting, um, but also is accountable.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_04: Um and, you know, staff know that if they're gonna be on a shift with whoever it is, that they all have to do their work, um, but they all actually want to help each other as well.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_04: And so having that combination of accountability, but also um, I would say kindness and looking out for your, you know, your other staff members, um, that's kind of critical to who we are.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_04: Um, we don't we we try as owners and managers not to have a lot of sticks, you know, like you have to do this.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_04: Um, it's more of no, like you want to do this because tomorrow morning when your colleague gets in and the floor is really dirty and they have to spend an extra 20 minutes when they have to open, it's not gonna really work out and you're gonna hear it from them.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, kindly.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_04: But um, so yeah, it's um, I think a lot of it's also creating a culture um where people are brought up, but they're also held accountable.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, a few last questions for you here.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we we talked a little bit about traffic pattern uh briefly, but you know, July performance downtown in terms of people walking around and having a little bit more time on their hands might look one way.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_02: But when you get back to the point where students are whizzing past your place every day, you know, especially now that Howard Street is getting a little bit more pedestrian-friendly on your side, do you see much of a change in how people approach your business?
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_02: And do you do anything to change how you are available to those folks?
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_05: Um, this is what we call lumpy rushes.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_05: Like, you know, a typical tourist rush is everyone comes right at one and everyone comes right at 6:30.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_05: Um, but when the students are back, it's like we still get those rushes, but we might get another one at two.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_05: We might get one at four o'clock when certain classes get out.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_05: We might get one at 9:30 p.m.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_05: Um, just because there's so many people wandering around.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_05: And it takes one group of you know 15 students walking in your door when you're already, you know, at a decent pace to suddenly feel like you're in a rush.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_05: And so it definitely keeps everyone on their toes and evens out the day a little bit, which we definitely appreciate.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_05: It keeps keeps staff busy, keeps staff making money.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I was from the uh classes out meet at Portofino generation of the late 90s, early 2000s.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_02: So I can appreciate classes out meet at South End.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I think that's uh that's definitely something that that is getting uh established here.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um one last uh point uh to really kind of bring up before we close this out.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you mentioned earlier that that you found that way to capture a late night audience and you don't charge covers for music and things like that.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_02: There have been many businesses that have tried to be that family restaurant during the day, late night place at night.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_02: You guys have done that as as consistently as anybody.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_02: What has been the key to that success of making sure that that people understand what you are at different times of day?
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_04: Um, well, I think one thing is that we are consistent on our quality.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_04: Um, so what we present during the, you know, from 11:30 for lunch to dinner, um, to then late night, which honestly isn't super late night.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_04: We still close at 11.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_04: Um, it's it's the same.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_04: Our quality of the quality of our beer, the quality of our drinks, the quality of our food, and the quality of our staff doesn't change throughout that time period.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and so I think, you know, having that consistency in both staffing and management and quality throughout, you know, throughout the entire day really does make a difference.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and we're not, you know, we're not trying to be the late night, like super, super late night.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_04: Like we're never gonna be alehouse and we don't want to be, and that's okay.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_04: That's alehouse.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but you know, we do want to be the place where you can come for a late night drink.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_04: Um, you're still gonna pay a little bit more for our craft beer because it's a high quality beer.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but you might do that because you really like it.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_04: And I'll be honest, we have the largest beer garden in downtown Boone.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_04: You know, we have three levels.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_04: We've got the the patio, the main deck, and then the upper deck.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_04: And that is certainly a hot spot for um for everyone, but specifically the college kids.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, what and we're incredible sticklers on ticket times for food and drinks.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_05: So if you come in, you should have an order in drink in front of your table very quickly.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_05: Your food should be out very quickly.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_05: Like it, I think that it's helped our appeal a lot because people know that they can come there for lunch.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_05: They know that they can come there for dinner with a with a family, with a group of 10, and it's not gonna overwhelm the kitchen, they're not gonna be waiting an hour for food.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_05: Um, and that's been difficult to staff a kitchen appropriately for that, but I think that investment has paid off quite significantly.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_05: So keeping the food quality high, keeping the content quality high, keeping wait times down.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_05: Um I know a lot of restaurants struggle with that, and I I get it, it's very difficult to do.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_05: Um, but we've been we put an incredible amount of effort, energy, and resources into maintaining that standard.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_04: And just one last thing, I think the way, and this was intentional, the way that we structured um your options as a guest for when you walk in, I think helps as well.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_04: So when you walk in, generally the host, you know, is there and they will say, Hey, welcome to South End.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_04: Would you like to sit at the bar or the bar section?
