The Pilot

Issue date: 3/25/09 Section: Campus News

Media Credit: Cat McDonald

Media Credit: Casey Caldwell

Over the past months Boiling Springs has welcomed three new businesses into the community. After just a short walk up Main Street, students can now enjoy a good used book from Got Books, Japanese food from Ebi Grill, and lucky finds at the Chasing Rabbits Consignment Shop.

Got Books

The store is located right behind University Tanning. The store sells books, music, videos and DVDs, with a specialization in religion.

The business began with four and a half years of online sales. Owners George Nye and Carmen Henneberger decided to open a store in Boiling Spring because the area lacks a used bookstore.

Got Books was previously located in the back of the Chasing Rabbits Consignment Shop but quickly outgrew the space, they said.

Although the business has a physical location now, there are still 2,000 items online. The online store at gotbooksnc.com does not charge a shipping fee and the price for online inventory is 5 percent less than the listed price. By joining the mailing list, customers can receive discount information in the mail.

"We beat Amazon all the time on any in stock books," said Nye.

The store also offers consignment services and pays cash for textbooks, certain video games, and DVD sets in good condition. Books that aren't suitable for the store's inventory get donated to the YMCA library, which is currently in the process of stocking up books. Once that is no longer a need, they will go into a "free bin."

If there is an item that the store doesn't have, there is a Wish box. Nye will look for the item at book sales and if he cannot find it after a few weeks, he will purchase it online, saving the customer the shipping fees.

Nye travels all over to attend charity sales and book sales, so they plan put up a wall map charting where Nye is at the time.

"I love it-I travel all over the country," said Nye.

They plan to add some antiques and collectables to the store inventory.
Henneberger and Nye attend Cleveland Community College and plan to keep the business open after graduating.

"We really love it. The Gardner-Webb community has been great," said Nye.
Chasing Rabbits

Located just past the Italian Garden, the consignment shop is owned by Nancy Buchanan.
"I am very pleased with the space and the business," said Buchanan. "Sometimes it's slow, sometimes it's hectic, but I am real pleased."

The store takes various things on consignment such as new retail items, artwork, jewelry, shoes, small furnishings and collectibles. The shop starting off with a bent more toward juniors clothes, but has grown to provide a items from maternity to vintage.

"I'm willing to try different things if it's interesting," said Buchanan.

The consignment agreement calls for a 50/50 split, meaning the consigner and shop each get half the profit from the item.

The item will stay in the store for 60 days. If it is not sold by then it is either given back or donated to charity.

Buchanan said God guided her to open Chasing Rabbits. She wanted a more relaxing job and began looking at franchises.

"I thought to do a consignment shop because it is one of the few businesses that is thriving in a down economy. I was led before I found the research to back it up," she said.

Buchanan added, "I would love to see more college students."

Ebi Grill

Owner Janette Sun took advantage of the empty space next to the Kangaroo Mart to open her Japanese eat-in or take-out restaurant.

Sun worked at Ni Fen Bistro in Shelby for eight years. From there she moved to Rose Hill restaurant and did catering for three and a half years.

The concept behind the restaurant was a suggestion from a friend.

"I usually do fine dining but with the economy so limited companies are scaling down, Sun said. "I was looking for something simpler and easier."

Sun actually looked at this location last spring and now enjoys working with a Gardner-Webb alumnus who owns the property.

"It was hectic the first few weeks and it has now leveled off and is steady," said Sun. "I am very appreciative of the support of the Gardner-Webb community. I've received a lot of positive feedback."

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