BTC Grocery Receives Business Spotlight Award
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The Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce awarded the Business Spotlight Award to the B.T.C. Old Fashioned Grocery. Chamber board members pictured with business owner Alexe van Beuren (center are (from left) Jackson Ward, Clint Faust, Brad Embry, Angie Hodge, Zandra Walker, Erin Sharp, Curtis Todd, Jessica Richardson, Tonya Eubanks and Courtney Daniels.
WATER VALLEY – The B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery was presented the Business Spotlight Award by the Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Nov. 11. First launched by the Chamber in 2016, the award honors merchants, businesses and individuals who excel in their support of the community and are involved in local activities.
The B.T.C. was launched May 1, 2010 by Alexe van Beuren, who explained that as a young mother, she was tired of leaving Water Valley to find local specialty grocery items. Van Beuren’s husband, Kagan Coughlin, had been working nights and weekends renovating the old Parker building, an ideal location for the new venture. Van Beuren had also forged relationships with local farmers after running the Water Valley Farmer’s Market.
“So I decided to open, never having used a cash register before our first day of business. The learning curve was very steep,” Van Beuren recalled.
Fast forward almost a decade and a half and the B.T.C. has evolved into a destination eatery for day-trippers from neighboring communities and beyond, and a favorite for locals in addition to long established grocery offerings that were the catalyst for the business.
Chamber Board member Grant Thompson presents the spotlight award to Alexe van Beuren.
“We serve men in their hard hats and day-trippers from Oxford, Grenada, Starkville and beyond. And not a week goes by that someone from Alabama or Tennessee doesn’t make a drive to check us out,” Van Beuren reported. “We see lots of locals and especially on Saturdays, families with young kids who take advantage of the informal atmosphere and that trusty playhouse, which has had children in it almost every business day for close to 15 years now. I am so thankful for our regulars. They are my favorite part of the whole business.”
Van Beuren reports the B.T.C.’s staff is small but mighty with a killer lunch counter run by Yalonda Ramsey and her team – Chuncy Benson, Brittney Tankersley, Missy Carr and Richard Abraham. The team cranks out plate lunches, hand-cut French fries and Saturday brunch in addition to grocery favorites including casseroles, old-fashioned hand-pulled, hand-grated chicken salad and pimento cheese, soups, basked goods and more.
Van Beuren reported that the business is deep into the Thanksgiving casserole season, and the freezer is stocked with southern classics like cornbread with giblet gravy, squash casserole and the kitchen favorite – green beans with mushrooms, ground beef and crispy onions.
“It is just the best,” Van Beuren shared about the green bean casserole.
Other year-round favorites are party platters, box lunches, dessert trays and all kinds of other items to order.
“There is always something cooking!” Van Beuren noted.
Abigail Allen is van Beuren’s right hand running the grocery part of the business as they sell Brown Family Dairy milk, country eggs, local produce, raw honey and the like. The B.T.C. offers curbside and in-town delivery on groceries to better serve many of their older or really busy customers.
“And then there is my baby, the Roastery,” van Beuren added. “I personally roast coffee that is deep, dark and delicious, and we ship it nationwide as well as selling it in-store. This is our first Christmas season offering our bags of coffee and branded mugs, and I am so excited that we are offering gift wrapping and shipping so you can literally send B.T.C. coffee anywhere in America without having to do the work of wrapping and shipping yourself.”
The B.T.C. is also home to a cool crew and antique and junk vendors who keep an interesting array of items in the back.
You can check out it all out at www.btcgrocery.com or stop by the store. The B.T.C. is open Wednesday thru Saturday, and the kitchen serves until 2 p.m. The store closes annually for a winter break and this year it will be from Dec. 22 to Jan. 28.
“So for one store and a small team – we really accomplish a lot, and we love it when folks use us. As it said on one of our t-shirts, ‘We are One of a Kind and Open Sometimes,” van Beuren said. “I can’t believe we have been open for almost 15 years, and we are so grateful for those who have helped keep our lights on. Water Valley is a beautiful small town to be a part of, and we are thrilled to still be here and to receive the Business Spotlight Award,” van Beuren added.
Business Spotlight Drawing For $25 B.T.C. Gift Card
In honor of this Business Spotlight award, the Water Valley Chamber is offering a $25 gift card to the person who can correctly answer this question?
“What does B.T.C. stand for in the name the B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery?”
All correct answers will be compiled and the winning name will be drawn on Dec. 2. You may reply on Facebook (see Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce) or stop by the Chamber of Commerce office any time during regular office hours and leave a written answer.
The winner will be called OR notified on Facebook.
