Bossier City

Diplomat Team of the Quarter

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Just a quick note that the team of Diplomats that I serve with on the Bossier Chamber of Commerce won the most recent “Diplomat Team of the Quarter”. Proud of our team, Lynda’s Frontrunners!

Lynda's Frontrunners Team of the Quarter

Lynda's Frontrunners Team of the Quarter

Lynda Smyth with Wray Ford
Jimi Lindgren with Ralph & Kacoo’s (Plus Jimi won Diplomat of the Quarter – WooHoo!!)
Media Ann Smith with R.R. Smith Real Estate
Ron Corosopoulas with Kobus Technologies
Sherry Stuckey with Town Place Suites
Valerie Ward with The Shreveport Times
Will Carpenter with Pre-Paid Legal Services
myself – Robin Williams with Holiday Lanes

GO TEAM!!!

See ya around Bossier,
Robin

Mile High Karate

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Mile High Karate Ribbon Cutting

Mayor Walker signing up for a Mile High Karate class?

Richard Lear, Franchise Owner and Chief Instructor of Mile High Karate celebrated with the Bossier Chamber of Commerce at a ribbon cutting today. Richard explained that they are very interested in providing a place for families to learn valuable skills. They have a great structure in place for teaching children to focus their eyes, ears, minds and bodies to improve their manners, behavior and character.

Children can begin classes as young as four years old. Mr. Lear says that this is just about the right age for a child to begin training and learning the disciplines of Karate. Karate provides confidence, focus and self-esteem, which helps children prepare for school and life. Many children can truly benefit from learning self-control techniques taught at Mile High Karate.

Mile High Karate Ribbon Cutting

Demonstration of Women's Self Defense Techniques

Children aren’t the only people who can benefit from karate. Mile High Karate offers options for the whole family. In fact, right now they are offering a Mother’s Day Special for ALL women. FREE self-defense classes will be held on Monday, May 9th & Tuesday, May 10th. This is a great opportunity for women to learn real life techniques that teach confidence and ability to defend yourself. Mr. Lear gave us a sample demonstration and I’ve got to say, I was impressed by the techniques. He and his mother provided simple, real life scenarios which are helpful to anyone who is interested in feeling protected. Some of the techniques were so simple, yet very effective in thwarting off danger. The classes also promote wellness, stress relief and confidence. Free enrollment is limited, so you will want to call and reserve a spot soon.

Mile High Karate Ribbon Cutting

Mile High Karate Ribbon Cutting

Mile High Karate has after-school programs and is very involved in the community. The Mile High Karate franchise is a family and community oriented company, requiring each locality to perform at least 10,000 community service hours per year. This reinforces the message of being the best well-rounded person one can be.

Mile High Karate is located at 1745 Swan Lake Road, Suite G, Bossier City, LA, phone 318-703-4749. Stop by and tell them you read my blog.

See ya around Bossier,
Robin Williams,
Bossier Chamber of Commerce Diplomat & Marketing Maven at Holiday Lanes

Get your glasses on!

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Bossier Eye Institute Trunk Show

Bossier Eye Institute Trunk Show

Bossier Eye Institute Optical Shop had a frames and sunglasses trunk show today! Don’t worry if you didn’t make it, they still have great new arrivals from Ray Ban, Valentino, Juicy Couture, Gucci, and more!

Bossier Eye Institute Trunk Show

Bossier Eye Institute Trunk Show

I no longer need prescription lenses (thanks to Dr. Nawas), but you don’t have to have a prescription to get a great pair of sunglasses. I stopped by the clinic and was so impressed by the staff. They are top notch. I didn’t realize until I got out to my car that I had a name tag on. I just thought they were super and remembered my name from my last visit. The staff was very helpful and advised me to which frames are right for my face, picked colors that they thought would look good on me and tried to convince me that “Big” is Huge! They were talking about frames. I put a pair on that reminded me of my mom in 1975. Apparently that look is coming back. Not for me, it’s not 😎

Bossier Eye InstituteFor those of you who are not familiar with Bossier Eye Institute, Dr. Wally Nawas provides full service family eye care and has an on-site eye wear shop. He treats Cataracts, Glaucoma, Diseases of the eye and is licensed to perform Botox treatments. (thinkin’ seriously about that one!) Dr. Nawas has been my personal Ophthalmologist and I recommend him with confidence. Although he no longer performs Lasik and PRK, I did have PRK performed over a year ago and have been so happy with my results.

