Professional Services

How Consistent Visibility Builds Local Trust

Most customers form an opinion about a business long before they schedule an appointment, visit a showroom or request a proposal.They notice which companies consistently show up in the community. They remember businesses connected to people, places and stories they recognize. Over time, that familiarity can become trust.For Springfield businesses, effective local marketing is not simply about reaching the largest possible audience. It is about reaching the right people in an environment that...

Food + Beverage

A Place to Belong

Judith and Chuy García built Show Me Chuy around food, family and the community that welcomed them Article by Ashley Grant | Photography by Hanna Sher Long before Show Me Chuy welcomed its first guest, Judith and Chuy García were already making room for others. The restaurant would eventually give that instinct for hospitality a larger table. “The owner’s little brother was cooking,” Judith García recalls with a smile. “The moment I glanced into the kitchen, I fell in love.” Judith had...

Food + Beverage

David Leong’s Springfield Cashew Chicken

How Ling and Wing Leong continue the work their father began Article by Springfield City Lifestyle At Leong’s Asian Diner, a wine press does a job it was never designed to do. Each week, cabbage for the restaurant’s egg rolls is shredded, blanched and packed into the press to remove the water. The cabbage is then chopped and mixed with shrimp, pork, vegetables, seasonings and peanut butter, the binder David Leong used in his original recipe. The process takes two days. After that...

Life + Culture

Missouri’s Black Walnut Country

Discover how Hammons Black Walnuts connects Missouri’s native nut harvest to tables across America Article by Springfield City Lifestyle | Photography by Eric Kiel WILD BY NATURE Vermont has maple syrup. Northern Michigan has cherries. Kentucky has bourbon. The Ozarks have black walnuts. Each fall, American black walnuts fall in backyards, pastures and along fence rows throughout southwest Missouri. Unlike the mild English walnuts grown in commercial orchards, the American black walnut is...

Home Services

Warm floor, smart choices

Considering a radiant floor heating system for your home or renovation project? Here are some essential tips to ensure a smooth installation and maximum efficiency:1. Plan your layout carefully: Map out where the heating mats or cables will go to ensure even heat distribution and avoid furniture spots where heat won't be effective.2. Choose the right flooring: Materials like tile, stone, and concrete work exceptionally well with radiant floor heating due to their heat conduction properties.3...

Beauty

Beyond the Crown

Article by Ashley Grant | Photography by Provided When Shae Smith heard her name called as Miss Missouri, the moment felt surreal. A year earlier, she had stood on the same stage as first runner-up. That year, she was one of the youngest competitors in the field. She stood wondering if life experience was the one thing that held her back from the title. She returned determined to overcome that mental hurdle. And overcome she did. But even after the crown was placed on her head, the reality...

Home + Design

Craftsmanship Set in Stone

Silver Tile & Stone brings precision, practical beauty and skilled installation to bathrooms across southwest Missouri Article by Ashley Grant | Photography by Leigh Love Precision in Every Detail Silver Tile & Stone owner Nicolae Andritchi brings two decades of installation experience and a craftsman’s attention to Springfield-area homes. Tile has long done more than cover a surface. Across centuries, it has carried pattern, color, and craftsmanship into bathhouses, villas, cathedrals and...

Style + Beauty

Springfield Hits the Cinema

A conversation with makeup artist Caroline Murray about her work on Dust to Malibu, a film shot in Springfield Article by Ashley Grant | Photography by Provided When director Stephen Ward chose Springfield as the backdrop for his latest movie, Dust to Malibu, it didn’t just capture a location, it captured a community. For makeup head Caroline Murray, that meant translating the Ozarks’ natural beauty and the originality of its residents onto the big screen. Q: How did you get your start in...

Style + Beauty

Architects of Style

How six Springfield creatives are building the art of living well Article by Patti Zielinski | Photography by Hanna Sher Style is not limited to what we wear. It shapes the spaces we inhabit, the places we explore, the objects we preserve and even the way we see ourselves. Across the Springfield area, creative professionals are using observation, experience and careful listening to help people live with greater beauty, confidence and intention. To Kristal Hicks, owner and travel designer at...

Entertainment

Silver Ball Revival

Retro games, modern competition, and community connection thrive in small-town Missouri Article and Photography by Ashley Grant On a busy side street, located just off of the main road through Willard, Missouri, lights and chimes spill from the Pinball Social Club, hinting at something nostalgic. For owner Matt Darst, the venue is more than a hobby, it is an intentional effort to build community around simple, old-school fun. Matt’s professional life might not immediately suggest an...