New Main St. store opens for business.

New Clothing Option Opens in Town

Can we ever have enough clothing stores in town? I don’t think so. With the departures in recent years of Goody’s and JCPenney, Warren County’s choices when it came to where to buy clothes took a big blow. The revitalization of Main Street has led to a plethora of new options coming downtown and, recently, another welcome addition has opened.

Leah Edwards opened Chantilly Boutique and Gifts on June 1 at 121 W. Main St. in an effort to help further fill the fashion void. “I started Chantilly to bring Warren County designer fashions at affordable prices. We have something for everybody here. We carry Umgee, Kancan and Judy Blue in addition to other designers,” Leah said.

A Local and Affordable Boutique

In addition to clothing, Chantilly carries gift items. A product of Warren County, Leah strives to support other local businesses as much as possible. “We have some local stuff coming in with our gift line. If we can buy local, we will. We’re local supporting local. If you make something local, reach out to me. It may be something we would be interested in carrying,” Leah said.

“We have Born Concepts purses and Montana West. Our gift line includes candles, drawer liners, jewelry and a wide assortment of accessories. We have all kinds of stuff still coming in. We’re always evolving. Every time you come in here, you’ll find something new,” Leah said.

Leah hopes this ever-evolving philosophy will preserve a sense of individuality for her customers. “Once we order a run of something, we do not re-order that run. So you won’t see yourself coming and going,” Leah said.

Chantilly also prides itself on its affordability. “We have fantastic prices on all of our clothes. I always say, ‘you can afford to shop at a boutique,'” Leah said.

Inclusive Sizes and Personalized Service

Leah wants shoppers of all sizes to feel comfortable in Chantilly. “We carry sizes from small to 3X. We are a no-judgment zone. When you come in here, everybody is beautiful, no matter what your size is. You’re going to be made to feel that way,” Leah said.

Chantilly is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. While those are the regular house, Leah wants to be a part of the life of Main Street and will adjust her hours accordingly for some events.

“We will be here for Second Saturdays until 8 p.m. and we have live music for that, provided by my daughter, Bella Maye. We also have snacks and drinks. We just signed up for Sip and Saveur and we will try to be open during events at the Park Theater so people waiting for the show can come over and shop with us,” Leah said.

Personalized Real Estate Services

Keller Williams Realty, a company known worldwide, opened its second Tennessee-based office last November, and it’s right here in McMinnville. Specifically, it is in Garden City Plaza at 226 Hobson St., Ste. 44 at the end of the hall.

“We are a worldwide franchise with offices all over the U.S. and the world. This is good for our clients because we can find different people to help them in different locations and a lot more people see the homes that we have for sale,” said real estate agent Chandi Nunley, who has been with Keller Williams since February.

Keller Williams currently has three agents in McMinnville, all locals: Chandi, Kristin Green and Ashley Lusk. Andrea Richards is the office manager and the broker is Symantha Irvin.

Opportunities for Growth and Learning

A unique thing about Keller Williams is it offers a free class for would-be realtors. Chandi took advantage of that offer, earning her license in February after less than three weeks in the course.

“I’m not sure why, when you’re a kid, they tell you to pick one thing you want to be when you grow up. I have lots of different interests and hobbies. I just thought the time was right to give it a try so, at the new year, I started taking the free course. The course carries no obligation to then work for Keller Williams. I finished up in a couple of weeks, got my license and, here we are,” Chandi said.

Keller Williams plans to begin offering classes which will provide continuing education credits for realtors needing to renew their licenses.

Keller Williams has a free app that can help prospective buyers find a new home. Chandi says now is a good time for those looking to sell their houses. “There are lots of buyers looking for homes, so if anyone is thinking of selling, it’s a good time to get one of us out there and get a market price.”

Local Touch with Global Benefits

Keller Williams’ spacious, modern office space has several rooms including a small event space which other companies or groups can use for meetings or presentations.

“The brokerage that owns us has 13 offices in Georgia, one in Alabama and two in Tennessee, counting us. The next will be in Florida and South Carolina,” Andrea said.

Despite the worldwide reach, the staff strives to provide a hometown feel. “We’re hometown girls with a global reach,” said Kristin.

The global reach is an advantage Keller Williams uses to great effect. “We are a multi-million-dollar-producing office,” Andrea said.

Office hours at Keller Williams are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday. The office can be contacted at (833) 833-1145.