Bossier Eye Institute and Optical Shop is located at 2300 Hospital Drive, Suite 140, Bossier City, LA, phone 318-746-2020. Stop by and tell them you read my blog.

See ya around Bossier,

Robin Williams,
Bossier Chamber of Commerce Diplomat & Marketing Maven at Holiday Lanes

Simply Smashing!

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Smashburger Bossier City

Smashburger Bossier City

The new Bossier City Smashburger had a VIP Preview/Ribbon Cutting Party that was simply smashing! I knew I was going to like this place when I drove up and the entire wait staff was outside dancing the YMCA on the lawn. Yes, they even had what appeared to be the leader in full Indian headdress. How much fun is that?
Smashburger Bossier City Ribbon Cutting

Smashburger Bossier City Ribbon Cutting

Smashburger is definitely a burger lovers dream. They offer a great variety of classic and unique burgers and sandwiches. Tonight the energy of the crowd was awesome.
Smashburger Bossier City Ribbon Cutting

Avocado Club Smashchicken

We were so excited to be some of the first in Bossier City to try it out. The rest of Bossier will have to wait until tomorrow when they open for regular business. I had the Avocado Club Grilled SmashChicken sandwich with sweet potato Smashfries. It was fabulous and I took half of it home to finish for lunch tomorrow.

Scott and Mary Quigley

Scott and Mary Quigley

Scott and Mary Quigley, owners of both the Bossier City and Shreveport Smashburgers, appear to be such a great couple and they are a great asset to the Bossier Community. They offer fund raising options for churches and schools because they believe it is important to give back to the community in which they operate. It is obvious that they feel that customer service is very significant to a successful business. The crew at Smashburger was very friendly and helpful. I heard several people comment on the service and even heard one person question where they found their employees. She was so impressed with all the smiley faces and the high energy of the employees. I’m thinking this is going to be a sizzlin’ local hot spot in Bossier City.

Smashburger

Smile, you're at Smashburger

Smashburger is located at 2399 Airline Dr, Suite 600, Bossier City, LA 71111. Make your way over for a burger and tell them you read my blog.

See ya around Bossier,

Robin Williams,
Bossier Chamber of Commerce Diplomat & Marketing Maven at Holiday Lanes

Are you Jaded?

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Jaded the Boutique Ribbon Cutting

Jaded the Boutique Ribbon Cutting

Have you been jaded when it comes to your shopping experiences? Well then Jaded the Boutique is just for you. Jaded the Boutique features exclusive lines of infant-children’s apparel, junior-women’s apparel, custom baby bedding, and all sorts of accessories! Their lines for Spring include: Monoreno Mur, Hazel, Willow & Clay, Silver Jeans, Giggle Moon, ELand kids, Shana K, Radzoli, & Ya Ya Club! They have a very vintage feel for Spring.

Jaded the Boutique Ribbon Cutting

Jaded the Boutique Ribbon Cutting

I attended the Bossier Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting at Jaded the Boutique on Saturday and was pleasantly surprised to find a full house. A fashion show was on the agenda and there were plenty of people excitedly waiting to see the line of exclusive clothing. As I looked around, it made me wish (only for a hot second) that I had a little baby, because they have ultra-cute infant clothing. I was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over them. Definitely saw some cute gift ideas for the babies on my list.

Jaded the Boutique Ribbon Cutting

Jaded the Boutique Ribbon Cutting

Jessica Williamson is the owner of Jaded the Boutique and it was very obvious that she has put a lot of time and heart into her new business. She was supported by her pastor at the ribbon cutting and many of her friends. Something that I just have to mention is the table of goodies. Natalie Williamson provided the confections for the day. There were mini-cupcakes, regular sized cupcakes and I have to say, the cake-pops were to die for.
Cake Pops

Cake Pops - sorry pic is blurry

I tried to find out if Natalie had a business that sold the yummy treats, but they said “no, she just made them for the event.” What a great testament of support to Jessica.

