Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 4 December 2003 — Page 20

Page 20 • The Muncie Times • December 4, 2003 The Cobbins use own funds to start Genesis Hair

Artie and Georgette Cobbins

Genesis Hair Fashion at 914 W. Jackson St. opens from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon thru Sat to those members of the public interested in sporting that new hairstyle or just yearning for a change in how they look. It is the brainchild of Artie Cobbins and his wife of 11 years, Gorgette. “Me and my wife were talking one day about what we can do to make a difference in the community

and she suggested we open up a hair shop,” said Cobbins. The couple then dug up on their savings and in 2000 started the business from their home at 418 W. Powell St. “We moved to the location on Jackson St. after about four months,” Cobbins said. Initially the shop also featured a clothing line but the couple stopped selling clothes in 2002. “Everybody was selling the same clothes and

there was no value in it anymore,” he said. Cobbins, a certified nursing assistant, worked for nine years Brookside Haven, a job that he still kept when he first got into business. At present the couple manages the business full time “We do everything out of our pockets. No-one would give us finance. We’re still looking forward to getting some funding so that we can extend our

business and hire our business and hire more people,” he said. Cobbins had this advice for anyone looking at starting a business; “On the spiritual side, be led by the Spirit of God. Keep in mind that sometimes you might not make any money in a business and that you can put $500 and only get $100 out of it. Be disciplined and appreciate that,” he said.

Cue and Que Restaurant

Cue and Que Restaurant at 334 E. Wysor St. first started out as a billiards parlor with a little barbecue on the side in 2000. The brainchild of Cliff Penny, the billiards parlor soon drew more people to the small kitchen than to the many pool tables in the building. This prompted Penny to remove some of the pool tables, add more dining tables and extend the kitchen to cater for more diners. Instead of a smoke-filled pool room the place has taken on a dining room atmosphere with a capacity to seat 60 people. “We have transformed from a billiards parlor that happened to sell food to a food establishment that happens to have pool tables,” said Penny. Customers at the restaurant can taste of the catfish, whiting and perch dishes on the menu as well as rib tips, pork chops and chicken to name a few. Side orders include fries, fried okra, vegetables and mashed potatoes. Patrons can also expect to find about three varieties of fresh baked cake for dessert. On Fridays, patrons get the chance to

appear in the live TV show “Around Muncie Today” which is taped at the restaurant from around 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Before venturing into business on his own, Penny worked in the retail industry. He was a store manager for the Hills Department Store for 10 years, with 130 employees under him and an 80,000 sq. ft. store with an annual turnover of $10.5 million. He also worked for the WalMart chain and for Big Lots, where he was a district manager in charge of nine stores with an annual turnover of $25 million. He came to Muncie in 1989 with his wife, Christine and three sons Clifford, Eugene and Joseph. “To go into business you need to have as much knowledge and experience in the business as possible so you have some expectation of what problems you might have. Have some idea of seasonality, inventory control and what your payroll is going to be. Be prepared for the future,” he advised on starting a business.

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