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_04: Would you like to go outside?
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_04: Would you like to have a server?
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_04: And they kind of lay out the options for people.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but because we do have over 250 seats, um, we have a lot of options for people to take.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_04: And that can mean they can go to the lower bar where the garage windows are and just get beer service or sorry, get our service where they can order a beer, they can order food.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_04: It might take a little bit because they don't have a server.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but that's fine because they just want to hang out and have a beer.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but then if you want to have a server, well, okay, we've got, you know, over 40 or 70 seats in the dining room, and then we've got an extra 40 outside.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_04: And hey, if you just want to grab a beer and go outside and do whatever for the next two hours, great.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_04: Bring your dog.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_04: We love it.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_04: You know, so I think just having those options also helps because it really a customer can kind of tailor whatever, like their experience with us because we have so many options.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_04: Now, we have been blessed with both inside and outside space.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_04: So I recognize not everybody can do that.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but I think that really helps.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_02: Absolute last question for you.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_02: If you're you're setting that uh opportunity to make that impression, whether that's a college student, a local that may be trying you for the first time, or a tourist walking down the sidewalk in October, what do you say to them about South End?
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_02: What do you say to get them in the door?
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_05: And for us, it's all about the experience you have from the moment you walk in the door.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_05: And that's the friendliness of the staff, the way they interact with you, the quality of the product, how quickly it comes out, the facility itself, your ability to find a place where you're comfortable that makes sense for you.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_05: Um, I think just, yeah, being able to offer a wide variety of experiences that someone's going to love and enjoy is what it's all about.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_05: We always tell our staff in training that our primary product that somebody has when they walk in the door is their experience while they're in our establishment.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_05: Um, the food and beverage are important to that, but you have to always be paying attention to the experience somebody is having.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_05: And if it's a good one, they're gonna love it and they're gonna want to come back.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_05: That's why.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_05: People go out.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_05: They go out to be happy, to enjoy themselves, to be with friends.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_05: They don't specifically always go out just for food, it's for a good time.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_05: And that's what we try to offer.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_02: Well, excellent way to summarize that.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_02: We appreciate the experience that you've created and the investment that you've made in downtown, and uh wish you nothing but the best this fall as we get back to one of the busiest seasons of the year.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: So thank you very much for your time today.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you, Damon.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks to the Cavorkians for joining us this week.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_02: Southend has also done a ton of work on their space over the years.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_02: Their new upstairs event space, Upstairs on King, the third level of the restaurant Megan was referencing a moment ago.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_02: It's a great spot for holiday parties, corporate gatherings, watch parties, you name it.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_02: So check it out on their website, Southendbrewing.com.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_02: When we return, we'll continue our look at the impact of this transitional time as we welcome all students back to the high country.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: You are listening to MindYour Business.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_01: Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_01: They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_01: For more information, go to their website at AppalachianCRE.com.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome back to Mind Your Business.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_02: I'm David Jackson.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_02: Students of all ages walking in all places just about.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_02: Think of all the Wataga High School students that were at Jeremiah's Italian Ice on Monday.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: You gotta have some ice cream to celebrate the first day of school, right?
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_02: Abstate students have returned to find a potholeless Howard Street, an area that is really starting to look now a lot more like the bridge between downtown and campus than it was planned to be really for decades.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_02: Lane Moody is the director of the Downtown Business Development Association and the de facto Howard Street Whisperer.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: And she says the improvement for pedestrians has been noted this week.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_03: This project has been so exciting for me throughout, but I am so tickled to see this increase in foot traffic being able to use actual sidewalks, real sidewalks.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_03: Um they've even got a bike lane that they're walking into.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, it's just it's wonderful.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so glad to have our students back and so glad that we have got um the sidewalk and infrastructure that's there um to to send them down.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_03: And so it's significantly better than than last year, or still not complete, um, but definitely better than it was.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_03: And I think a fun way to welcome them back.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you you mentioned the the obvious point with the the machinery that's still out there and and still working on some some of that pedestrian access on the farther side of Howard Street from campus.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_02: Can you tell us kind of where things are with the construction and how much longer you anticipate heavy machinery being part of the steady diet of visuals down in that area?