Jaded the Boutique is located at 2142 Airline Drive, Bossier City, LA, (318) 752-5663. Stop by and tell Jessica you read my blog.

See ya around Bossier,

Robin Williams,
Bossier Chamber of Commerce Diplomat &
Marketing Maven at Holiday Lanes

More Power!

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Bossier Power Equipment Ribbon Cutting

Bossier Power Equipment Ribbon Cutting

Ok people, I walked into the new location of Bossier Power Equipment and was simply amazed. Where else can you go to look at super power equipment and feel like you are at a gift shop for the handyman, or woman in my case? I did not expect that when I went to this ribbon cutting that I would walk away really, really wanting to buy a Gravely Pro-Turn 200. Wouldn’t I look great cutting my lawn with that?

Bossier Power Equipment Ribbon Cutting

Charlie, Bonnie & Mayor Walker

Charlie and Bonnie Williamson humbly showed us around their beautiful facility. Mayor Walker mentioned that this was the first time he had been to an equipment store where the women were just as impressed as the men. This is definitely not the equipment store of the past. Their staff was on hand to answer questions about the array of products and information about their business. I was impressed that there was a great mix of both men and women available to help.
Previously located at Meadowview Dr & Hwy 80, Bossier Power Equipment moved to this location because the city purchased the store for a road project. The new Benton Road location is like a mini shrine for power equipment, in fact, Charlie told us that they also hold church services at this location on Sundays. But, don’t get me wrong, I’m certain they aren’t worshiping the power equipment. These are definitely faithful followers of the Lord.

Bossier Power Equipment Ribbon Cutting

Bossier Power Equipment Ribbon Cutting

Bossier Power Equipment has been serving the Shreveport and Bossier area proudly for over 20 years. It doesn’t matter if you are a commercial lawn care professional with a large fleet or a homeowner with a small yard, Bossier Power Equipment has the equipment to suit your needs. They have a first-class Service department and can handle anything from minor tune-ups and maintenance to major overhauls. I know who to call when I can’t get my mower started.

Bossier Power Equipment is located at 2101 Benton Road, Bossier City, LA 71111, phone number (318) 747-6611. They also have a second location at 862 Havens Road, Shreveport, LA 71107. Stop by one of their locations and tell them you read my blog.

See ya around Bossier,

Robin Williams,
Bossier Chamber of Commerce Diplomat &
Marketing Maven at Holiday Lanes

Bizzuka + Bossier = Success!

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Bizzuka! I’ll say it again, Bizzuka! I just like that name. It has a fun ring to it.

Bizzuka

Bizzuka

Bizzuka is a new web solutions and internet marketing business in the Shreveport-Bossier area. I attended the ribbon cutting at the Bossier Chamber of Commerce office on Wednesday and was quite interested to hear about this company. Being that I dabble in web design, I’m always looking for people that I can connect with to utilize as a resource.

Bizzuka Ribbon Cutting

Bizzuka Ribbon Cutting

Lisa Slifkin and Tim Harms head up the Shreveport team of Bizzuka. The company is based in Lafayette, Louisiana and is one of the premier web development, content management, and internet marketing firms in the U.S. If you don’t believe me, just listen to this: Bizzuka was named to Inc. 5000’s annual list of fastest growing privately owned U.S. companies, ranking with the top ten in Louisiana and number 1513 nationwide.

Casey Cagle, VP of Bus Dev

VP of Bus Dev

Casey Cagle, VP of Business Development, was on hand and told us that the company has been in business for 11 years and is constantly striving to remain on the cusp of technology. They have developed a CMS software called OnDecc that makes your site flexible and extensible like no other. Bizzuka has a staff of 40 people, which not only includes programmers, but graphic designers as well. I know how important it is to have both. As a graphic designer myself, the look of a website is just as important as how it works.

Bizzuka Ribbon Cutting

Bizzuka Ribbon Cutting

Bizzuka has also been in the business of systems development for mobile applications for 10 years, with an extensive library of over 150 apps that they provide as resources for their clients. Casey told me about one of the apps that they developed that allows people in the Lafayette area to check traffic patterns in their area. He also mentioned that they have many practical apps that are ready for their clients to utilize. Bizzuka’s Component Web Solutions are specifically designed to give you access to functionality you need when you need it. Add internet marketing to the mix and get ready to drive conversions & revenue to your bottom line.

