Clinton Mayor Lew Starling and the city council posed with Main Street Champions Jess and Wally Bashlor — and their five children — at the council’s regular monthly meeting on April 1.
Abby Cavenaugh | Sampson Independent
Mayor Lew Starling, left, presented the Main Street Champions award to Jess Bashlor at the Clinton City Council meeting Tuesday night.
Abby Cavenaugh | Sampson Independent
CLINTON — A husband-and-wife team of local business owners were recognized as 2024 Clinton Main Street Champions at the city council meeting Tuesday night.
Jess and Wally Bashlor — and their brood of children — accepted the honor from Mayor Lew Starling and the council.
Mary Rose, planning and development director, spoke about the couple at the start of Tuesday night’s meeting, saying that after “much discussion,” the Clinton Development Corporation Board of Directors made the designation.
“They have been important members of the downtown Clinton community for the past six years,” Rose explained.
In 2018, Jess Bashlor launched a company downtown to educate the public about natural skin care products. “Today, Remedies by Jess operates out of her shop at 109 Wall St., serving both in-person and online customers,” Rose said.
Two years ago, the Bashlors purchased and rebranded the downtown Clinton coffee shop as Simply Brewed Coffee Company, “which has become a vibrant hub of community activity, drawing visitors from multiple counties to enjoy its coffee, bagels, salads, wraps and even ice cream,” Rose said.
The coffee shop has become a place for community members to meet and socialize. “When you visit, you are sure to find many other members of our community and visitors, alike, in the comfortable space to meet, or just enjoy a cup of coffee,” Rose said.
“For us, with all the business we’ve ever run, specifically the two that we currently run, building relationships and community is the main thing,” Wally Bashlor told The Sampson Independent. “We do have products that we sell, but our focus is building relationships and community.”
The events that the Bashlors host, at the coffee shop in particular, help bring the community together, he said. “The coffee shop was a huge bonus for us when we opened it almost two years ago. We wanted a place where folks could work, or have room to meet. There’s not many places in Clinton to do that, and it brings the community together. That for us is what it’s all about.”
The Bashlors have both served on the Clinton Main Street promotion program, and have helped other small business owners succeed through coaching, counseling and internships.
The couple brought their children, Zadie, Zeke, Zanna, Zane and Zella, with them for the recognition and their daughter Zella attended the North Carolina Main Street conference with them.
The mayor presented the Bashlors with their certificate, and posed for a photo with the entire family and city council.
“We don’t do it for the recognition,” Bashlor said, adding that winning the award was a big surprise. “We had no idea we were even being considered. We felt very honored.”
Editor Abby Cavenaugh can be reached at 910-249-4616 or by email at acavenaugh@clintonnc.com. Like us on Facebook and check out our Instagram at @thesampsonindependent.