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Doniphan County Chamber of Commerce celebrates six new businesses and expansions in Wathena

WATHENA – The growing entrepreneurial spirit is showing up in Wathena with a wave of new businesses. The Doniphan County Chamber of Commerce was pleased to celebrate five new businesses and one expansion on Friday, March 18, 2022. You can barely walk the downtown district on St. Joseph Street in Wathena without spotting multiple of the new businesses mentioned below. The Chamber hope this display of entrepreneurism will spark inspiration for other wanting to start their own businesses in whichever town the live in Doniphan County. If you have questions or need guidance on how to get started, please reach out.

Kristin Sprague is the new owner and operator of Star 36 Diner, located at 2118 W Highway 36. The new manager and friendly staff keep the diner open on Monday-Saturday from 6am-9pm and on Sunday from 6am-8pm. Sprague said their popular dishes are the hot beef sandwich and fried tenderloin sandwich, but the menu also features an all-day offering of breakfast, lunch and dinner options. You can find more information on their Facebook page or call for to-go order at 785-990-7827.

Doniphan Nutrition located at 2212 Highway 36 is owned and operated by Rachel Baxter. Their mission is to bring good nutrition to Doniphan County. They offer drinks including Herbalife shakes and teas with their most popular being the Blue Gusher tea and the Birthday Cake shake. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday 6am-4pm and Saturday from 8am-2pm. Stop in or find them on Facebook and Instagram for more flavorful offerings.

New downtown is Sew Believable, owned by Ed and Stephanie Harbeston. Located at 323 St. Joseph Street, Stephanie manages and runs the sewing shop daily from 9am-5pm, but will open earlier or close later due to customers’ needs. Stop in or call the shop at 816-752-3765 for your sewing needs. As a female veteran owned business, Stephanie says this is her dream job. She specializes in finishing customers already made quilt tops with her longarm machine and minor alterations. You can also find the business on Facebook.

Another new walk-in business downtown is Dreamy Designs, owned and operated by Annie Jensen. The shop is open from 7:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday and located at 311 St. Joseph Street. She specializes in screen printing, embroidery, vinyl, transfers and custom shirts with a wide offering of shirts, hats, sweatshirts, personalized baby items and more. Stop in or call 785-850-0024 to consult with Annie about your customized screen printing or embroidery needs. Dreamy Designs is also on Facebook.

Alexis Studer has opened a storefront studio for her business, Lexi Studer Photography at 322 St. Joseph Street next to Back to Health downtown. She is known for her warm and authentic family and children photo sessions and is excited to offer studio shoots especially for newborns with hopes to expand her studio shoot offerings. She is booked by appointment only through her website www.lexistuderphotography.com or email lexistuderphotography@gmail.com. There’s still time to schedule senior, prom, or springs sessions. View more of her work on her business’s Facebook page.

Jill Hontz of home and company is happy to have expanded her shop to her new space across the street at 321 St. Joseph Street. The extra room allows for her to have more seasonal and personalized home décor and to offer ‘make and take’ classes monthly. These classes can be seasonally themed or more personalized creations. If there is a demand, she will host more than one class a month and can even schedule private sessions for events like birthday parties, girls’ night, bridal showers, team building, office appreciation parties and more! Although her business hours vary due to her real estate business, she does post on the business’s Facebook and Instagram page daily of the hours and it’s typically 9:30am-2:30pm Monday-Friday. If you want to schedule a private class or session, please contact her at 816-244-9374.

L to R: Kinsey Boller of Rainbow Communications, Jessica Studer of State Farm, Joyce Simpson, Kristen Sprague, owner of Star 36 Diner, Teresa McAnerney, Theresa Rohrer and Marty Allen.
Marty Allen, president and Theresa Rohrer vice president congratulate owner Rachel Baxter on opening Doniphan Nutrition.
L to R: Kinsey Boller, Rainbow Communications, Teresa McAnerney, Helen Frye, Misty Long, Stephanie Harbeston, owner, Jessica Studer, Joyce Simpson, Marty Allen, Theresa Rohrer.
Local citizen Helen Frye, left, shows off her quilt top of sunflowers with a blue background to pay homage to Kansas and the country of Ukraine. Stephanie Harbeston, owner of Sew Believable, is finishing the quilt top by combining the top and the bottom layers of the quilt with a longarm machine. If seen up closely, the longarm machine is sewing a bee and swirl pattern on top to combine the quilt layers to finish it.
Annie Jensen holds certificate presented to Dreamy Designs by vice president Theresa Rohrer (left) and Marty Allen, president (right).
L to R: Kinsey Boller, Rainbow Communications, Jessica Studer, Kari Studer, Alexis Studer, Marty Allen, Teresa McAnerney, Joyce Simpson, Theresa Rohrer.
L to R: Kinsey Boller, Rainbow Communications, Theresa Rohrer, Teresa McAnerney, Jill Hontz owner, Joyce Simpson, Marty Allen.