Business Briefs

NEW RETIREMENT COMMUNITY COMING TO CAPE

Newbridge Properties, based out of Stamford, Conn., is preparing to open a 75,000-square-foot retirement community at 1205 S. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau this April, with residents moving in starting in May. Newbridge Retirement will feature 82 units, including assisted living units and memory care. Amenities include a library, café bistro, salon and spa, pub, fitness room, art and gardening areas, outdoor courtyards, walking trails and a therapy room.

JACKSON RETAIL DEVELOPMENT TO OPEN

Family-owned Appleton Valley Farm Inc. said a new 6,924-square-foot building being constructed at 2441 E. Main St. in Jackson should be ready for retail occupancy by June 1. The company, owned by the Lichtenegger family, employed Jackson’s Tim Dameron Construction as general contractor and South Carolina’s Marc Camens as architect. John Lichtenegger said the structure could accommodate as many as six tenants.

SOUTHERN BANK COMPLETES ACQUISITION

Poplar Bluff, Missouri-based Southern Bancorp, parent of Southern Bank, has completed its buyout of Citizens Bancshares. Southern has 40 Missouri locations, including five in Poplar Bluff, two each in Cape Girardeau and Dexter, and single branches in Jackson, Advance and Sikeston. Citizens has 14 Missouri branches, including Kansas City and St. Joseph. The newly-merged bank will operate a total of 65 locations. For Southern, it is the bank’s second acquisition in six years. In 2017, Southern Bancorp acquired Tennecorp, parent of Capaha Bank.

NEW COFFEE SHOP FOR CAPE’S INDIE HOUSE

El Kolibri Coffee & Curiosities in Cape Girardeau’s Indie House at 605 Broadway, Suite 203, formally launched Feb. 3. Proprietor Karla Cornelius, born and reared in Mexico, is a Spanish teacher at Eagle Ridge Christian School and an assistant cross country and track coach at Saxony Lutheran High School. Cornelius, who came to the United States. as an exchange student at Southeast Missouri State University in 1998, serves up Americano coffee, cappuccino, chai tea and various latte selections at her shop, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.

She also has for sale “curiosities” — non-food items. In English, El Kolibri means “the hummingbird.”

SPECIALTY SHOP OPENS IN CAPE

Magnolia Soap and Bath Co. opened its first Missouri location Friday, Jan. 27 at 440 S. Mount Auburn Road, Suite 108, in Cape Girardeau. Magnolia features plant-based soap products for all ages, with most home and bath products made in the store.

MALEK BECOMES MISSOURI STATE TREASURER

Vivek Malek, an immigration attorney who most recently served on the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Governors, took the oath of office Jan. 18 and became Missouri’s 48th state treasurer.

Malek, who began practicing law in the Show Me State in 2006, was born and reared in India. He received a Master's of Business Administration from SEMO before completing his legal education.

BUSINESS OPENS IN CAPE

GIRARDEAU MALL

Go Wild! plans to open an indoor playground and arcade in March at West Park Mall on 3049 William St. in Cape Girardeau. Nathan Lemons of Scott City is listed with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office as the registered agent for the business.

CAPE PETTING ZOO CHANGES NAME, NEW OWNERSHIP

Cape Safari Park, formerly known as Lazy L Safari Park, will be under new management, effective March 1. The park, started in 2010, was operated by Vicki and Todd Lantz at 2763 County Road 618 in Cape Girardeau. The Lantzes, according to an official social media post, are semi-retiring. The venue features a walk-through petting zoo, a parakeet jungle and gemstone mining.

MYRTLE’S PLACE IN POPLAR BLUFF ADDS OUTDOOR SEATING, OTHER UPGRADES

Myrtle’s Place in downtown Poplar Bluff is ushering in spring with a face-lift, according to owner Debbie Sliger and her daughter Leanna Alexander. The changes will bring outdoor seating and more inside window seating, as well as a new accessible bathroom and roof.

“It really doesn’t matter what the inside or even the outside looks like, it was time for an upgrade,” said Alexander. “We just want everyone to know we will still have the same unique service and the same family flow as we always have.”

The restaurant features down-home, country-style meals and has been in operation for 38 years.

