New dining options, local retail growth, and community giving were all on display as the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce marked two recent ribbon-cutting ceremonies celebrating business expansion and investment in Batesville.
The chamber hosted a grand opening celebration for a new Sonic Drive-In location in the Batesville area, drawing community members, local leaders and chamber ambassadors. The event officially welcomed Sonic to its new site while also recognizing the company’s charitable support of the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch.
Silje Antonsen, representing First Community Bank and serving as a chamber ambassador, opened the ceremony by welcoming attendees and leading the countdown to the ribbon cutting.
Jeremy Adams, Sonic’s area manager, said the new location provides a convenient place for customers to gather and enjoy Sonic favorites. Chamber representatives also highlighted Sonic’s longstanding involvement with the chamber and its continued support of local causes.
The chamber also recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of By the Cover Bookstore, welcoming the locally owned business as a new member of the chamber. The bookstore is located in Midtown Plaza at 700 Harrison St., Suite C.
Chamber representatives joined the owners and staff to officially open the store, emphasizing the importance of locally owned retail and the excitement surrounding the addition of a bookstore in Batesville.
By the Cover Bookstore is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and offers fiction, young adult, children’s, and classic titles, along with journals, gifts, and themed merchandise. Store representatives thanked the Batesville community and Midtown Plaza for their support.
The chamber congratulated both businesses, noting that the openings reflect continued economic growth and strong community partnerships in Batesville.
The Sonic Drive-In is located at the corner of St. Louis and Lawrence streets.
Ambassadors in attendance include: Andrea Bruner (Network of Community Options), Ashley Davis (Citizens Bank), Brenda Rivera (First Community Bank), Chad Whiteaker (White River Now), Eva Henriksen (Merchants and Planters Bank), Fifi Roberts (BACC), Julie Hinkle (Bank of Cave City), Kaitlin Thorogood (Jay Chafin Insurance Agency), Lindy Hopper (First Community Bank), Lori Campbell (Batesville School District), Lori Tacker (Batesville Eye Care), Lucy Gonzalez Arizmendi (George’s Inc.), Megan Strother (George’s Inc.), Michael Kelley (Peco Foods), Roxanne Rananudo (Family Violence Prevention), Silje Antonsen (First Community Bank), Sydney Wood (Main Street Batesville), Taylor Williams (First Community Bank) and Tiffany Traw (UACCB).
Ambassadors in attendance for the By the Cover Bookstore ribbon cutting include: Amy Crouch-Howard (Weichert, Realtors – The Property Shoppe), Andrea Bruner (Network of Community Options), Christine Watts (LaCroix Precision Optics), Courteney Muse (Alpha Center), Crystal Kimmer (White River Health), Dana Millikin (White River Now), Fifi Roberts (BACC), Lindy Hopper (First Community Bank), Lori Campbell (Batesville School District), Lori Tacker (Batesville Eye Care), Michele Jennae (EDG Coaching), Scott Phillips (UACCB), Silje Antonsen (First Community Bank) and Taylor Williams (First Community Bank).
Images via the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce
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