Oxford eateries hope to profit from Double Decker

By Jennifer Wilson

Oxford will celebrate its 17^th annual Double Decker Arts Festival this year featuring several concerts, artwork for sale, a children’s fair and a variety of food vendors.

Several local restaurant owners and employees are looking forward to sharing their food and making a profit by being a part of Double Decker’s “Taste of Oxford.”

Some of the eateries that are participating in this year’s festival include: Abner’s Famour Tenders, Honeybee Bakery, Tacky Shack, Rooster’s Blues House, Square Pizza, Two Stick, Chick-Fil-A, and The Rib Cage.

Clint Boutwell, owner of Tacky Shack and Char Grille Seafood & Steaks, decided to be a part of Double Decker for one reason.

“The money. That’s all,” Boutwell said.

 “Just kidding, I also want to get exposure for my businesses. Especially Char Grille, it has only been open about a month, and we are not on the Square like some of the other places participating, so we really want to get out there.”

This will be Boutwell’s first year to be a part of Double Decker. He said that he is not positive that a profit will be made, but is hoping for the best.

Tracy McCraken, bartender at The Rib Cage, also agreed that money is the main reason why most restaurants, including The Rib Cage, participate in the festival. She said she is confident that the restaurant she works for will see a great profit.

“The biggest reason for our participation is probably money,” McCracken said. “We have participated in the past and it is always a good money-maker.”

Although money is the first thing McCraken pointed out, she also said that The Rib Cage gets involved in the festival because this is “the coolest part of the year in Oxford.”

Similarly, Annie Williams, marketing director for Chick-Fil-A, expressed that they are not just participating to make a profit, but “to be as involved as possible in the community.”

“We weren’t able to do it last year, so we are really excited to get involved,” Williams said. “Of course we hope to make money, that is always a positive, but it is not the main reason. The main reason is to give back to the community.”