Market Common Business

Treating Your Hair Right and You Safely by Melissa LaScaleia Joyce and Gary Myers are the owners of three distinct, full-service hair salons located along the Grand Strand: Infinity Hair Salon in Myrtle Beach; Hair Etc. in Surfside Beach; and Hair Trends in Murrells Inlet.  Each salon has a slightly different feel and personality— the culture influenced by that area of the Grand Strand where it’s located, as well as the clientele that patronize it.  All of their centrally-located salons offer the same services, and cater to everyone from children to seniors. Joy and Gary have been working in the salon industry for the past twenty-three years— garnering a lot of experience along the way so they can best help people to nourish their locks and combat the deleterious effects ocean living takes on one’s tresses. “Beach living is beautiful, but it takes a heavy toll on your hair,” Joyce says. “You need to protect it from the sand, sun and salt water. There’s an excess of wind and humidity that your hair is exposed to constantly, as well as the damaging effects of the salt water.  “A lot of people relocate down here or come for a short stay and don’t realize the effect the climate has on their hair, or how to manage it optimally in this new environment. That’s what we focus on with our clients.” Carolyn Taft, the manager of Infinity Hair Salon in Surfside Beach, stands in the back room ready to make some color for a client’s hair. Previous Next “In order to protect your hair, you need to use the right products,” Joyce adds. “And those products change seasonally. Now that we’ve officially moved into winter down here, you need to make sure that you’re using the right products that are optimal for these harsher months. It’s winter hair care versus summer hair care. We offer keratin treatments, which, if they’re right for your hair, will help to control frizz from the extra humidity, and last for several months. “We offer the best services to keep your hair in optimal shape. And we are very selective in terms of who we hire as stylists— they are all excellent at analyzing the current state of your hair and making the best recommendations to help you reach your goals.” The stylists at all three salons are dedicated to their profession— committed to continuing their education, striving to grow their skills and staying current with what’s trending in the hair industry in terms of solutions as well as designs.  “We have wonderful managers at each salon who have been with us for years,” Joyce says. “Carolyn Taft is at Infinity, Sheila Michelsohn is at Hair Etc., and Grace Smeallie is at Hair Trends. They are passionate about what they do, and help make our salons as successful as they are. “At our salons, we try to listen to our clients’ wants and needs along with sharing our ideas, in order to find the hairstyle that not only makes people feel their best but is easy to maintain. Part of our mission is to build lasting relationships with our clients, and with the community as well.”  Kelsey Miles, a hair stylist at Infinity Hair Salon, shows off her colorful locks for our photographers. Each of the salons has their own unique personality and vibe based on the architecture of the space, the area in which it’s located, and the clientele. Previous Next In keeping with that mission to make a positive impact on our community, Joyce continuously holds donation drives at the salons to help our more vulnerable populations, including youth, and local animal shelters.  “Our philosophy at our salons is: ‘Be your best, feel your best, and do your best,’” Joyce says. “So we invest in those relationships in our community where we feel we can make a difference just as we invest in our relationships with our clients.”  This February, Infinity Hair Salon, the youngest of the group, will be celebrating its third year in business. After the first wave of temporary closures due to Covid, all the salons reopened. Joyce remembers all the hair that needed to be fixed from people trying to DIY at home. “Please don’t cut your hair at home,” she says earnestly, but not without a chuckle. “It’s much harder to fix in the aftermath. We follow all the guidelines that the CDC has put into place. We practice social distancing in the salons, and everything is thoroughly sanitized and disinfected.” Infinity Hair Salon, Myrtle Beach Facebook Globe Phone Hair Etc., Surfside Beach Facebook Globe Phone Hair Trends, Murrells Inlet Facebook Globe Phone

Healthy Comes to the Market Common by Melissa LaScaleia Leonella Gonzalez graduated four years ago from the Integrative Nutrition School based out of New York as a holistic health coach.  “I was struggling a lot with crash diets,” she says. “I was killing myself with fat-loss pills and putting myself in starvation mode. Finally, I became more interested in how I felt rather than how I looked. I realized that I didn’t feel good and had a bad relationship with food.  “So I started to search for what I could do to change and got interested in healthy eating habits. I began inspiring others through what I was learning and choosing for myself, teaching them how important it is to have a good relationship with food— looking at it as nourishment, not the enemy.  “My passion for helping others to look and feel their best started growing. I had an appointment with a naturopath who really encouraged me with what I was doing. It was then that I decided to pursue a career as a health coach. I quit my job and began working full time as a coach in New York.”  “This journey has changed me and continues to change me every single day,” she continues. “It’s taught me how to connect with my body and understand what’s good for my body and what’s not. Being able to go back and track and understand what foods or ingredients in my meals make me feel better is an incredible discovery. The fact that I can work on this every day and help others to feel their best and give them the tools to feel better is amazing for me.”  Leonella became introduced to Myrtle Beach when her sister, Lorenna, relocated here several years ago.  “We are very close and I began making frequent trips to visit her,” Leonella says.  One day, the two noticed that there weren’t many healthy, easy food options in Myrtle Beach, and saw an opportunity to do something together in an industry they both loved.  Together they created the concept for Juiced Up, a juice bar located in the Market Common. “We are very close,” Leonella says in speaking of her relationship with her sister. Leonella began making frequent trips to Myrtle Beach from New York to visit her sister; then the two began their healthy eating venue together. — Photo Meganpixels Parker “At the beginning, when I was changing my eating habits, it was difficult for me to eat so many vegetables,” Leonella says. “So I started implementing juices into my daily routine. For me it was a fast and easy way to incorporate more vitamins and vegetables into my diet.”  According to Leonella, when we extract the juice from vegetables, we extract the fiber, and are left with liquid vitamins and minerals from the fruit which are easier to digest than when they are in their solid form.  She created all of the juice recipes that they serve.  “My intention with Juiced Up is to educate the community,” she says. “Every item that we sell has an amazing impact on your health; each juice contains superfoods and has a purpose.”  In addition to juices, they carry a variety of other healthy drink and food items. One of those is matcha, the Japanese green tea heralded for its antioxidant and energizing properties. One cup of matcha carries as many benefits as ten cups of green tea, and contains 137 more antioxidants. It has less caffeine than coffee, but the energy you receive from it lasts longer, and without the crash.  “It’s a jitter-free superpowered green tea,” Leonella says. “It gives you focused energy and helps you to burn calories by accelerating your metabolism. The energy is very smooth. It is one of our signature drinks, served cold or hot.”  They offer avocado toast— mashed avocado on top of sourdough bread, with different toppings like smoked salmon, plain, and with seasonings.  “Sourdough bread has less gluten in it so people with sensitivities will be able to consume this,” Leonella says. “It’s a healthy and easy snack with all your carbohydrates, fat and protein in one meal.”  They also have smoothies, made with homemade coconut and nut milks.  Juiced Up has a colorful, bright, cheery vibe, with indoor and outdoor seating and free Wi-fi.  Leonella created all of the juice recipes found at Juiced Up, each one packed with superfoods that have a positive impact on your health. — Photo Meganpixels Parker “We want customers to come in and feel healthy,” Leonella says of the ambiance. “Our goal is to create Instagrammable walls in our juice bar. We want each wall to look so beautiful with a profusion of colors and art, that people will take pictures.”  In addition to their Instagram goals, the sisters want each person who walks through their doors to receive information about what they’re eating and how every juice on the menu will make them feel better for the rest of the day.   “I feel amazing now,” Leonella says. “I feel very grateful that now that I’ve found what I’m passionate about I can make a career out of it. I remember planning this juice bar in New York four years ago and it didn’t happen. Now, I have more experience, and it’s the right time.”    Leonella is still working as a holistic health coach. Over the course of six months and longer, she works with her clients, helping them to replace bad habits with good ones.  “I help them step by step to reach their goals,” she says. “I help them with vitamins and minerals, with meal plans. It all depends on what they want and their current relationship with food. We continuously evaluate what worked and what didn’t until they get stable with those new habits and new ways of living. I teach them how to read labels, how to grocery shop and choose the right options, how to listen to their body, to understand their body’s messages and what foods are helping them and what foods aren’t. I help them connect with themselves again through food, vitamins, … Read more