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_03: So we the first section that we worked on between Depot Street and Burrell Street went from roughly magic cycles up to Wildwood.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_03: We completed that last week, and so now we are working on the section between Wildwood and kind of working towards the 1850.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_03: What we are doing right now is we are gonna knock out the sidewalk all the way on the left side.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_03: So on that, the the river street side of that, they um have significant uh sidewalk in there, and so they're gonna complete that before we install the sidewalk on the other side, closer to Lumina Nails uh and Melanie.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_03: So we're we're working on getting those the sidewalks and um and bike lanes and everything installed.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_03: I actually do think that, so I want to think that they went to roughly behind 1850, and so we've got sidewalk there, like again on the on the river side of Howard Street.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, I think they're gonna be asphalting the bike lane tomorrow morning.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then and then they'll come back and kind of go back to um in front of the local next week and then start working on that side of the road.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_03: So though you'll still have access.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_03: You might have to shift a little bit um once you get to the Wildwood area, depending on where what time when you get there.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but so we're we're getting close.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so I'm thankful that it is a little bit further off from campus.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_03: And so um, but but then we'll still have some additional work.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so there'll be still be some equipment down there, um, but maybe not well, whenever the poles come down.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um well and we'll we'll talk about that um piece to the project here in just a few minutes.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_02: But as as people are seeing some of the hardscape um elements come into play, you know, we we did a little video a couple of weeks ago and and made note of bike racks and benches and trash cans and things along those lines.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but there are also still some areas that have yet to be filled.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_02: What does that look like?
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_02: Is that vegetative?
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_02: Is is that still an opportunity to fill something in on a more permanent basis?
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_02: What what will that aesthetic element add to what is already a fairly revitalized area in that regard?
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_03: Sure, sure.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_03: Uh well, and thank you again for that video.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_03: That was a well done, friend.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_03: It was fun.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_02: It was fun.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_03: So I will say if you are coming down Howard Street and you see an area to the side that's got a bunch of dirt, um, or or grass, as the case may be in some spots, those are gonna be our landscape areas.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so I know that the grass maybe isn't the best looking right now, but I think that they're gonna wait until more significant hardscape is done before we put the plants in there because we don't want them to get run over.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, we want to give them um a little bit more opportunity to thrive whenever they do go in the ground.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um and so, but then there are also some areas that you'll see that typically will have some ballers around them.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_03: And if they've got a concrete base to them, um, that and then they've got a little bit of lip before it gets to the top of the roadway, that is space for pavers.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and those pavers for the side from Depot Street uh to Burrell Street, those are gonna be your loading zones that are coming in there.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_03: So if you see some kind of not pretty concrete, as it may be, stuff that's not been trialed out, uh, what you're looking at is likely gonna be a new loading zone.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_03: And specifically the one that you can see that's the most obvious right now is behind magic cycles.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you you bring up uh an excellent point and the vehicular access that that will be there uh on a little bit more than uh just driving through basis.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_02: And that is not only loading zones, and and would love to hear you um talk a little bit more about how those have been staged, but then also metered parking on the opposite side of those, uh, where uh it it feels like, and I don't know if this is true, but it feels like there may be a net gain of some parking areas or at least not a loss of what was had before in terms of actual legal Howard Street parking.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_02: Is that fair to say?