Bizzuka is currently offering a free evaluation. Give Lisa a call today at 318-532-4600, ext 151 and tell her that you read my blog.

See ya around Bossier,

Robin Williams,
Bossier Chamber of Commerce Diplomat &
Marketing Maven at Holiday Lanes

Two-fer Tuesday

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Tuesday was a Two-fer when it came to Ribbon Cuttings. I like days where I get to network with lots of people, especially when they are excited about showing their new business. Tuesday was one of those days.

Perfect Touch Day Spa & Salon

The Perfect Touch Day Spa & Salon

The Perfect Touch Day Spa & Salon

Being a volunteer diplomat for the Bossier Chamber of Commerce has been such a wonderful experience. I love finding out all about new businesses in the community. When I drove up, my immediate thought about Perfect Touch Day Spa and Salon was “well this place isn’t new, it’s been around here for years”. I quickly found out that while the business has been around for quite a while under a different name, it is now proudly under new ownership by Charla McCullough. Charla welcomed each of the guests into her new business with a big smile and was ready to show us around.

It’s hard to find anything wrong when visiting a Day Spa and Salon. If I had my choice, I’d spend many hours a week in a day spa. Wouldn’t that be the life?

Perfect Touch Day Spa & Salon

Perfect Touch Day Spa & Salon

The Perfect Touch Day Spa & Salon has all of the services that you would expect to find in a day spa and salon. Those services that help renew and refresh yourself. Charla’s staff pride themselves in going the extra mile to give you that one on one time you need to relax and enjoy yourself. Of course my favorite part of any spa/salon are the massage packages. Perfect Touch provides Swedish, Deep-Tissue, Hot Stone, Hand and Foot massages, as well as Therapeutic Body Wraps. Also on the menu, you will find services which cater to women, men and children, some of which include facials, microdermabrasion, manicures, pedicures, waxing, make-up application, anti-cellulite services and a full service hair salon. They offer packages for occasions such as prom, weddings and after hours business gatherings. I was interested in knowing that they even will host birthday parties. How fun is that?

It was a joy to listen to Charla talk about her new business. She has a keen ability to teach her employees to find their passion and do what they love to do. She shared that she had been an employee at the prior business and it had always been her dream to own a day spa. I think she has achieved her dream. Wonderful and Congratulations Charla!

The Perfect Touch Day Spa and Salon is located at 2369 Airline Drive, Suite 400 in Bossier City. Tell them that you read my blog when you stop by.

On to the second ribbon cutting of the day:

Nawlins SnoBalls

Nawlins SnoBalls Ribbon Cutting

Nawlins SnoBalls Ribbon Cutting

When I was a kid I had two loves, playing with paper dolls and SNOW CONES!! I grew up in South Louisiana where it’s hotter and more humid than the northern Louisiana climate. The only thing that could make a hot day bearable was a snow cone. When I moved to North Louisiana, I found something missing. The snow cone stand on every corner. Where were they?? Ben Berela and his wife, Donnie, obviously asked the same question when they got here, but they did something about it.

Nawlins SnoBalls

Nawlins SnoBalls

Nawlins SnoBalls is a great traditional South Louisiana treat. Ben’s wife is a New Orleans native and she missed those wonderful New Orleans snowballs of her childhood. Ben says when the economy dictated that some of his hours would be cut from his job, they decided to focus their attention on becoming small business owners. We are all lucky that they did.

It’s refreshing to see the tenacity of this family. I think they will be around for a long time. I could hear in his voice that they put their heart and soul into their business. He makes a point to remember his customers. In fact, he said he usually will remember your favorite after a few visits. Hey Ben, my favorite is Cotton Candy!! Although, I hear that the Strawberry Cheesecake is pretty darn good.

Nawlins SnoBalls

Lynda & Debbie like the Strawberry Cheesecake

Ben supports the Bossier City community and offers all government and military employees SnoBalls for $1 while they are on duty. He says it’s his way of giving back.

Nawlins SnoBalls is located at 2225 Airline Drive, in the back parking lot of Central Baptist Church (between Captain D’s and the church). Congratulations and good luck in the future. Stop by and tell them that you read my blog.

