Category Archives: Business

Business, Fort Scott

Two Local Fort Scott Businesses Awarded $10,000 through American Express and Main Street America

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American Express and Main Street America today announced the 500 small business owners who have been awarded $10,000 through the Backing Small Businesses grant program, https://mainstreet.org/the-latest/news/500-small-business-owners-receive-10-000-grants-through-backing-small-businesses-program. The program’s 2024 grant recipients represent U.S. small businesses across all 50 states, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico. Later this year, grantees will have the opportunity to apply for an additional $30,000 enhancement grant that will be awarded to 25 small businesses.

“We are truly thrilled to provide additional support to our country’s small business owners through the Backing Small Businesses grant program, along with our partners at American Express,” said Main Street America President and CEO Erin Barnes. ​“These grants are no small thing – and will go far in helping our neighborhood and downtown entrepreneurs build capacity, continue to innovate and grow, and make meaningful contributions in their home communities.”

 

Meet the most recent Backing Small Businesses Grant Recipients:

Kansas
Art, Business

The Artificers Newsletter for July

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The Artificers In July!

Check out the calendar below for all events happening this month!

Art Opening and Reception!

July 5th, 2024 @ 6pm, Artist Talk @ 7pm

Christine’s Master Artist Classes!

Alla Prima Oil Painting Workshop

Have you always wanted to learn how to paint with oils but they have intimidated you?

Are you self taught and could use some guidance? Do you love oils but want to become

more efficient in your process? If you have answered yes to any of these questions this

workshop is for you!

Learn a more intentional approach to creating artwork using an all at once method

called Alla Prima.

Christine will break down a step-by-step process of paint application

in a simplistic and understandable way. Take the guesswork out of oil paints, I will

explain the concepts behind the methods so that you fully understand “why do oils

behave that way when I do….”

Whether you are a beginner or more advanced there is definitely something for you

because students will work on individual ideas and references.

Students will:

– Discover tricks to planning and figuring out a great composition

– Understand color mixing and paint application

– Learn open and close grisaille to create solid value groupings

– Create one final 6×8 alla prima piece incorporating everything you’ve learned

Adult age 14+ • July 6th •10am-1pm & 2-5pm

July Classes

Come into the studio from 12pm-4pm July 27th,

and Glaze all of your pre-made pieces!

Don’t Forget us For your Parties!
Business, Fort Scott

Tri-Valley Holds Award Ceremony

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Austin Bolinger, Horticultural Therapist, Barbara McCord, recipient of the Winfred Jent Award, and Richard Longfellow.

 

On May Day, Friday, May 1st, Tri-Valley Developmental Services held their 2024 Award Ceremony celebrating achievements from individuals and community support in Allen, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Elk, Greenwood, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson Counties.  The ceremony took place at 1 pm at the Central Park Pavilion in Chanute.  Awards were presented to the following:

 

Employer of the Year – Sonic Drive-In of Chanute and Niece Products of Fort Scott

Achievement Award – Ben Lewis, Matt Ornstein, and Gay Purdy

Ed Bideau Advocacy Award – Nikki Jacobs

Masterson Family Award – James Hogan

Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation Visionary Award – Max McReynolds

Winfred Jent Award – Barbara McCord

Lifetime Achievement Award – Knights of Columbus Council 1046 – Chanute

Employee of the Year Award – Roxann Maloney

 

Refreshments were served following the ceremony.

Business, Food, Fort Scott

New Restaurant Opens in July

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The Bowman family is opening another restaurant, west of their Brickstreet BBQ and calling it Outpost 13 West.

The facade of the new Southwestern-grill restaurant Outpost 13  West.

They opened Brickstreet BBQ in May 2023 and the restaurant has become popular with residents.

To view the story of that opening: Brickstreet BBQ Opens

The Bowman family now owns three restaurants in the historic downtown Fort Scott area.

“We love food!” Carissa Bowman said.  “AND it’s another opportunity to continue to grow our community through restoring a historic downtown building and generating more jobs.”

Carissa, Alex, Cindy, and John Bowman are the owners of Outpost 13 West. Carissa and Alex own Brickstreet BBQ.

Carissa and Alex Bowman, submitted photo.

“John and Cindy own Nu Grille (across the street from Brickstreet),” Carissa said. “They are Alex’s parents; my in-laws. Alex manages Nu Grille currently.”

Cindy and John Bowman. Submitted photo.

The new restaurant will feature Southwestern cuisine.

“You can build your own taco, burrito, bowl, salad or nacho,” Carissa said.

They plan to open the new venture at the end of July, she said.

The building is currenlty being remodeled by the Bowman family.
City permits are posted on the windows of Outpost 13 West.

The new restaurant is at 13 W. Oak St.

Special Recognition of the Brickstreet Restaurant

Brickstreet BBQ is located at the corner of Oak Street and National Avenue on Fort Scott’s northside.  The new Outpost 13 West is to the left, behind Brickstreet in this photo. The River Room Event Center is located on the second floor.