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_03: That is fair to say.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_03: What I've been calling it is it's more of a parking shuffle.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but I think that we might have actually just eked out one more than we previously had, and we were actually able to carve out a um a handicap parking space, which Howard Street did not previously have.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um I know that Howard Street is not uh during construction has not been great for the ADA access for a variety of different reasons.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but that is first one of the things that we are thinking about, and so we do now have our first handicap space there.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_03: We have our metered spaces um there in front of Phys Ed, which have been great.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I will say that we've got a couple of spots next to Magic Cycles that were striped just this week.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so we've got those parking spaces there.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_03: And then going back to speak to the loading zones, we will actually have a loading zone um kind of behind pads for grads, um, closer to the university side, kind of at that Appalachian intersection.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, then we have got a loading zone near Footh Loggers.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_03: We will have another loading zone like we just talked about that will be behind Magic Cycles, and then finally one behind the 1850 hotel.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_02: And those are access points for the daily uh traffic, I would imagine, that that restaurants are taking deliveries, things like that.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um will there be any other um opportunities for use for those, or is is that really just kind of designed to get that truck traffic off the road?
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_03: Just designed to get that truck traffic off the road.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_03: And I I do realize that there will be a learning curve there.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_03: I know that um where we had taken the one lane of traffic and it kind of had turned into an impromptu um loading zone that was significantly bigger, but we uh we do have the loading zones there.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_03: They're coming.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_03: It'll just take a minute as we get people used to them.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_02: So as we're we're looking at this area, you you mentioned like the lip and the concrete there.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_02: It looks like from from one end to the other, especially once once the sidewalks are done, there's an additional layer of asphalt that goes down to all of this and and finishes it off.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_02: What does that timeline look like on that?
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_02: Understanding too that weather and every other curveball known to man has come into this project at some point in time.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_02: But if if a perfect world scenario existed, how far are we away from seeing kind of that final grade of this?
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um can I I had the question asked to me earlier today, and they said, Can you give me a month?
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_03: And I said, Can I give you a season?
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_03: And so I I think we're shooting for fall, and and hopefully I'm not beating you to the punch on a question here, but I think so we're about to kind of wrap up some of the hardscape piece of this, and then we kind of turn the project over to the utility companies.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then they need to finish wrapping up those service connections.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then the polls will come down.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_03: And it's my understanding that they're gonna wait and do the the final run of all the um the or the final touches until after those poles are down, because you can tell that there's still some concrete work that needs to be done where those polls currently are.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so I think they're gonna wait to do that uh to to really polish her off after after the polls are gone.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_02: And I would expect that that the removal of service uh off of those, if you stand on Howard Street and count the number of lines that are hanging above you, it's not just one, and it's certainly not just a couple.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um, how will that be staged?
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_02: And and will you imagine that that will be uh, you know, a period of time as as those individual providers come in and deal with those things uh on their own?
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_03: So um I'm glad you asked that.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_03: It does sound like it is gonna be a gradual process as everybody gets their service connections made.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_03: And I feel like all the utility companies are kind of at different stages in the process.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_03: Um I do know that New River Light and Power has been absolutely wonderful.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_03: They have been back there pulling wires as soon as they had the opportunity to.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um and so I would say that we will see them start to pull some of their equipment first.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so that'll be an exciting first step.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_03: And then beyond that, I'm not super sure what that looks like, other than to say that I think it will be a gradual process, but trust that those polls will be removed.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_02: Excellent.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, as as we think about this this project as been going on for certainly a long time.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, when you think about the the end game here, how long do you feel like it will take to really truly begin to understand how this area behaves?
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_02: Is that a it's not complete yet, so you can't get a full understanding of of what the day-to-day looks like, but but what what for you is a realistic target of saying, all right, this is the road, these are the features, and this is what we've got?
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_03: I do think I anticipate that it will probably take um kind of those behavior patterns and understanding um probably a couple months to start to take shape.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_03: I know that everybody really likes to talk about change, um, but change is not easy.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_03: Uh and I make a reference to, you know, when they switch around the aisles at the grocery store.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_03: That's like it's maybe that's not a great comparison.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_02: No, that's a great comparison.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_02: I I absolutely loathe that time.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_02: Like just take me to the cereal.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_03: But then, you know, it gives you you it you give it a couple of weeks and you get used to it.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_03: I feel like that is um Howard Street is on a significantly larger scale than a grocery store aisle.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_03: And so I don't want to be flipping about that.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but I do think that, you know, once we get um everybody gets used to the one-ways and where the parking spaces are and gets used to where the utility poles are.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_03: It's just it's just gonna take a little uh um a little bit of time, you know, and it's it's a there's some big changes back there.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_03: Um and it it looks great.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_03: And I I'm really excited for it.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_03: But I do know that there's gonna be construction's difficult, and construction comes with a level of um completely necessary complaints um and and disruption.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but then I feel like again, uh people's when you change their their daily patterns, that comes with a little bit of pushback too.