See ya around Bossier,

Robin Williams,
Bossier Chamber of Commerce Diplomat &
Marketing Maven at Holiday Lanes

I wanna Pizza Pie!

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PieWorks Pizza by Design Ribbon Cutting

PieWorks Pizza by Design Ribbon Cutting

Oh Boy . . . another ribbon cutting with food. Not that I mind, but my waistline is expanding by the minute. Today’s ribbon cutting was held at PieWorks Pizza by Design. Many of you may remember the previous PieWorks. I was sad to see it close, but am now so excited to hear that PieWork is back in Bossier.

Let me tell you a few things I learned today about PieWorks. The first and most important thing that I did not know is that PieWorks delivers! Yes, that is a welcomed service and I will be using that for sure. Next, Philip Williamson, operator of PieWorks said “PieWorks is NOT a pizza joint . . . it’s a pizza restaurant” and he was right. I was overwhelmed by the menu choices. Not only do they have pizza pies, but they have salads, sandwiches, pastas, bisque, and desserts. I’m not going to even go into the dessert. Oh my, they were tempting, but I behaved. On a side note, they also cater, so keep them in mind for your next event.

PieWorks Pizza by Design

PieWorks Pizza by Design 3 Cheese and 2mato pizza

I have this little problem. When there are lots of choices, my brain goes into melt-down and I end up picking what appears to be the most simple menu item. I already knew that I loved the PieWorks Seafood Pizza, but I wanted a smaller portion. I ordered the lunch special. $6.99 got me a 7″ Three Cheese and 2mato pizza and a side salad. Simple it was not! The flavors were bursting in my mouth. Perfect lunchtime choice.

The atmosphere at PieWorks is what I’d call upscale casual with a very warm and cozy feel. Lots of nice detail touches. A small detail that the guests at my table noticed was that every table has a bottle of hand sanitizer. Kind of a neat touch for those germ-o-phobes.

PieWorks Pizza by Design Bar Area

PieWorks Pizza by Design Bar Area

The last thing I’ll share is that PieWorks has a great bar area. There is a divider wall that separates it from the dining area. It’s a great place to stop by, have an adult beverage and watch the game. (I had to borrow the picture from their Facebook page because mine came out blurry)

Congratulations to the crew at PieWorks Pizza by Design and welcome back to Bossier City. PieWorks is located at 5000 Benton Road, Suite 10 in the River Rouge Shopping Center.

Go eat and tell them you read my blog.

See ya around Bossier,

Robin Williams,
Bossier Chamber of Commerce Diplomat &
Marketing Maven at Holiday Lanes

So cool!

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Kona Ice Ribbon Cutting

Kona Ice Ribbon Cutting

Imagine if you will a very colorful, one-of-a-kind, penguin adorned, tropical shaved ice truck arriving at your big event playing the tropical sounds of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. Then, think about the happy faces of kids when they are handed a cup of Fresh Shaved Snow. And, the best part of it all . . . they get to put on their favorite tropical flavors using the Flavor Wave spigot right on the side of the truck. How fun is that? Kona Ice is now doing business in the Shreveport-Bossier area and they are giving the traditional ice cream truck a run for their money.

Since Kona Ice is a roaming business, they held their ribbon cutting today at the Bossier Chamber of Commerce office. We all got to sample the wonderful flavors of Kona Ice and we each received a flower lei to give us that tropical island feel.

Kona Ice Ribbon Cutting

You can make your own, right on the side of the truck!

I tried my personal favorite, Cotton Candy. I heard others who tried a variety of flavors, including: coffee, wedding cake, grape, and the ever popular rainbow. Clint Lyons, owner & operator of Kona Ice stated that starting in April they would add a new 100% fruit juice line to their products.

Kona Ice is great for any type of event. From company picnics to birthday parties; VBS to school fundraisers. Check them out for your next event. You may contact Kona Ice by calling (318) 655-KONA (5662)

Kona Ice Shreveport-Bossier

Kona Ice Shreveport-Bossier

Tell them you read my blog.

See ya around Bossier,

Robin Williams,
Bossier Chamber of Commerce Diplomat &
Marketing Maven at Holiday Lanes