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Harrison County small businesses hope for booming business after Buc-ee’s opens in May

HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) – Anyone driving west on I-10 has seen Buc-ee’s construction sprouting up in Pass Christian.

More recently, the new Menge Avenue overpass has been the main attraction for those living in the area.

Small businesses like Brittany Buchanan’s Exit 24 Nutrition have seen more traffic since the overpass opened in November.

She says that in its four years of business, Exit 24 Nutrition has not suffered as it did during the shutdown.

Buchanan says: “The fact that the bridge was closed for 17 months put a stop to a lot of businesses around us. Many closed and some moved. We had to reduce hours and that’s why it’s been a really difficult year for all of us here. “So we’re really hoping that it will be open now and that people will get used to coming back here and I think that will be a good thing.”

New businesses are opening in the area, which is also encouraging for travelers.

Oak Square Wine and Spirits Manager Tommy Gammill says they’ve been open for over a week and are already preparing for Buc-ee’s visitors.

Gammill says: “By then we will be staffed and prepared. “At least we’ll be open for a while by then and everything will run smoothly.”

Harrison County Board of Supervisors Chairman Marlin Ladner says the board is pursuing projects for the area that are part of its planned growth goal for the county.

Ladner says, “What we would like to have is planned growth that enhances the community that already exists in the county, so you don’t want to mix approving any type of development and all types of development. It is up to us, through the board of supervisors and the zoning commission, to make sure those projects are appropriate for the neighborhoods they serve.”

Those businesses are preparing to welcome more visitors to the area once Buc-ee’s opens in May.

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