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_02: I I would imagine too, the the feedback that you have received from end users along the way has helped guide the project along.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_02: Um do you feel like that that you know that conduit uh of of information back and forth has been helpful, not only to developers, but to the town itself and in thinking about how this area ultimately behaves and coming from people that have been you know occupying businesses and residences there for a while.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_02: Uh what's that channel of information back and forth been like?
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, um we I feel like we've gotten some good feedback um and we're continuing to get feedback.
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes, though, I feel like as a part of this project, um, people are super familiar with how it works down there, but we anticipate that we've got a lot of changes that are coming back there.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_03: And so we've had some hypothetical issues that have been kind of tossed our way.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think that we'll probably end up waiting um to see if those problems come to fruition before addressing them, if that makes sense.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so go ahead.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_03: Sorry.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, I was just about to add to that.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, it seems like everybody uh that that looks at that area right now that sees the curvature of the road, which I'd love to have you explain again here in just a moment, but but in addition to the curvature of the road, uh everybody's a snowplow operator right now and anticipating what that might be like.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_02: But I would go as far as to think, and I'm I'm hopeful that I'm right here and trust that I am, that uh if the town planned for a road to be designed the way that it was, they probably got a plan for snow removal written into that operating procedure somewhere along the way.
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I have full faith and confidence in our public works department, uh specifically our street department and drivers, uh, they handle curves well.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I feel like there are some really curvy neighborhoods that not only are they curvy, but they're steep and curvy.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so I feel like the the curves of Howard Street, um, they they are gonna handle them just fine.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_03: And and we've also had some concerns about the benches and is the trash cans, are they gonna make more of a mess than than they fix?
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_03: And so um we will have a contract for public services to have those uh trash cans serviced multiple times a week, and public works will check them on the weekend.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_03: And so um, but back to the the curvature of the road, yes.
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_03: I uh I think we're gonna be able to handle that.
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um final thing for you.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_02: Uh anybody that that maybe, you know, we've got all these new students walking around, and part of the show this week has been about new audiences.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_02: And and while we've we've got a variety of people that have been here for a long time, you got people that are seeing the area for the first time.
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_02: What message does the town of Boone and and the DBDA have for people that have kind of weathered the storm, so to speak, over the last year uh of this project year plus uh in and getting closer to the end game?
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_02: What's your message to those folks and anybody new that might be in the area?
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for your patience.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um like I said, this is a really difficult project.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_03: It was from the get-go before construction even started.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_03: You know, we we don't have a laydown yard.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, there wasn't parking for the project itself, for the workers.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I mean, it's just it's difficult because of what Howard Street is.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so thank you to those businesses that that weathered it with the patience and grace that you have.
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I think it's a testament to our community and how resilient we are and kind while being resilient and and pushing through some difficult um construction projects.
• 38:15
  SPEAKER_03: And thanks for the community for still coming to love on those businesses that are down there and braving the muddy roads, the um gravel road, and then muddy again, and and just kind of the the back and forth.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_03: I feel like we definitely have a population that is uh willing to show up for our our um our small businesses in our community when needed.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and uh road conditions be darned.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_02: Well, it's it's certainly getting uh to the to the point where where road conditions won't come into it much anymore, but uh we certainly appreciate your time and transparency with all of this.
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_02: I know we're not done talking to you about it yet, so don't get that impression.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_02: But uh but this update certainly comes at a time where there's enhanced traffic.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_02: There's gonna be more of that, certainly with football and festivals and all of the visitors that are that are coming for the fall.
• 39:01
  SPEAKER_02: So we'll look forward to catching up with you again and cutting a ribbon with you one of these days here.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_02: One of these days.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks to Lane for spending some time with us this week, and know that when it's time to cut the ribbon on that completed Howard Street project, we will be there to celebrate.
