BY LARRY DUPEE
Special to the Times
LAKE BUTLER — Lake Butler is growing, slowly, but growing. There are still a good number of “old friends” present in the business community, that are now keeping company with some “new kids” that have come into being in the past few years, and all seem to be doing well enough to stay around for a while.
The simplest way to deal with this situation seems to be simply to take a “walk” up and down Main St. in the city and see what is there. So let’s take a walk and see what we can see.
The walk will start at the intersection of SR-100 and SR-121, heading west, considering the businesses on the left, then turn around and come back east, again looking to the left.
First encountered will be the old location of Dollar General, a building empty for a few years since the new store was built on the other side of the road. The building has most recently been owned by Lake Butler Hospital, which has used if for storage. A report by City Manager Dale Walker at a recent Lake Butler City Commission meeting indicated that the building would soon become the home for a new auto parts store, a result of the city’s work with the firm Retail Strategies. The name of the store, whether they will buy or lease the property and when the store will arrive have not been announced yet.
Next on the route is the Mainstreet Plaza – a small “strip mall,” or shopping center what contains several small businesses.
First encountered are Subway and China 1, both of which have been in place for more than 10 years.
Next in line is the Lake Butler Medical Clinic – the offices of Dr. Martha R. Lloyd. Lloyd is the daughter of Dr. Roberto Perez and has taken is place in the plaza. The family practice office has been in this location for about 20 years.
Next comes Terry’s Florals, which opened in August of 2017. Owner Terry McPherson is a full service florist who offers both fresh and silk flowers and plants. McPherson said she was “Thankful every day for the people of Union County who have come to her shop to do business.”
Next to the flower shop is Union Medical, which opened in April 1989. The carry a selection of medical supplies and equipment, as well as nurses uniforms.
Also located in the center is the local WIC office, open only limited hours as posted.
Continuing down Maine Street the next establishment encountered is New River Health and the Union County Department of Health. Although the building has been onsite for several years and home to the health department, only in the past year or so has New River been a resident – moving from their previous location in the rear of the Driggers Building (see below).
Next in line is the First Baptist Church of Lake Butler, followed by the church’s center for Youth Ministry, named The Bridge. The building was, at one time, the home of the Lake Butler Volunteer Fire Department.
On the corner, across Lake Ave. from the Union County Courthouse, is a building that was once the Tomlinson and Maines Drug Company – a drug store complete with a full sofa fountain. The building, owned by Harriet Maines and her sister, Barbara DeVoe, now provides a home to several businesses (and was once the home of the Union County Times office). The businesses inside include Lake Area Title, Land and Homes Realty and Maines Real Estate.
After the courthouse, the Union County Sheriff’s Office Annex and the office of the Union County Supervisor of Elections (in what was once the Union County Public Library, is Laredo Mexican Restaurant, residing in a building that has been an Eckerd’s Drug Store, as well as a restaurant specializing in fried chicken. Laredo has been on site there for about three years and is owned by the same business people who own the restaurant of the same name in Starke. Of doing business in Lake Butler, Jesus Davila said, “This place if great! The people are nice and that is why we are still here. We have been well supported by the community.”
Continuing on is one of the newer businesses in Lake Butler, Nutrition Hideaway. The business serves meal replacement shakes and loaded teas – a nutritional alternative who desire to be healthy. Owners Ginger and J.R. Thompson opened a little more than one and a half years ago and they are glad they decided to do so. “Being a part of the Lake Butler community has been everything we imagined and more,” Ginger said. “We love and appreciate all of our clients.”
Although not technically a Main Street address, but located in the same building as Nutrition Hideaway, is the 1st Choice Urgent Care clinic. It is also new to the community, opening in February of 2021. The clinic provides urgent care (walk-in and appt.) and primary care (appt. only).
The Lake Butler Masonic Lodge is just across the side street in a building that was once both the first and second school in Lake Butler during the years 1870-1908.
