Eight new businesses open in November, four coming soon

Nita Johnson, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·5 min read

Dec. 7—The biggest business news from November was the sale of the 198-acre Rowland Acres Industrial Park to Sazerac, with the promise of a $600 million investment.

That purchase — and plans for a bourbon aging warehouse facility — is the biggest business investment in southeastern Kentucky. The investment also includes an expansion of Cumberland Cooperage, formerly Robinson Stave Company, and 50 new jobs.

But other businesses have also made their mark in the community, with others coming soon. Several businesses have expanded and/or relocated, keeping Laurel's economic forefront thriving.

Four new businesses have opened recently.

—Knives and More is open at 1280 South Laurel Road, Suite 4, adjacent to Front Line Public Safety Equipment Shop. Knives and More has the largest inventory of knives for retail sale in Eastern Kentucky. They offer Case, Buck and other brands. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Call 800-282-2863 for more information.

—Fans of the 1960s "Andy Griffith Show" will recall Floyd's Barber Shop — and now London has its own, located at 280 Old Whitley Road across from Martin's Peterbilt. Local barber, Greg Anderson, has been a barber for more than 25 years and is ready to serve the community at this new location. Stop in and let him take good care of you.

—Barrier Roofs, a premier roofing contractor, has opened a storefront at 405 Don's Drive, near Shoe Inn. If you need a roof repair or replacement or gutters, masonry repair, windows and siding, give Bart Osborne a call for a free inspection at 606-627-2207.

—London's newest women and children's clothing shop, Bellissima & B4 Boutique, located at 1501 S. Main St. Suite K, held its grand opening on Nov. 20th. Featuring clothing, shoes and accessories. For information, call 606-231-6858.

—Also locating nearby at 1501 S. Main Street, Suite L, is a new storefront for Handy Painting. Offering Commercial and Residential Interior and exterior painting, installation of floating and hardwoods floors and more. For a free estimate, call 606-770-5080.

—ABA Applied Behavioral Advancements has opened a 4,500 square foot clinic at 1340 S. Laurel Road in front of Finley's Fun Center of US 25. They are offering clinic-based ABA therapy to Laurel and surrounding counties. If you need SLP, OT or PT services, contact their office at 606-677-2636 for more info.

—El Pescador Mexican Restaurant at 635 South Laurel Road, next to Tincher Williams, opened for business on Monday, Nov. 28. Dine in or Carry Out is available. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. In the spirit of Christmas, El Pescador will be offering free food on December 24 from 6p.m. to 7 p.m. To order call: 606-260-8382.

—An old forgotten venue is coming alive at the former campus of the Sue Bennett College in beautiful downtown London. Belle Bennett Center for the Arts, The Belle Bennett Theater restoration, led by Jason Dickerson, coordinated a free concert that was held on November 5 with special guest Holly Forbes who was on the Voice. Contact Jason Dickerson on Facebook to learn more about this project and how you can help.

Several businesses have relocated and/or expanded.

—London Smoke Shop is opening a new location off West 80 on Keller Road. They carry a wide selection of cigarettes, Kratom, CBD, Vape, soft drinks and lottery tickets. Open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

—Moody Cows has expanded and opened a storefront called Moody Cows Too at 105 South Broad Street behind the Laurel County Courthouse. Their expanded menu includes Breakfast items like waffles, bagels, biscuit and gravy. For lunch, how about taco salad, BLT, or soup for a quick lunch, not to mention their already famous sweets and rolled ice cream. Closed Thursday and Sunday. Opens at 7 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Call 606-657-2129 for more information.

—Air Raid Trampoline Park, at 205 Shiloh Drive, has expanded their 30,000 square foot indoor entertainment center with 11 new Class A arcade games with over 3,000 square feet of fun, including a fast and furious interactive game and virtual reality games. They have added a full redemption counter with hundreds of prizes. Call 606-877-5867.

—Tangled Tails Doggie Spa has grown and moved to a larger space from 205 to 209 London Shopping Center, just two doors down from their former location. Offering grooming, bathing, nail trim and more. To schedule an appointment, call 606-389-5681.

—Bluegrass International Trucks, Buses, RVs and Ideal Lease will be moving to their new location at 202 Faith Assembly Church Road and is scheduled to be open for business mid-December. For information, call 864-4150.

—Mike's Barber Shop, formerly next to Parrett's Pies, has relocated to East 4th Street next to E.C. Porters and opened for business on Nov 28.

And coming soon are more offerings to the Laurel community.

—The HX Smoke Shop is planning to open in December at 1349 South Laurel Road, adjacent to the Happy Xpress Shell. They are a high-end supplier of vape cigars and supplies. A December opening is planned. Another new shop is on the way.

—McAlister's Deli's construction is moving right along. The anticipated opening has moved to January 2023 due to supply chain delays.

—and the outdoor lover will revel in River's Edge Campground and RV Park on U.S. 25 near the Rockcastle River. This new camping area will offer primitive as well as full hookup sites, WIFI and will have campers for rent. More information to follow as this project develops.

The Laurel community continues to thrive with entrepreneurs and expansions, and with more announcements next month to close out a successful 2022.