It is not very often you can eat works of art. After all, you can’t eat a painting, you can’t eat a play and you certainly can’t eat a book. But, you sure can eat the works of art at Water’s Edge Chocolate. Every day the owners and staff create delicious, chocolatey works of art.

This curious fellow is not often into the process of how things are made but more into the end result. But, how talented people can transform 10 pound blocks of milk, white and dark chocolate into delicious hand crafted works of art is fascinating to me.

So how did Water’s Edge get started? According to co-owner Ginny Wilson, she and her husband/co-owner, Randy got married in 2010 and Ginny moved to Tullahoma, Randy’s hometown. Ginny had worked for a chocolate company part time while in college. When they moved to Tullahoma, Ginny could not find a specialty chocolate store. Her entrepreneurial spirit took over so she started her own chocolate business in her home in 2012. In 2015 they took a big step and opened Waters Edge at 206 South Andersen and “never looked back.”

They took another big step recently and updated and expanded their showroom. The space now features what they call “the gathering place”, a room with space for 25 people perfect for birthday parties, sports team events and other special celebrations.

And, did you know the gift of chocolate works for nearly occasion. Water’s Edge has gift baskets for Best Teacher Ever, Get Well Soon, Happy Birthday, Thank You and many more. Does your company want to gift chocolate with your company logo embossed into the chocolate? Waters Edge can do that.

What’s the story with the two green dinosaurs in front of the store? A good customer offered them as a way to call attention to the store. He was right. And kids love them.

And don’t forget about the 20 flavors of homemade ice cream the company offers or the literally hundreds of food items they cover with chocolate. And more are added regularly as their creative minds get to work.

Interested in being their official taste tester for new items? This curious fellow offered. Ginny gets that offer regularly. Oh well, I tried. 

A young entrepreneur expands his business 

Like many young college graduates in 2015, Andy Rigney was not able to find a job in his chosen profession of Environmental Science. So what did Andy do? He leaned into his entrepreneurial spirit and founded a company that called on his part time job experience during college working for a high end timber frame builder and cabinet shop.

Seven years later Rigney Homecraft has five full time employees, a custom woodworking shop and a 1700 square foot showroom under construction at 209 SE Atlantic Street.  The showroom will open July 14 with a Grand Opening and Chamber ribbon cutting starting at 10 a.m.

Rigney Homecraft specializes in residential and commercial cabinetry, countertops, built-ins, closet systems, vanities, accessories and hardware. The company offers a wide variety of products to fit every budget. Andy has recently added Zline brand appliances to be able to offer a full product experience to his customers.

When not building out the showroom or working in the custom shop, Andy is taking care of customers on the road. His exquisite woodwork can be found in Murfreesboro, Huntsville, Columbia and many places in between.

The young entrepreneur quickly acknowledges with gratitude the role his family has played in Rigney Homecrafts success. In fact, his mom Melissa, works full time in the office. Andy’s wife, Mackenzie, plays a key role in the company’s success. The couple has four young daughters.

Why invest in a showroom this curious fellow wanted to know? Andy wants his clients to have a cohesive design experience. He doesn’t want his clients to have to figure out things on their own. As a result, all clients receive professional 3D drawings for review as part of the design process.

Andy’s many clients are glad his entrepreneurial spirit flourished when he saw a need for custom woodworking in southern middle Tennessee. 

When will the 7-Eleven open? 

Curious people want to know when the new 7-Eleven is going to open. Apparently there is a strong pent up demand for their Slurpees.

The store at the foot of the viaduct has had one challenge after another. After securing a building permit on April 11, 2022, over 13 months ago, the store should open June 8. Or, then again, it might be June 15. The latest challenge is a freezer temperature problem.

The Team Leader expects the freezer to be fixed soon and then it will take a week to stock the store. When this curious fellow stopped by the store Wednesday afternoon the freezer folks were working feverishly.

The original opening date was September 22. That date got pushed back to February ’23 due to supply chain issues. Another delay was due to construction issues. The Team Leader stressed the contractor wants a perfect store. And now the freezer.

It sounds like if it weren’t for bad luck the new 7-Eleven would have no luck at all.

The staff is employed and has been training at area 7-Eleven and Speedway stores. It turns out 7-Eleven bought Speedway two years ago. The store will employ 50 to 70 full and part time persons at least initially.

Looks like 7-Eleven/Speedway has mid Jackson Street covered and soon South Jackson Street covered. But don’t hold your breath.

Welcome to Tullahoma.

If you are curious about something in Tullahoma, email acuriousfellow@lighttube.net.