With a Full Bar and Breakfast and Dinner in the Market Common by Melissa LaScaleia Crepe Creation Cafe has been a staple in the Market Common community for the past seven years. From small beginnings on Howard Ave. to its present location at 4012 Deville Street, owner Larry Cauble and his wife Emma Ware finalized Larry’s childhood dream of owning a French restaurant with its creation.  Larry learned the art of crepe making while living in Europe, and he has now realized that dream by expanding the restaurant we all know as the Crepe Creation.  The purpose and intent of the restaurant was always to present an atmosphere that offers the most welcoming and warm place to relax and enjoy food that was prepared with care and love. Larry’s passion for  cooking has a foundation of using only fresh wholesome ingredients prepared as authentic French recipes, to delight and satisfy the palate. The new, expanded kitchen will enable them to offer a full breakfast menu as well as dinner, with a French influence for both menus. Larry goes out of his way to assure food is only the freshest by shopping everyday at local markets. He hand-selects the fruits and vegetables for the day’s menu. Nothing is ever purchased precooked. Eventually he plans to make fresh bread daily. A full bar will tempt you to sit awhile or relax in front of the newly installed fireplace as your meal is prepared, or just meet up with friends after work. Wi-Fi is available as well charging outlets if work is on your mind. Another unique feature offered is freshly squeezed juices influenced by a visit Larry and Emma made to Colombia, South America. There they were introduced to freshly squeezed lime juice with coconut milk and that triggered the thought of bringing freshly squeezed juices to the menu. Selections include lime with coconut milk, orange, papaya, pineapple, mango and a new favorite, tomato. The new breakfast menu will offer eggs your way and omelets filled with vegetables and cheeses like gruyere, fontina, mozzarella, and cheddar. Pair them with those fresh juices and something Larry decided to add— baguettes and gravy— a French twist on an old Southern Classic, biscuits and gravy.  More new offerings include Steak and Eggs; Eggs Victoria, a toasted baguette with smoked salmon; as well as Matin Caprese, a caprese salad comprised of two baguette halves topped with tomatoes, basil and chives with two eggs cooked to order. Then there is the Croque Tartine, toasted baguettes topped with Black Forest Ham, béchamel sauce, and melted gruyere cheese, with two eggs cooked to your liking and a side of potato gallet or scalloped potatoes. The dinner menu includes Chicken Basque, a chicken breast with chorizo sausage, onion, garlic parsley, thyme, tomato, potato, red pepper, and paprika and green apples served with a salad; Beef Borginnone; Seared Salmon; Herb-Crusted Clover Honey Salmon Fillet; Honey-Glazed Pork Roast; Chicken Cordon Blu; Duck a La’ orange; Duck Confit; Steak Diane; and Black Angus Brand Steaks in three different cuts— filet mignon, rib-eye, and NY strip served with your choice of Béchamel, bernaise, or au jus sauces. Emma Ware, (left) stands with her husband Larry Cauble (right) inside their newly expanded restaurant. — Photo Meganpixels Parker There are eight appetizer options but two that are especially memorable include: sliced duck with goat cheese topped with lemon zest, parsley, and scallions on top of baguettes, and Salmon Roulettes.  They will always have homemade chicken vegetable soup and French onion, as well as a rotating selection of specialty soups. All the stock for their soups are homemade. There are also a variety of salads and sides.  The house sides include nibbles to share like pommes frites— thinly cut house potatoes deep fried; mashed potatoes; au gratin potatoes; steamed broccoli and carrots; and apple salad— with granny smith apples, sour cream, almonds, dried cranberries and maple syrup. One mouth-watering premium side is called Bari Goule of Spring Vegetables— made with fresh peas, baby carrots, asparagus, snow peas, garlic, onion bulbs, peppercorn, and cilantro. Crepes will continue to be served all day and other staple offerings will also remain. For their bar offerings, they don’t use any flavored vodkas or flavored rums in their speciality drinks— concocting them instead with their pure, freshly squeezed fruit juices. During happy hour they serve the 3Ms— margaritas, Martinis (house), and mojitos all for $5; and wine and beer are discounted. Steaks have arrived in the Market Common, and Crepe Creations is offering three different kinds: NY strip, filet mignon, and rib-eye, served with a mouth-watering assortment of sauces. Crepe Creations has live music every night of the week. The volume is always kept low so that diners can enjoy conversation or the show as they choose. Every Monday night, Duster plays country/rock music; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Mike plays jazz and contemporary beats; Thursdays, Morris plays all Beatles classical style; Saturday is Wayne, a jazz guitar player; and Sundays Liz sings jazz. “We want the public to come in and love our customer service, to thoroughly enjoy the food and flavors,” Emma says. “We’ve created an ambiance where people can feel comfortable and excited to be here and enjoy the space they’re in. From the crepes, to the mixed drinks, to the fruit juices and the desserts, we’ve crafted flavors and a menu, and a musical experience to delight the senses. “Our kitchen organization and the way Larry operates the restaurant, behind the restaurant is just incredible. He’s super organized, he’s diligent with the food. I was so impressed when I saw the back of the restaurant. And our employees share with us that they enjoy working here because of the organization— it makes their job easier.” “We want to thank all of our patrons for supporting us over the years,” Emma concludes. “Without you, we couldn’t have made this happen.” Crepe Creation Cafe Breakfast daily 8am-12pm; dinner 4pm-close. Open Su-Th 8am-10pm; Fr & Sa 8am-11pm, for the lounge, bar, … Read more

