Business

ELY– “Why isn’t there a collapsible beach pail?”
Three and a half years ago, Melissa and Tom Reed’s first entrepreneurial project began with that simple question. Upon arriving at Myrtle Beach while on vacation, their son Landon looked around and said, “I want a bucket.” With no buckets to be found at the beach, they had to pack up and go into town to buy one.
When it came time to go home, Landon was very disappointed his new bucket had to be left behind.
“It created so many memories, he wanted to take it with us,” Melissa recalled.

NORTH LIBERTY– Though the menu is being kept secret until opening day, future customers can probably venture a good guess as to what will be served at a restaurant called Beer Burger.
“If you think about it, it’s super simple,” said co-owner Bobby Thompson. “Ninety percent of people that walk into a restaurant get a beer and a burger.”

NORTH LIBERTY– When Ben Brown was a kid, he just wanted to be a ninja. Now, he hopes to help other kids on their way to fulfilling that dream.
And, the grown-ups are invited.
“I hear often that adults would love to train for various reasons, it’s a good workout, it sounds fun, or they just want to defend themselves,” said Brown. “But they just feel weird standing next to a 9-year-old. I get that completely.”

NORTH LIBERTY– Care providers, responsible for making their patients happy and healthy, should be happy and healthy themselves, right?
The staff at North Liberty Family Health Centre (NLFHC) thought so. After 21 years at its location on West Cherry Street, owners of the independent practice decided to move into a space with, literally, a little more legroom.
“We just had staff members sitting on top of one another,” said Dr. Natalie (Tally) Hempy. “We were all getting carpal tunnel. We were always twisting to look at each other and our patients.”

NORTH LIBERTY– Just across the city limit line on Mehaffey Bridge Road is a small blue and white farmhouse where area canines congregate daily for fun, exercise and companionship while their humans tend to the demands of their working day. The house is home to Puppy Love Doggie Daycare, a labor of love and the brainchild of Tina Tiainen and her husband, Adam.
The couple opened the canine clubhouse in December.