The Franklin Chamber of Commerce welcomes The Motor Company Grill to its membership recently with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Located at 86 W Main Street, the Motor Company Grill continues to offer a blast from the past with their ’50s style diner. Owners Bill Stike and Peter Apostolu welcome you to drop by any day for lunch or dinner where the menu features appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers and hotdogs, soups, entrees and desserts from the old fashioned soda fountain. The Motor Company Grill is open Monday through Thursday 11am – 8pm; Friday and Saturday 11am – 9pm; Sunday from 11am – 4pm. Be sure to watch for winter hours.

The Franklin Main Street Program welcomed another new business to the district with a special “Red Carpet” event on Thursday, Oct. 13. Kimberly and Kevin Baldwin, owners of Appalachian Harvest were welcomed to the Main Street District by members of town government, downtown business owners, board members of the Main Street Program along with family and friends.

Appalachian Harvest specializes in preserves, jams, jellies and pickled items. If you enjoy good home canned goodness, you’ll love the products from Appalachian Harvest. Everything is made from scratch, using nothing but the best of ingredients. Appalachian Harvest is family owned and operated and uses recipes that have been passed down through the generations.

Franklin’s Main Street District established an initiative to welcome new businesses to the area. The Red Carpet Event is designed to promote new businesses while aiding business owners in spreading the word about their shops.

Franklin native, April Chastain of April’s Flowers on Main, located on Stewart Street next to the Rathskeller, was the first business owner to experience the red carpet treatment during an Oct. 4 ceremony. Members of town government, downtown business owners, board members of the Main Street Program, and family and friends who attended the grand opening of Chastain’s flower shop were pleased with the turn out.

Consumers make buying choices every day. These decisions are the driving force in the success or failure of a business. Increasingly, these actions are based on personal connections and a company’s ability to have a positive impact on society.

On Thursday, Oct. 27, Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council, an initiative of AdvantageWest, hosts Venture Local, a forum designed to help business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs and potential investors understand the growing “local” movement in the United States and Western North Carolina and find ways to take advantage of the phenomenon.