Brickstreet has been chosen to be featured on America’s Best Restaurants Roadshow:   https://americasbestrestaurants.com/

” We’re being featured in one of their episodes,” Carissa said. “Filming will take place on July 1st.”
“We hope this builds relationships with the public and surrounding areas to bring people not only to our business but Fort Scott as a whole,” she said. “We want to continue to create a positive image of Brickstreet so we can build our brand and keep growing!”
Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Downtown Quarterly Meet and Greet July 9 At Cohn’s Cafe

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Quarterly Downtown Meet & Greet scheduled for July 9th!

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces a Downtown Meet & Greet will be held Tuesday, July 9th from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at Cohn’s Cafe,

110 South Main .

These informal, quarterly meetings are hosted by the Chamber for downtown business owners, representatives, and community members to network and share ideas on events, promotion and anything related to downtown.

Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served.
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee Hosted by Perry’s Pork Rinds and Country Store on June 6

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Join us for Chamber Coffee!

Thursday, June 6th, 8am
Hosted by Perry’s Pork Rinds and Country Store

702 Pine Street, Bronson, Kansas
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee hosted Perry’s Pork Rinds and Country Store, June 6th at 8am. Perry’s Pork Rinds and Country Store is located at 702 Pine Street in Bronson, Kansas. Be sure to leave Fort Scott by 7:40am as it approximately a 20-minute drive but you do not want to miss it! Coffee, juice, and refreshments will be served, and attendees may register to win a special drawing.

Perry’s Pork Rinds started in 2017 as a home-based business making and selling pork rinds, and in 2022 they built a brand-new storefront and production facility. Their product can be ordered at the store or online in a variety of different flavors. Perry’s Pork Rinds now has produce boxes filled with 9 types of produce in each box at a discount price. Perry’s does custom orders for bulk foods for churches and community organizations, for concession stands and other type of events.

 

Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information. Visit the Events Calendar and category of Chamber Coffees on fortscott.com for upcoming locations.

Click here for their Facebook page!

Click here for their website!
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members

shown below…
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce

231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701

620-223-3566

fortscott.com
Business, Fort Scott

Sleep Inn-Fort Scott Wins 2024 Platinum Award For Superior Service/Guest Satisfaction

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The Sleep Inn Hotel is located at 302 E. Wall, Fort Scott.

The Sleep Inn – Fort Scott Wins Prestigious 2024 Platinum Award from Choice Hotels.  

 The Sleep Inn – Fort Scott has been recognized with Choice Hotels’ prestigious 2024 Platinum Award.   The designation is awarded to the top 3% of hotels within the brand, representing a tremendous accomplishment.  As one of the top tier properties operating under the Sleep Inn flag, the hotel has demonstrated an exceptional focus on guest satisfaction and dedication to superior service. Award criteria are evaluated by Choice Hotels through its official property ranking reports.    The Sleep Inn – Fort Scott was recognized as the Sleep Inn of the Year as the best Sleep Inn hotel in the U.S. in 2017 and in 2022 received the Ring of Honor Award as among the top 1% of all Sleep Inn brand hotels.   Each other year since the hotel opened in 2014 the hotel has been awarded the Platinum Award recognizing their performance among the top 3% in the system.  The Sleep Inn – Fort Scott will celebrate its 10th anniversary in October of 2024.

“We are so proud of our team here at the Sleep Inn as we are only able to achieve this award by their hard work and consistent delivery of sincere hospitality.   Our staff drives our hospitality culture and guests frequently recognize our service and cleanliness as noticeably extraordinary.   The commitment of our entire team to maintain this culture is what has allowed us to remain in the top 3% all 10 years since we opened in 2014” said Bill Michaud, Managing Partner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business, Food, Fort Scott, Youth

Young Entrepreneur Series: The Needham Brothers

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Please nominate a Young Entrepreneur for this series, a youth under 18 years old.

The Needham brothers with their first customers of the day on May 25, Dad, Seth, is in the background middle.

Robert Needham, 10, and his brother, John, 6, with the guided help of their father, Seth, have developed homemade food products.

They started working on recipes  several weeks ago.

On May 25, they set up shop at Gunn Park, south of the first playground area, near where cars are leaving the park.

Robert and John Needham at their pop-up business in Gunn Park on May 25.

“They were open for about an hour and 45 minutes,” Seth said. “Around 2:45, I could tell they were getting worn out, so we shut down. They had been working on set-up, signs, and getting supplies loaded since about 10 AM that morning, so it was a long day for them. But they had around $75 in sales between the two of them.”

Robert

Robert is the creator of Robert’s Famous Lemonade.

The logo that Robert, with computer help from his Dad, made for his business.

Robert said he named his business “because it’s famous and also lemonade.”

Robert sells his lemonade in red Solo cup at Gunn Park at his pop-up shop.

With supervision, Robert buys the lemons, “juices them out” and then makes a simple syrup, then adds extra sugar, “because it was too sour,” he said.

“It’s super good, costs $2, and you get a red Solo cup with a straw,” Robert said. If you bring your own cup, you save 25 cents.”

Robert is saving up his money for something special.

