From farewells to new construction, here are the latest Morganton business updates

After a year in business, Valerie Hightower has announced that she will close her Aster Rose storefront downtown.

“Owning and running a small business is not for the faint of heart,” Hightower posted to social media, “and I am so proud of what my family and I built here at 211 N. Green Street.”

She pointed to erratic foot traffic and difficult economic and political climates as factors that contributed to stress and the decision to close the store.

“I thank my beautiful customers who I count on as friends now. It has been so fun loving on you when you come in, chatting with you as you shop, cheersing a glass of prosecco with you, learning about special events you’re shopping for, playing with your children and grandchildren while you shop, helping you find the perfect gift for your bestie … so magical and exactly what I envisioned. Thank you for helping my dream come true for a time,” Hightower said.

The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the remaining Saturdays in July and some Saturdays in August. Markdowns will begin at 50% off and gradually deepen each weekend, with cash preferred to minimize fees. Hightower also urges anyone with a gift card to shop while there’s still ample inventory available at a discount. Fixtures and some items in the shop will also be available for sale.

Hightower plans to close the doors completely by Labor Day weekend.

THE HONEY HOG

Down on Carbon City Road, a “coming soon” sign sits at the location of the new Honey Hog Restaurant. Tyler Jones of Bones Jones Burgers & Butchery updated restaurant supporters via social media on the latest with the construction.

So far, plumbing has been roughed in, the concrete has been poured for the new restaurant, and the next step is steel framing, which will start on Monday. “Once it starts going up, it will be pretty fast,” he said.

He estimated that the construction could be done by December, but that’s not definite. “You don’t know with these kind of things, but we are well underway,” Jones said.

The site, at 300 Carbon City Road, sits next to Alray Tire, which has also been under construction after damage from a fire.

“Carbon City’s growing, it’s gonna be new,” Jones said.

“We appreciate everyone’s support and how far we’ve come as a company together, and being able to grow,” Jones said. “Being able to open another Honey Hog again is a blessing for me. It’s an amazing thing to have The Honey Hog two opening in a brand-new facility and it’s going to be an incredible atmosphere.”

With how busy Bones Jones Burgers & Butchery is getting, Jones also said that his team is hiring bartenders, servers, and kitchen staff because many of their staff are college students who will be returning to school soon.

WECARE PHARMACY

WeCare Pharmacy, which will be located in the former Smoothie King building, is gearing up to open in August.

Owner and pharmacist Taral Patel said he is working to finalize insurance with medical and prescription providers, but that he plans on an Aug. 20 opening.

The location at 179 Independence Blvd. was home to Smoothie King until Hurricane Helene flooded the area. According to construction permit reports, the building received thousands of dollars worth of repairs. Patel said he had to start from scratch on the inside of the building due to damage from the storm.

WeCare Pharmacy is based in Virginia and is a full-service compounding and specialty pharmacy. Compounding allows the pharmacy to prepare custom medications to satisfy the needs of each patient. For patients with chronic and rare conditions, the pharmacy delivers specialty medications that require enhanced care, storage, and distribution requirements.

The space next door, which was previously home to HiTONE Fitness’ Formlab, is available. The location, along with Smoothie King, were completely flooded. Patel said he hasn’t heard whether a new business will be filling the space next door yet.

VILLAGE INN

Village Inn Pizza Parlor’s new location on Bush Drive has taken shape and now a large “coming soon” banner hangs out front.

Stacey Fagan at Village Inn’s office said that the company is still working with Wilkie Construction Company Southeast to finalize an opening date, but that they’re shooting for August or the beginning of September.

Fagan said that construction crews are making finishing touches as they have recently poured the pavement for the parking lot. The company is still taking applications for employees at the new location.