Redefining Clean for Horry County by Melissa LaScaleia When most people compile a task list of things to clean around their home, the garbage bin usually factors pretty low on both the priority, desirability, and ease of accomplishment list.  Dirty bins are a problem—they attract pests, roaches, rodents, flies, bees, E. Coli and other bacteria.  When you smell a trash bin, it’s not the trash you’re smelling, it’s the bacteria. Houses here are built close together, so there is an inevitable proximity of bin next to house, next to bin, next to car; which means you’re basically living in a germ and bacteria-infested environment.  Over time, that bacteria multiplies.  On top of that, many people store their bins inside their garage, right alongside their car, workout equipment, tools, laundry, etc.  All those things are exposed to the bacteria and germs in your trash bins, and you’re inhaling those contaminants when you’re in that enclosed space. But lest the deeper truth of the state of your garbage can leave you feeling down, be emboldened that there is an easy and economical solution— Germ Bust My Bins. The eye-catching truck sparing our communities of health hazardous germs and noxious odors, as well as our oceans of noxious chemicals— a win-win for all, for less than $10 a month. – Photo by Meganpixels Parker It began in Horry County in 2016. Companies like it have been in existence in Europe for the past 30 years, but didn’t begin to appear in the U.S. until around 2007 or 2008. Here’s how it works. A truck arrives curbside on the same day that garbage bins are emptied by your trash collection service.  The bin is lifted into the truck which acts like a giant dishwasher— spraying your bin with 200 degree water inside and out, and leaving it clean, deodorized and 99% germ free.  The rinse water is retained inside the truck which is properly disposed of through the local water treatment system. In the year since the Insider wrote about Germ Bust My Bins (read about it here), the company has seen tremendous growth: from 100 customers last February, to over 1200 now.  And that number keeps increasing. John, the founder, estimates that he enrolls 70-80 new customers per month. “Germ Bust My Bins is a concept that makes sense particularly in an area like Horry County, which has a current population around 250,000 and continues to experience tremendous growth,” he says.  “There’s a need for all sorts of infrastructure to keep up with the population boom, and that can’t be easy to do.” Signs like this are positioned over many of the sewers in Myrtle Beach to prevent contamination of our oceans. But deprived of viable alternatives, people continue to dump dirty wash water down here. From interacting with his customers, John learned that the majority of them, before signing up with Germ Bust My Bins, followed some variation of the same pattern.  They would wait a really long time until their bins got really disgusting and then they’d dump a bottle of Clorox bleach into it, spray about 20 gallons of cold water with a garden hose into it, and use a scrub brush to try to get it as clean as they could, with varying success rates. “What strikes me,” he says, “is that when I talk to them, they tell me they dump that water down their driveway or into the drain at the end of the street and there’s a sign right on the grate or above it that says, ‘no dumping, drains directly to ocean.’ “I don’t think people take the time to think about where that waste water goes.  Each house has, on average 1.6 trash recycling bins, and if you clean that only once per year, that’s an astronomical amount of water and chemicals going into our natural resources.  Plus, you still don’t get your bin that clean.  It’s irresponsible, but not intentionally irresponsible, because what else can you do?  Six out of seven people think, ‘I’m not affecting the environment, I’m just one person.’  We need to give people a better solution. “Tourists come to Myrtle Beach and want to have a good time, without being exposed to the pests and noxious odors that accumulate at public trash cans at beaches, resorts and restaurants.  But those bins aren’t being cleaned.” John would like to enter into a contract with local governments to clean trash cans at public beaches.  He’s currently in the process of acquiring an additional truck that is capable of cleaning full sized dumpsters for restaurants and hotels.  It will be up and running by the summer. For people who live more inland, dumping down the drain still isn’t desirable.  Every community has a retention pond for stormwater and drain run-off, which doubles as a habitat for wildlife.  Dumping bleach or chemicals into them is obviously not the best recourse for safe disposal. John points out that what used to be expansive forest is now expansive communities, and the wildlife that once lived in those forests, like coyotes and raccoons, are now living amongst us.  They rely on those ponds and natural areas for their survival, but more than that, they’re attracted to your smelly garbage bins.  Having your bins cleaned properly helps with the dual problem of night pests ravaging for food, and preventing contamination of their habitat. “We provide an easy, economical, and eco-friendly way to get the job done,” he says. So far, people in Myrtle Beach are loving this idea.  Another part of the community that his business benefits is the elderly and children. “The task of cleaning a large trash bin isn’t healthy or feasible for the elderly,” John says.  “And having clean and sanitized bins provides greater peace of mind for parents with kids.  Kids aren’t always the cleanest, and they like to explore and get into everything.” John is also working on establishing contracts with Horry County HOAs so that he can address entire residential communities … Read more