NEW HOTEL UNDER

CONSTRUCTION IN CAPE

Fairfield Inn & Suites is being built in Cape Girardeau not far from Exit 96 of Interstate 55 and near the former Zaxby’s Restaurant. Heritage Hospitality Management LLC, owned by the Rhodes and Maurer families, will operate the mid-tier limited service 103-room, four-story hotel, with an expected opening date in late 2023 or early 2024. Heritage Hospitality already owns Courtyard by Marriott Hotel at 400 Broadway in the city.

CAPE SPECIALTY SHOP

DEBUTS NEW NAME

The Green Lady’s Hermitage, at 111 N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau, is the new name of Elyssa Glaus’ shop, formerly known as Humble Origins Botanical Curiosities and Apothecary. Glaus, a Scott City native, was forced to change the name of her business, first established in 2018, because of receipt of a Dec. 16, 2022, letter from the state Board of Pharmacy, objecting to her use of the word “apothecary.”

SIKESTON’S STEWARD STEEL HONORS LONGTIME EMPLOYEES

Steward Steel Inc. recently honored two longtime employees. Darrel Maclin was recognized for 35 years of service, and Kris Keasler was honored for his 30 years of dedication to the certified steel fabricator based in Sikeston, Missouri.

LIFE EXPECTANCY IN

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

Life expectancy in Missouri fell to 74.6 years in 2021, down from pre-pandemic 77.4 years, according to statewide statistics released by the state Department of Health and Senior Services. COVID-19 deaths were the third leading cause of mortality in the Show Me State after heart disease and cancer in 2020. Ste. Genevieve County is ranked No. 11 of the state’s 114 counties with 78.7 years, with Perry County at No. 29 at 77.3 years and Bollinger County at No. 35 with 76.9 years. Life expectancy measures the number of years from birth a person might expect to live and is calculated based on the number of deaths in a given time period and the average number of people at risk of dying.

BUDDY’S HOME

FURNISHINGS OPENS IN POPLAR BLUFF

Buddy’s Home Furnishings recently celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, assisted by the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce.

The new store is located in the Mansion Mall shopping center on North Westwood Boulevard.

Buddy’s Home Furnishings carries furniture, electronics and appliances and offers rent-to-own as well as cash or credit purchases. Buddy’s now has more than 300 locations nationwide.

CAPE COMEDY CLUB

PERMANENTLY CLOSES

Laughing Gas Comedy Club, 2160 William St., Suite 400, in Cape Girardeau — which announced a hiatus in August because of staffing issues and slow sales, has now closed for good.

The club, also known as N20 Lounge — denoting the chemical symbol for nitrous oxide, laughing gas — opened in May 2019, closed in March 2020 because of COVID and reopened 18 months later.

AREA COFFEE SHOP OPENS THIRD LOCATION

The Ground-A-Bout, a Jackson-based coffee company, took over operations in January of Parengo Coffee, 114 E. Front St., in downtown Sikeston, Missouri.

The company’s original location at 107 E. Adams St. in Jackson, was founded more than six years ago. Later, The Ground-A-Bout took over Baristas Coffee at 338 Broadway in Cape Girardeau’s Marquette Tower.

NEW MASONIC TEMPLE

SITE FOR CAPE

Cape Girardeau Masonic Temple Association has purchased a lot at 108 West Drive in Cape Girardeau, on the southeast corner of West and Independence Street.

The Masonic Association sold its longtime former home at 2307 Broadway in October 2022 to the Islamic Center of Cape Girardeau.

OLIVE OIL SHOP OPENS IN DOWNTOWN CAPE

Water & William Olive Oil Co. at 105 William St. opened Dec. 9, 2022, in the River & Rails business development in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Owners Georgia and Todd Lowman said the store’s prime focus is bottled olive oil and balsamic vinegars. The typical customer for the shop’s products, said the Lowmans, is a home cook.

CRICKET WIRELESS OPENS

SECOND LOCATION IN SIKESTON

Sikeston Regional Chamber hosted a ribbon cutting during Cricket Wireless’s grand opening Jan. 20.

“We are so excited to be opening a second location to serve everyone in Sikeston, as well as joining and connecting with the Chamber,” Caitlin Gallops, representative for Cricket Wireless said. “With costs of everything seemingly increasing, we are also pleased to be able to put more cash back in everyone's pocket with our low-cost, no-contract wireless plans. ... Come in and see what we offer.”