Wally Kennedy: Flat Creek Grill on brink of opening
Jun. 2—It took a long time to pin down a date, but it appears that the new Flat Creek Grill in Webb City will open at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
When I drove by the restaurant earlier this week, it appeared that it had opened because of all of the cars that were parked on the lot. A note posted on the door said it was a training day for new employees. The note also said the opening date would be June 6.
Flat Creek Grill is located on East Street on the north side of the roundabout that leads to the Sleep Inn and Atwood's. This area, part of the Centennial Retail and Industrial Park, is rapidly becoming a new commercial district for Webb City that taps into traffic from not only Missouri Route 249 but from historic Route 66, which runs through the park.
With 9,000 square feet and enough room for 300 guests at a time, Flat Creek will provide employment opportunities for more than 100 people.
The menu features smoked meats, fried catfish and chicken, steaks, seafood and burgers. The restaurant will have a full bar, outdoor seating, catering and a private event space.
Hours will be from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
New buffet coming
Speaking of restaurants in Webb City, the closure of the East Buffet earlier this year created a big void in the City Pointe shopping center at the southeast corner of Madison Avenue and MacArthur Drive. The restaurant, which struggled through the pandemic, was a popular destination for inexpensive sushi and Asian specialty dishes that you could find nowhere else in the area.
A sign posted near the restaurant says "Coming Soon King Buffet." The use of the name King Buffet is not uncommon among Asian buffets. A check with some King Buffets operating outside of the Joplin market revealed no connections to the King Buffet that is coming to Webb City. Details to come as they become available.
New shop
With this business model, you get two shops for the price of one. Lit Premium Smoking Supplies and Joplin Hydro and Garden Supply Co. opened last week in a storefront in Northtown Center, a shopping center at the northwest corner of Eighth Street and Range Line Road.
Lit offers a wide array of glass pipes, including some that might qualify as works of art. You think I'm kidding. These one-of-a-kind pipes range in price from $2,000 to $3,000. The shop also has more affordable pipes and glassware, grinders, scales and trays.
Joplin Hydro is a full-scale hydroponic and garden supply center that specializes in indoor gardening, including grow lights, timers, grow tents, dryers, pest control, seed starting, and ventilation and exhaust equipment. The shop has an area dedicated to several brands of bagged nutrients to help growers go from "seed to finish."
Hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Hiring
The new Jersey Mike's Subs shop in Joplin is hiring. For details, drop by the storefront at 1702 S. Range Line Road, where the restaurant is still under construction, and ask for the manager. You can also scan the QR code on the door for more information.
The manager of the restaurant said the opening will happen later this month. The shop, he said, is part of a franchise that is based in Northwest Arkansas.
Jersey Mike's Subs, operated by A Sub Above, is a submarine sandwich chain with about 2,000 locations in the U.S.
Contact Wally Kennedy at wkennedy@joplinglobe.com.