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_02: Until then, remember that access for the east side of Howard Street is off of Appalachian Street via King Street.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_02: And for those of you traveling to the west side, you can get there off Depot Street no matter which direction you are traveling.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_02: You are listening to Mind Your Business.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_02: Each fall, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce leads a celebration of community, the people and businesses that make us unique, the leaders that make the high country strong.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_02: This celebration captures the spirit of Boone.
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_02: Join us Thursday, September 24th from 5:30 to 9 o'clock in the Grandview Ballroom at Kid Brewer Stadium as the chamber hosts Spirit of Boon.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_02: Connect and network with nearly 400 fellow business and community leaders.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_02: Enjoy a delicious dinner, proof to the live sounds of Watauga County's own Adam Church, and help us celebrate the accomplishments of the Chamber's annual community award on a Reeves.
• 40:13
  SPEAKER_02: Spirit of Boon is the chamber's largest fundraiser of the year with event proceeds that fuel our mission-driven work, programs, and projects.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_02: Seating is limited, and this event has sold out in past years.
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_02: Tickets and corporate tables are available now at Boonchamber.com.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_02: Join us as we celebrate the Spirit of Boon.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_02: Reserve your seats today at BoonCamber.com.
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_01: Mind your business, brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, offering sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_01: Visit Appalachian CRE.com.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_02: Numbers, we promised numbers, and we have July performance for you.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_02: Visits to the town of Boone noted here through our partnership with Placer AI and some good news to report this time around.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_02: Boone experienced a robust increase in travel activity with total trips reaching 121,000 in July of 26.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_02: That's climbing 19.4% from June of this year and up 10.5% year over year, indicating a strong summer demand.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_02: Visitors spent a total of 196,000 nights in Boone in July.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_02: That's up 29.5% from the previous month, suggesting a significant rise in overnight stays as travelers extended those visits, a lot more family vacations in that window.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_02: The Charlotte region led the origin markets with about 28,500 visitors coming from that area, maintaining its top position, which it's got a stranglehold on, by the way.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_02: Raleigh Durham and the Fayetteville area, followed closely by Greensboro, Greenville, South Carolina, and the Metro Atlanta region, round out the top five, highlighting consistent regional interest.
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_02: This data also matches all of the anecdotal information that we've received here of late.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_02: Tourism spending is better, visits are longer, and August has started with that same active pattern, and certainly boosted by the number of students returning to town, throw in some last minute school-aged vacationing families into the mix as well at the beginning of the month.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_02: And hopefully, hopefully, we'll see these trends continue as we continue to progress toward a very important fall.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_02: One other note to throw into this conversation, and this study is a couple of years old, but the numbers still hold up.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_02: To finalize the point on student impact on our economy, just know that Abstate students support one out of every 14 jobs in a five-county region that includes the high country and some surrounding areas.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_02: So while traffic may get tight and squirrely at times, remember there are regions all over the state that would trade places with us in a second if given the chance.
• 43:13
  SPEAKER_02: You are listening to mind your business.
• 43:15
  SPEAKER_01: Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_01: They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_01: For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.
• 43:35
  SPEAKER_02: We are down to about 75 teeth remaining for Spirit of Boon.
• 43:39
  SPEAKER_02: That's our 77th annual membership gathering coming up September 24th.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_02: We can celebrate our award winners and connect with business leaders from across the community.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks again to Skyline SkyBest for serving as our title sponsor, and we are excited to celebrate their 75th anniversary here as part of this year's event.
• 43:56
  SPEAKER_02: If you want to join us, make plans now while tickets still remain by logging on to boostchamber.com.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_02: That'll do it for this week's Mind Your Business.
• 44:04
  SPEAKER_02: The program is written and produced each week by the Bood Area Chamber of Commerce.
• 44:08
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks to WATA for placing us on the Airwaves each week.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_02: And thanks to James Milner, the team at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate for making the podcast version of this program possible.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_02: If you are not yet a subscriber, fix that issue today.
• 44:21
  SPEAKER_02: Search for MindYour Business wherever you get those podcasts.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_02: You can also visit us online anytime.
• 44:26
  SPEAKER_02: Boodchamber.com.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_02: Until next week, so long, everybody.