Daddy Warbucks
Ozark Natural Foods buys building
That little food co-op that could, Ozark Natural Foods, a community-owned co-op since 1971, just went and did it. It now has a permanent home. ONF recently took ownership of its current location, in the old Montgomery-Ward building (if anyone can remember that far back) in the Evelyn Hills Shopping Center on College Avenue a few blocks from downtown. In a news release, general manager Alysen Land hailed the purchase as “….the biggest event in the history Ozark Natural Foods.”
ONF purchased the 25,000 square foot building for $2.2 million from Flake & Kelley Commercial, the Little Rock-based real estate broker that owns Evelyn Hills. The co-op has occupied the building for almost eight years. ONF currently occupies about 60 percent of the upper floor with Pulse Fitness renting the remainder of the top floor. The building also has a lower floor.
Although anyone can shop at the co-op, ONF is owned by more than 5,200 member-investors who pay $140 for a single household share. Those ownership investments are used to capitalize the store just as publicly traded stocks capitalize large corporations. The vast majority of ONF owners live in Northwest Arkansas. The co-op offers organic produce and all-natural grocery products.
THE BIG ?
Several readers have asked Daddy W. for the Big Question to return. Well here it is: What is the most popular hair color of the wives or companions of the 100 richest men on earth? (Hint, and sadly, none of them are redheads). Answer at the end of this column.
BIGGER MESS
No matter how the City of Fayetteville, Jon Nock or Richard Alexander (the Laurel and Hardy of local developers) spins the big, gaping hole in downtown Fayetteville. It is a mess. Alexander says they have paid all they are gonna pay. Well they said the hotel would be open for the 2007 football season too. Keep asking question folks. Something really smells bad here.
BIG DEPOSIT(ER)
Signature Bank wasted no time in a color advertisement touting its newest private wealth customer Darren McFadden, the former Hog who is now running back for the Oakland Raiders. The cheesy color photo of bank officials sitting at a table with McFadden only needs a pile of cash on the table. But overall it’s a good idea for the bank. You can’t sell them short on that.
IN THE TOP 10
J.B.Hunt Transportation of Lowell, was ranked No. 8 in the USA Top 100 Freight Carriers in a recent ranking. The No. 1 carrier was UPS followed by No. 2 FedEx. Others in the state were: Arkansas Best Corp, 15th; USA Truck, 54th; P.A.M. 62nd and Maverick, 73rd.
WILMA’S WANING
An inside source tells Daddy W. that Wilma’s Restaurant in the fancy space in south Fayetteville is struggling. Most area eateries are struggling. Sagging economy, high food costs, high cost of gas. Football season can’t come fast enough.
MORE FORECLOSURES
If the court filings are any indication, looks like the Brandon Barber empire and the (add insider name on any of Barber’s project here) development is a goner. One has to wonder how this really happened. Didn’t bankers ever wonder who was going to buy, lease or purchase all those high-dollar condos?
BIG ANSWER
The hair color of money it seems is brunette. Sixty-two percent of the wives or companions of the 100 richest men on earth are brunettes. Blondes, you may have guess? No, only 22 percent have blonde locks. Raven colored tresses come in at 16 percent. And remember, there is not a red headed wife or companion among the 100 richest men on earth. Wow!