Next door is the New Beginnings Apostolic Church, located in the building that was once the home of the Lake Butler United Methodist Church, which closed a couple of years ago due to dwindling membership.
The next building in line is the Robert A. Driggers Building, empty for the time being, but past home of the now-closed Kirby Drug (in the front) and New River Health (in the back).
Next in the Lake Butler location of Ferreira Funeral Home, one of a number of facilities owned by Todd Ferreira in the region. Ferreira Funeral Home opened just about a year ago, replacing another funeral home that had come into the area and decided not to stay.
The next business is also closed, but was once named “Great Outdoors,” – a store specializing in hunting equipment. Owner Brian Worthington still offers concealed weapons classes however, the time and place of which can be found on a sign posted outside the building or on Facebook.
Shatto Heating and Air comes next in line and is one of the longest standing businesses on Main Street, with 21 years under its belt. Owners Kim and Tim Shatto offer a full range of commercial and residential HVAC services, from repairs and service to new installation and replacement.
To finish the journey west on Main Street we find the new McDonalds, which opened just last year, and the Family Dollar, which has been around for several.
Now let’s turn around and travel east and see what we can find.
The first business we can see is Spires’ IGA, which first was first established in 1890. The market is a Lake Butler/Union County staple and is now in the fourth generation of ownership by the Spires family.
Although not right on Main Street, but highly visible from it is a building contained a Lake Butler “fixture” – the popular lunch spot called Skip’s Deli. The business opened in November of 1993 and is not in its second ownership. Proudly displayed on the wall behind the sandwich prep area is a photo of the establishment’s first customer, Inman Green. “We love serving the community of Lake Butler and seeing after their needs,” said a member of the serving staff.
In the same building is Distinguished Cuts Barber Shop, owned by Anthony Holmes. Holmes said he first opened in March 2012. “This is my hometown and I love doing business here,” Holmes said. “I cannot imagine being anywhere else.”
Continuing east, we come to an old building which was Lake Butler’s first gas station, owned by Joe Shaw. Current owner, John Turknet, rented the space for 20 years for a thrift shop (now closed), but still operates a produce business at the location. “I have been in the county for 30 years,” Turknet said. “I came from Jacksonville to Lawtey and then here and I never want to leave.” TruBlue Pools has been in business for about 19 years. Business owner Carol Thompson offers pools, pool supplies, maintenance and pool cleaning and repairs – as well as advice to owners on how
Next in line is Union Liquors, which was purchased by owner Kalpesh Patel in 2010. The business used to be a combined bar and liquor store. Patel said, “There are so many good people here, I really enjoy serving them.”
Our next stop is one of Main Street’s truly historic buildings, the Townsend Building. Donated to be the home of the Union County Historical Society and the Marjorie Driggers Historical Museum, it was decided to grant ownership of the building to the city of Lake Butler in order for a grant to be obtained by the city for the restoration of the building. The ground floor is used by the city as a rental space for events, while the museum occupies the second floor.
Right next door, across an empty lot, is a (now empty) bank building. The building was built by the now defunct Farmers and Dealers Bank, then stood empty until TD Bank moved in. The TD Bank closed its Lake Butler Branch about a year ago in company efforts to decrease overhead by closing its low-growth branches. The building is now for sale.
Next comes the old location of Hungary Howie’s Pizza (see below), a small building. Next door to it is the Sunrise Food Mart and Gas Stop. The store had been closed for a year when owner Raj Patel reopened it in June 2020. He said he was very impressed with the customers he serves in Lake Butler, saying that they were all “very good, nice people” and he was happy to serve them.
TruBlue Pools, owned by Carol Thompson, has been in business for about 19 years and offers pools, a full line of pool supplies and services, including cleaning and maintenance. She also said she offers a lot of advice to pool owners and is happy to help all the people who support her business. Next door is an empty building that has been, in the recent past, a pawn shop and then a small church.
