Guest Speaker ~ Ben Sugarwalla
Vice President, Territorial Sales for AIG
and
Up Close: Grace Ridge’s New Look

Friday, July 31

Breakfast Buffet Opens at 7:30 am

Program Starts at 8 am
The more you know about Social Security, the better you can make the most of your benefits. Join us for a very timely and practical program, whatever your age, You’ll also enjoy breakfast in Grace Ridge’s beautiful new dining room and take a firsthand look at the new lobby, theater, chapel, library and more at our area’s leading retirement community.

Call the Chamber at 437-3021 to reserve your seats for this special summer Business for Breakfast.     FREE for Burke Chamber Members.

Burke County is now home to a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. Representatives from the company’s home office in Lebanon, TN, along with local management and staff, were hosts at an early morning ribbon cutting and at special events for community leaders and public service workers on Friday, June 19. The restaurant and retail store officially opened to the public yesterday

Located off Exit 105 on I-40, the Morganton Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is the 39th in North Carolina and 635th in the country. This newest member of Burke County’s business community created about 185 new jobs, including management and hourly staff positions. This team will serve customers seven days a week in a family-friendly atmosphere that will include not only the restaurant but also retail shopping in its Country Store. Expected to serve about 1,000 guests every day, the new Cracker Barrel can seat 169 diners in its more than 8,000 sq. ft. venue.

Besides bringing new full-time, part-time and seasonal jobs, Cracker Barrel plans to use local vendors and suppliers when possible. Its economic impact will also be felt in tax revenues (property, payroll, sales. etc.). At Cracker Barrel, breakfast is available all day with lunch and dinner options

beginning at 11 a.m. Cracker Barrel serves home-style meals prepared from scratch like homemade chicken n’ dumplins and also offers Wholesome Fixin’s, classic country meals with a lighter twist – full of flavor and under 600 calories.

Each Cracker Barrel location is uniquely decorated with real American artifacts, memorabilia and signage collected by a team of Americana experts. The walls of Cracker Barrel stores reflect the nation’s rich history and gives each of location a homespun appeal for local residents and an interesting twist for visitors.

Cracker Barrel’s signature rocking chairs beckon guests to sit a while on the porch.

Cracker Barrel’s signature rocking chairs Along with dining in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, Cracker Barrel guests can enjoy shopping in the old country store for toys, games, food items, apparel, accessories and other unique items. Gift wrapping is complimentary and purchases can be shipped directly from the store.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRL) was established in 1969 in Lebanon, TN, and

now has 635 stores in 42 states. “Cracker Barrel provides a friendly home-away-from-home in its old country stores and restaurants,” said General Manager Reed Mutzberg. “Guests are cared for like family, while relaxing and enjoying real home-style food and shopping that’s surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and reminiscent of America’s country heritage, all at a fair price. We are looking forward to serving residents and visitors alike and to becoming an integral part of this community.”

To keep up with the latest news on the Morganton store, visit facebook.com/crackerbarrel.morganton

BURKE INTEGRATED HEALTH celebrated its opening in May with a ribbon cutting and family fair at its location on 350 East Parker Road in Morganton. Director Michael Shoupe manned the Chamber’s scissors to make it official. Burke Integrative Health is an collaborative partnership among Burke Primary Care, A Caring Alternative, Cognitive Care and Catawba Valley Behavioral Health.  They have partnered to provide not only primary care but also treatment for patients with behavioral health and substance abuse issues. Look for more information in the next Chamber newsletter.

Psalms Urgent Care/Solid Rock Family Medicine have moved from their College Street location behind Burke Pharmacy to new, more visible offices at 304 South Green St.in downtown Morganton. Along with staff and guests, owner Barbara Deaton, RN, BSN, MSN, FNP, BC celebrate the move with a ribbon cutting on May 21. She opened the center in April 2010 as a result of her concerns over limited to access to routine healthcare services in Burke County during weekends. Today, the urgent care center still accepts walk-in patients. Appointments are required for Solid Rock Family Practice

Eight months ago, well-wishers gathered at the Stone Creek Equestrian Center to break ground on constructing a new covered riding arena. On May 18, staff and guests celebrated its completion with a morning ribbon-cutting. Besides recreational riding, the equestrian center is home to Ther-Equine, a non-profit program that brings healing therapy to people with physical, emotional or mental challenges through the use of horses in a unique and exciting approach to therapy. The new arena  is equipped with ramps so that riders can mount the horses or be assisted as needed. Fences and gates provide additional safety measures. In addtion to Therapeutic Riding led by certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors, Ther-Equine offers a “Stable Life,”

a holistic recovery model for those with mental, emotional, trauma, and substance use issues. Another program, “Hippotherapy,” is a physical, occupational, or speech therapy treatment strategy that utilizes the movement of the horse as part of an integrated treatment program. For more information on these programs,  volunteering, donating or to make an appointment for evaluation with Ther-Equine, call Wendy Bradshaw at 828-443-0272, email wendy@ther-equine.com or visit www.ther-equine.com.     Ther-Quine can also be found on Facebook.