You Know You Want A Piece

by Daniel Barton / Editor

When word got out to the SPOT owners, Jason Benford and Rhiannon Baugh, that I had noticed their new business working its way to a grand opening, they invited me to experience it first hand. Last Tuesday the SPOT had their first encounter with actual customers during its friends and family soft opening, and I was there for it all, ok, most of it. A declining economy is more than ever taking its toll on small business owners all across the U.S. and even the World. Fears of inevitable failure have taken grasp of many entrepreneurs, and the momentum of new business has all but come to a stop. This is why the SPOT has been of interest to me. I wanted to ask a ton of questions that night about starting a new business during troubled times, but they all seemed to point to the big questions of, why now? "I always tell people that if no one ever opened a new business, and everyone just shut down, then things could never get better," said owner Rhiannon Baugh. Rhiannon moved back to Wichita Falls to be closer to family and credits her determination and desire for opening the SPOT to her late cousin Tamara, and hopes to be able to credit the SPOT's success to her as well. Giving up on this dream was not an option for Jason and Rhiannon, and they only made it that more obvious Tuesday night when friends, family and media gathered for free handmade pizza with a glass of wine to boot. Oh, and I can't forget the fried deserts like Snickers and Twinkies. From the clean and lively atmosphere, to the "Hope is Just A STEP AWAY" charity, which was taking toy donations at the door, the pair thought of it all. Knowing that Wichita Falls has never had this type of business in town, Jason and Rhiannon asked that each customer fill out a survey. The survey had questions like did you enjoy the food, and was your order brought to your table in a timely manner? The information gathered from the survey will help the couple train their staff and tweak their recipes to perfection. Overall, I enjoyed the food, service and tunes, which were courtesy Bryce Lopez, who will be DJing at the SPOT on Friday and Saturday nights. For all you parents, who are looking for a new place to bring your kids, look no further. Rhiannon and Jason said although the SPOT is BYOB, that they are going to maintain a family friendly environment for the community. The SPOT is a member of the BCI and will be holding a ribbon cutting on December 17th at 4:30 p.m. The Grand Opening with 94.9 The Outlaw, will be held December 19th. (The Outlaw will be giving away gift certificates to Spa Bella and Billy Bobs tickets from 5-7 p.m.) Also, representatives from First Step will be having a toy drive at that time.

Hours: Tues & Wed from 5pm-3am Thurs - Fri from 5pm-4am

Location: Located off of Midwestern across from Sikes Senter Mall.