Up next is a small building that has been the home of an Italian restaurant, the Union County Times and, most recently, Gigi’s Cuban Café (which recently closed). It is now set to be the new home of Cindy Thomas’ business, B-Squared. She is moving into town from her old location near the RMC, which is already closed. Just as she did in her old establishment, she will be offering her signature Meal for Moms, as well as a selection of baked good and treats. Her new location will offer both a drive-through window and sit down dining, as well a to-go options. The opening date for B-Squared has not yet been announced.
Welch Auto and Tire is another business that has been around for quite a few years. The business fills two buildings on both sides of a side street. The first one we will come to is where the mechanical work is done, while the second building is where the tire work is done.
Tonya Thornton has owned and operated Thornton and Co. Realty, Inc. for about a year and is still excited about serving her hometown community and introducing new people to it as well.
Next we find Winkler Appliances, Furniture and Electronics, which opened for business in 1987 when the Starke branch (which opened in 1928) of the business bought it from Wilson Rivers. The purchase was of a store which sold furniture, as well as appliances, eventually resulting in the Starke store going into furniture sales as well.
On the corner of Main Street and Lake Street is one of the office of Meridian Behavioral Healthcare – a mental health center that serves the residents of Union County.
Across the side street is what may be the second oldest business still doing business in Lake Butler. McLeod’s Barber Shop opened 60+ years ago under the management of Cyril McLeod. It was taken over by his two sons, Elliot and J.R. and is still open, offering haircuts in a traditional shop setting and chair.
Next to McLeod’s, in a section of the town’s oldest commercial building are Simply Blessed, an upscale consignment and resale shop and then Southern Goddess, a woman’s clothing store owned by Daphne DuBois and her partner, Darin Childers. The store opened in June last year, fulfilling a DuBois dream of opening a store in the same location where her mother had a store in the 1970s. Next door to this is an empty store, which Childers was quick to mention would make an excellent addition to the block as a small, locally owned shop.
The next building also is a part of Lake Butler history. It began life as the home of the Langford Motor Co., a Ford dealership opened in the early to middle 1940s, then became Howard’s Auto Parts, which claimed to sell more tractor parts than those for cars. For the past four year it has been home to James Tyson’s Lake Butler Outlet Store, where he sells new but discounted items for the home and shop.
Tyson came to Lake Butler from MacClenny when he graduated high school and has been here ever since. “I enjoy doing business here and I get to meet the most interesting people in the store,” Tyson said. “Lake Butler is a hard little town for a business to come into and establish. Many come and go. I am thankful to the community for the opportunity it has given me to live the dream of owning my own business. I also want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Howard for giving me the opportunity.”
The new home of Dollar General comes next on our walk, replacing the old building about 4-5 years ago. Next door is an old, empty building that has served, in the past, as Priced Right Autos and a video rental establishment. Next to Dollar General we find the law office of county attorney Russ Wade, then the Badcock & More home furnishings store and then the new location of Hungary Howie’s, build about two years ago.
Next comes one of Main Street’s newer businesses, Leif’s Fresh Market. Located in the old Karen’s Quick Stop, owned and operated by former county commissioner Karen Cossey, new owner Charles Alvarez, who named the business after his young son. The store opened about a year ago and sells a wide selection of seafood as well as local produce, “straight from the farms” and other products, most of which are locally sourced.
Our walk is about to come to an end, with only one more establishment to consider. Lake Butler Hospital has been around since it was built by the county about 1969 and was then named Union County Hospital. It was later leased to a Dr. Ramadan as a hand surgery institute (nationally known) for several years, then was purchased by Becky Thomas and renamed Lake Butler Hospital. It is now both a local hospital, complete with an emergency room and has, in recent years been a site for rehabilitation services as well.
So there you have Main Street. There are many more businesses in both the city of Lake Butler and out in the county, but Main Street has always been the business center and today has the most historic businesses in the county. Lake Butler is growing, slowing but steadily. The retail establishments have thrived despite COVID, with a few even being brave enough to open in the middle of the pandemic. What’s next. We will all have to just wait and see.
