Anyone who dares to enter the Facebook comments section of our articles on businesses coming to Brookhaven is probably familiar with the classic lines. “Brookhaven needs a steakhouse,” or “We have too many chicken places,” or “Why do we need another coffee shop,” and importantly “We need another grocery store.” 

At The Daily Leader office, we have a business proposal for Brookhaven’s needs based off of reader feedback. A new dollar store, a new car lot, a salon, coffee, chicken, boutiques, Mexican restaurants, fine sit down restaurants, a bookstore, a 5 million dollar pedestrian bridge in downtown Brookhaven, a nutrition shack and something for the children to do, all at a place called “Hole in the Head.” I believe it would be best suited to rise out of the ashes of the old Stahl-Urban building. 

In all seriousness, Brookhaven has a new steakhouse called Chief’s Grill. It is technically out in the county on Zetus Road but it is a short drive away. We have too many chicken places likely because the demand is somehow still there for a quick, easy and affordable meal. A new grocery store that could offer better customer service and a cleaner or better-stocked store than Walmart and hours longer than Sullivans would be nice. 

I would think there is a math formula out there to explain the relationship between the number of loaded tea shops or nutrition shacks, boutiques and coffee shops. Mississippi State University might be developing a formula for other small towns to determine their carrying capacity of coffee shops and boutiques. 

My guess is frugal coffee drinkers like myself, who aren’t willing to pay more than 5 cents for a cup of coffee, based off the price of a tub of Folger’s coffee grounds, are not the driving force behind Starbucks, PJ’s, Vintage Style and Wild Fox Coffee sharing the coffee market in Brookhaven. Boutiques are not geared towards people who hate shopping or spending money in general either. 

One gentleman made a fair point on a post about a recent business story. Brookhaven needs a homeless shelter, or at least another way to help the transient and homeless population which moves through Brookhaven. 

Depending on who you ask, Brookhaven has or does not have a homeless population. Although the likely correct term would be transient population as people move through Brookhaven trying to reach other places. We featured a transient in The Dart once. A man far from home in Georgia. Readers stepped up and offered help for the man. 

Church ministries like Brookhaven Outreach, Bethel AME Food Pantry,  Mt. Zion Baptist Church Food Pantry and Greater Hope Foundation all work to provide for people who face food insecurity and need help for some reason or another. They can only do so much though. 

Lincoln County might ask itself if it is doing enough to help the people here who need help, and what can be done to continue to love and serve our neighbors.