A Glimpse at The Beef You Can Find There by Melissa LaScaleia It’s May once more.  As we welcome the return of spring, we also welcome back the Deville Street farmers market (recently expanded to include a portion of Howard Avenue), as well as the farmers and artisans who, with their skills and dedication to their craft, provide us with the beauty of locally harvested and locally made products.  This year, we chose to take a look at the beef business so our community can have a better understanding of the perspective which shapes the choices of one local farm in our area. The Insider called WK Price Farms, new arrivals to the market in both Market Common and Surfside Beach, to learn more about them. Katie Price and her husband Wesley own and operate their farm together on a little over 2,000 acres in Sork, South Carolina, a small town located between Mullins and Dillon.  Farming has been in Wesley’s family for generations, and he has been growing corn, soybeans and peanuts his entire life.  The resulting hay from the crops is used as feed for the cows, ensuring a sustainable farming system. Once solely a crop farmer, Wesley decided to expand the farm in 1999 to make it more economically viable.  They began with five heifers (for the uninitiated, that’s a female cow that hasn’t yet had a baby) and a bull.  Over the years, as he’s purchased more cows and the heifers had calves, the herd has grown.  Today they have over 300 head of cattle that they care for daily. In the early days, they weren’t producing enough beef to sell, but they would slaughter one for their family to eat over the course of a year.  When they had to purchase beef from the grocery store to supplement their own supply, they noticed such a disparity in the quality of the meat that they saw an opportunity. “The way you treat a carcass after it is slaughtered is almost as important as the way you treat it before the slaughter in terms of taste,” Katie says.  “It’s important to take your time with it.” In 2015, congress repealed the COOL law, the Country of Origin Labeling requirements for beef and pork products.  The repeal makes it impossible, or at the very least, extremely difficult for consumers to trace where the beef and pork they’re buying is raised and produced.  It may still be labeled, but that’s because the producer opted to disclose that information. Katie and her family were concerned not knowing the origins of their beef. “That’s the plus of buying locally,” she says.  “Whether it’s produce, dairy, or protein, you know where it’s from.” They decided to launch their own local beef company in 2016, and began a trial run by selling large bulk orders.  Then they began attending Saturday farmers markets in Florence and Conway. “We had such a positive response that first year,” Katie says, “that when I had my fourth child in 2017, I decided to quit my job and approach this like a full-time business.  We picked up more markets, and in winter, we do home deliveries all over Florence County.  It’s really grown.” “We raise our cattle on pasture and finish them on corn we grow ourselves to condition the meat,” she continues.  “We also feed them peanut hay.” There are two ways to finish cattle— grass or grain.  Finishing is a term which applies to the period of time before the slaughter when the cattle are fed an energy-dense diet to add muscle and well-distributed fat to their frame, in a short amount of time. Depending on what method you choose makes a big difference in the taste of the meat.  Cattle finished on grass will be much leaner and have a more grassy, game-like flavor.  Cattle finished on corn puts more fat in the meat and lends a sweater flavor. Katie’s customers preferred the latter taste, and because she also finds it easier to produce a more consistent product when finished in this way, it’s the method they choose for most of their cattle. “When you rely on Mother Nature 100% like that,” she says in speaking about raising cattle on pasture alone, “if you have a hard year and the pastures aren’t what they should be, it makes it hard to have a finished product.  Yes, corn is a grass technically, but we allow it to fruit, so it produces a different flavor.” Katie and Wesley raise their cattle without any additional hormones or antibiotics.  The corn that they grow and feed their cattle is a commercial, GMO corn. “I believe there are a lot of scare tactics around GMO products,” she says.  “We use GMO seeds because you can plant them with a no-till.  Because of the way it has been modified, you don’t have to put the amount of chemicals on it to spray for pests that you had to previously.  It’s no different from selective breeding.  Because of this, we’re able to produce more.  Farmers are 2% of the population and we don’t have enough food to feed the rest of the population.  You have to be as efficient as possible.” It’s important to know the realities of those bringing us food from both near and far away as well as the bigger picture story.  This is one farm’s choice. Join the Discussion So what’s your perspective? Join the discussion about GMOs and local food on our Facebook page Read more articles about our local farmers market and farmers here, there, and here again. Market Common Farmers Market Deville Street and Howard Avenue, Saturdays 10am-3pm through September.  Free parking in the garages and side streets.   Facebook