Downtown Lucedale has two new storefronts — an ice cream and smoothie shop and a photography studio — both run by owners with established track records in the business.
Grub Junkie opened at 5185 Main St., a revival of owner Ariel Rainey’s original concept. She launched the brand in 2018 as a food truck in nearby Agricola, quickly drawing crowds for rolled ice cream and Cajun food before pausing the venture while expecting her daughter. “It just exploded in a short amount of time. People loved it, they came from all over the coast. We would have an hour wait with so many customers,” Rainey said.
The brick-and-mortar menu centers on milkshakes built from the food truck’s most popular item, plus macarons and smoothies made with real fruit, natural agave syrup and milk from Havens Creamery. “We want to support local and give a really healthy, all-natural option that wasn’t really available anywhere here before,” she said. The shop is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed Wednesdays) and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, with plans to expand hours for special events like Second Saturday.
A few doors down at 5169C Main St., Keepsake Photography celebrated a ribbon cutting for its new studio — the latest expansion for Sonja Shamblin’s seven-year-old business. Shamblin taught herself photography shooting her newborn son and has since built a niche spanning senior photos, sports, families, weddings and professional headshots.
Her work has won international competitions and been featured in modeling and senior portrait magazines. Upcoming projects include Santa Paws, offering discounted pet photos with Santa in exchange for food donations to the city animal shelter. “That’s the main thing is being in the community and having a positive influence,” Shamblin said. The studio is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays.