Seniors Holly Dempsey, Katherine Clowers and Rhonda Garrett look through the lunch selections at Flash Market. Soon seniors will have another choice when Subway opens next door to Flash Market.

LINDSAY RICE – Hoof Prints Staff

The craze started three years ago when Mayor Jerry Qualls came into office. Monette wanted a Dollar General. Qualls felt it was only fair since all other surrounding towns had one. The mayor tried to get one, but the Dollar General headquarters wouldn’t let the town have one. They claimed it would affect the sales of the other stores.

Qualls kept insisting that Monette needed one. After two long years, headquarters finally decided to let Monette have one.  According to Qualls, there are 8,000 Dollar General stores in the United States. He also said that it’s the goal of the Dollar General headquarters to build 400 every year. Qualls said, “We’re very fortunate to get one in this small of a town. We all use it. We certainly needed one in Monette.” He said that Dollar General headquarters was very impressed with the cleanliness of Monette. The goal of opening for the store is January 1, 2010.

Flash Market in Monette is doing some major renovating involving the Subway opening up in its building.  The original date to have it up was supposed to be December 1, but the contractors got tied up and that will be no longer possible. Subway will be located in the building adjoined to Flash Market, where the old laundry mat was.

Subway will allow more of a variety for the seniors who go off campus for lunch. Nicole Poe said she would definitely be eating there for lunch.

Not only is Flash Market adding a Subway to its building, it is also getting more gas pumps.  The site where the old Monette Auto Sales building will contain three gas pump islands.

These new businesses will not only bring more consumers to Monette, but they will also bring new jobs.