St. Charles Main Street’s first shop opened in 1769 and ever since, small businesses have been flooding the area with original ideas, creating a phenomenal atmosphere that continues to draw customers back time and time again. Occasionally, a new small business owner will open up a shop and hope to become a big hit. Well, Gary Mincy now has two hits on Main Street.

“I lived in Arizona originally and would have to travel to St. Louis all the time, and I’m not a big fan of St. Louis, but I love St. Charles,” Mincy said. “Eventually I decided that I wanted to move here instead. Main Street St. Charles, that’s the best place on Earth.”

Already the owner of Pop’n Crisp Popcorn, Mincy recently opened his newest business addition, Oh My Smoothies. Oh My Smoothies opened about three months ago and offers a new kind of store to Main Street, serving smoothies, bubble tea, coffee, frappuccinos, espressos and desserts. Although he owns the Main Street stores today, Mincy has always owned his own businesses, starting off with a car wash in Arizona.

“I started a business where I would make arrangements with the local used car dealers and wash their cars every day,” Mincy said. “I would charge them per car.”

Owning a store on Main Street can be a big plus for a small business owner. There are frequent festivals and entertainment, drawing people of all ages to the riverfront. Pop’n Crisp and Oh My Smoothies are also right next to each other, but they are not a combined store.

“When [customers] walk into Pop’n Crisp Popcorn they are looking for popcorn,” Mincy said. “They’re not looking for smoothies. You don’t want to delude the main focus of a business.”

Main Street is always busy and has seen a lot of changes in the past years. Many businesses are closing and Main Street is bringing with it new ideas and shops, such as Oh My Smoothies.

“A lot of stuff is closing there, and I think a new smoothie place will really get good business,” senior Kristen Warhover said.