 

John

John’s product is homemade popsicles.

John created the logo for his business with computer help from his father.

He explained how to make the product: “You take blue gelatin, sugar, a Kool-Aid packet, water and a secret ingredient, Blue Hawaiian Punch and heat it up.  You cool it. Then you pour it into popsicle molds. You put sticks in before juice. Then Dad puts it in the freezer. It takes 10 hours to freeze.”

They will be making different flavors through the summer, Seth said.

John shows his product Blue Raspberry Starburst Popsicles.

Seth said his boys always taste-test the products before selling them.

The best part of his business, for John, is “You get a bunch of money.”

Marketing Lessons

Their Dad helped them with the marketing of their product.

“We found an online design tool, and then they did all the work themselves,” Seth said. “The websites had some basic templates made up that they customized with their names, choice of colors, choice of fonts, and images.”

They have also learned how to make a marketing video, Seth said.

 

 

Business, Entertainment, Food, Fort Scott

Good Ol Days Schedule for This Weekend

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GOOD OL’ DAYS THIS WEEKEND!

Get out and enjoy the

43rd Annual Good Ol’ Days Festival

THIS WEEKEND, Friday & Saturday, May 31st & June 1st in Downtown Fort Scott!

Click here for a printable schedule,

or see schedule below.

Visit the Good Ol’ Days website for information.

Follow the Good Ol’ Days Facebook or the Chamber Facebook for updates!

The PARADE IS ON for Friday night, 6pm as planned!

If you are in the parade, the numbers that were marked on the street for the line-up have washed off from the rain, but check in at the Fisher Park concession stand at 7th & Main St. if you need assistance lining up.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND IN HISTORIC FORT SCOTT!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
 
Business, Food, Fort Scott

Mi Ranchito Restaurant Opens At 17 S. Main

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Mi Ranchito Restaurant, 17 S. Main, on May 23, 2024.

Mi Ranchito Restaurant, 17 S. Main, has opened this holiday weekend, according to owner, Rubler De La Torre.

They opened Sunday for family and friends and on Memorial Day to the public.

“The restaurant looks beautiful,” De La Torre said. “We are very happy with how it turned out.”

They are accepting applications for all positions: cooks, servers, hostesses and bartenders.

One can apply in the restaurant to Hernan Pineda, the restaurant’s general manager.

“You can also apply on Facebook Messenger, at Mi Ranchito Fort Scott,” he said.

The restaurant hours will tentatively be Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“That could change, depending on the business,” De La Torre said.

Rulber De La Torre,  from the Kansas City area, is no stranger to the restaurant business. He has two restaurants in Olathe, two in Overland Park, one in Lenexa, one in Mound City, and one in Gladstone, MO.

De La Torre said restaurant favorites are street tacos and mango chicken salad. Specialties are cream cheese enchiladas,  Jalisco chimichangas, pasta and steaks.

To view the menu: Menu MC & FS (3)(1)

Rubler De La Torre (In the hat) and family. Submitted photo.

The Historic Downtown Fort Scott building at 17 S. Main has seen many different businesses but is known by long-time residents as the Kress Building.

This new restaurant follows the Pizza Republic Restaurant which closed in January 2024.

Robert and Kim Coon, doing business as Coon Rentals LLC, are owners of the building,

 

 

 

Art, Business

The Artificers June Events

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The Artificers in June!

Check out the calendar below for all events happening this month!

Kids Art Camp | Art in Japan

June 24th – 27th • June 28th Art Show-Off
Sign up for Kids Art Camp Here

June Classes

Come into the studio from 12pm-4pm June 22nd,

and Glaze all of your pre-made pieces!
Click Here to Join in the Fun!

Don’t Forget us For your Parties!
Call Here to Set Up a Time!
Business, Fort Scott

Spoiled Brat Moves To New Location

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The new Spoiled Brat Salon building at 124 E. Third Street, Fort Scott.

Spoiled Brat Beauty Salon has moved shop.

“We moved in on May 21,” co-owner Stephanie Anthony said. “We had been at 19 S. Main for ten years. Before that at Scott and Wall Avenue for 11 years.

“We wanted a facility that will see us into retirement,” she said. “The location is more visible, with all new equipment and we are not fighting for parking,” she said. “Although we will miss our downtown.”

Stephanie and her sister Heather Engrstom are the owners of Spoiled Brat and are one of several stylists/nail technicians in the salon.

Alesha Martin and Pennie Burton are also stylists/nail technicians, and Brooklyn Meech will be added to the shop when she completes cosmetology school in a few weeks, Anthony said.

Jay Felix is a stylist and barber.

All of these women can be reached at 620- 223-2155 for appointments.

Delynn Abati is a nail technician and can be reached at 620-704-1315.

Avery Dorsey is an esthetician who offers facials, full body waxing, eyebrow tint and laminations, and eyelash lifts and tints and can be reached at 620-215-3037.

Hours of operation are by appointment.

“Everybody worked the hours they want,” Anthony said. “Generally there is someone here Monday through Saturday. When we can, we do take walk-ins.”