Starting from scratch: New Hamlet business leaders meet to stimulate growth

HAMLET — The Hamlet Business Development Association hadn’t met since before the pandemic, but it saw its best attendance in years this week with representatives from several new businesses taking active roles in establishing a way forward for the advocacy group.

The businesses represented were Sandhills Home Care, PeopleTek 360°, Hail Mary’s Tavern, Seafoodie, Hamlet House Antiques, Buie’s Cotton Gin Restaurant and Catering, and Timothy Johnson who owns a new antique shop on Raleigh Street with plans to open a furniture store on Hamlet Avenue across the street from Ace Hardware. Also in attendance were Hamlet Mayor Pro Tem Jesse McQueen and Councilman Eddie Martin, who answered questions from the group about how the City Council could help their businesses.

Because there had been such a gap in activity due to COVID-19, there were no other agenda items except to figure out what the agenda items would be in the future. There were also no members since dues hadn’t been paid during the shutdown.

The early discussions of new goals included promoting the curb appeal of downtown, improving streetlights and sidewalks, and building connections with City Council to help new businesses overcome roadblocks to success.

Meeting fellow business leaders

Each person introduced themselves to the group, many of whom were meeting for the first time.

Steve Richardson is the owner of Sandhills Home Care since 2011 which recently expanded to West Hamlet Avenue next to Ace Hardware. He shared the different services they provide to the elderly, which include help with bathing and grooming, fall prevention, meal preparation and other home functions which can become difficult as our loved ones grow older.

“We’ve been in Pembroke for a long time and we plan to be in Hamlet for a long time too,” Richardson said.

Hamlet-native Chuck Craven introduced his business, PeopleTek, which he’s run on and off since 2003. PeopleTek works to optimize workplace cultures, and builds on Craven’s experience working in the North Carolina Governor’s Office for 10 years under both Governors Hunt and Easley where he was tasked with making government more efficient. He holds two Master’s Degrees with a pending Ph.D., and has an extensive background in organizational behavior, applied psychology and administration and other focus areas.

“I’m here hoping I can help you in some way,” Craven said, addressing the group, “and also that you can help me generate business, which is why we’re all here anyway.”

Jeff Tyler is the co-owner of Hail Mary’s Tavern, which held a soft opening about six weeks ago in the location formerly held by Sports Connection next to the Hamlet Depot. The bar is named after his wife and co-owner of the bar, Mary, and Tyler said the hope to be a quality stop for Hamlet nightlife.

“We decided to take a leap of faith, we opened up, haven’t advertised — just did a soft opening and by word of mouth in six weeks its been nothing short of amazing,” Tyler said. “The town of Hamlet has really supported us.”

Kendale Robinson, owner of Seafoodie and military veteran, shared his plans to expand Seafoodie’s popular food truck to a sit down restaurant in the old bank building on Raleigh Street. He started the business about a year ago after finding his pharmacy job in Durham unfulfilling, and decided to take a chance on a food truck. But, he didn’t want to start in Durham.

“I said, ‘Lets go to Hamlet, it’s a little bit smaller, it’s closer to home’ — I came down here and absolutely got my butt kicked day one,” Robinson said. “Our first day opening is still has been one of our top 10 sales days over the last 13-14 months.”

Don Stark, co-owner of Hamlet House Antiques, next to Birmingham Drug, and a tour company that takes people to Europe to buy antiques, said their business has struggled since the pandemic. Stark was eager to see the HBDA get back on its feet to help local businesses recover from the pandemic.

“Since COVID we’ve been running two nonprofit businesses,” Stark said. “We hope that changes here pretty quick.”

Eddrena Hood Davis and Marquan Hood Davis are co-owners of Buie’s Cotton Gin Restaurant and Catering. Eddrena, who graduated from Richmond Senior High School but isn’t originally from the area, said she’s been encouraged by the Hamlet community since her time in the city and hopes being a part of the HBDA will do more to grow the area.

“I love being back here, I love seeing the community working together, I love seeing those old buildings being filled,” she said. “It’s about community and that’s what … I really like here and so we’re excited. That’s basically the foundation of what we’re starting our business on: treating employees like family, helping the community out and just being a pillar of the community.”

Timothy Johnson, a military veteran from South Florida, recently opened a new thrift shop on Raleigh Street which he said has gotten great reviews from patrons. He will also soon be opening a used furniture store on Hamlet Avenue across from Ace Hardware.

“We guarantee we’re going to have some of the best products around,” Johnson said.

Working together

Robinson said the best way forward would be to all move in one direction to achieve the HBDA’s goals. He shared the frustration he hase when he watches cars pass through Hamlet all day, and said that as a group they need to figure out how to make those cars stop.

”My vision would be for a collective unit with some sort of voice on the council to make sure that any roadblocks can be removed for new businesses like myself or if anyone wants to start this or that,” Robinson said. “Just making sure Downtown Hamlet Business Association is moving Hamlet in the direction that we all want to see it go.”

Through their introductions, the group realized that several of them had experience with the Robert’s Rules of Order, grant writing, running council meetings with action items and agendas with minutes being kept — all the necessary ingredients to form an effective organization.

“Just in the room we have the capability to push the visions that everyone has been talking about forward,” Eddrena said.

The Hamlet Business Development Association meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. upstairs in the Hamlet Depot in downtown Hamlet.