INDELIBLE IMPACT
Now , almost two years since the show aired , positive ripple effects of the initial impact — which rivaled that of the massive meteor strike in Wetumpka eons ago — continue . According to Shellie Whitfield , executive director of the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce , in every way , the mark left by “ Home Town Takeover ” has exceeded expectations . “ The show created powerful momentum far beyond what we could have ever imagined . Nearly every building in our downtown has been renovated , and new businesses are continuing to open ,” she said . “ For years , we have wanted people on their way to the beach to stop in Wetumpka , and now they are ! The best part is that we are seeing people come and visit , enjoy themselves , and then come back again and again .”
Jeremy Hunt , owner of Provisions Cheese and Wine Shoppe , echoed Whitfield , noting he had to bring in members of his family to help keep up with demand at his business . “ We opened in January 2021 with the goal of becoming Alabama ’ s largest cheese shop in the next few years . The show aired in May 2021 , and by July , we were almost overwhelmed by the customers ,” he said . “ We had a ton of support from the local population , which continues today ; however , the show brought a lot of people from around the country , even the world . That tourism boosted our growth much quicker than we anticipated , and we reached our goal by September 2021 .”
The boost actually began while the show was in production , due to a big uptick in visitors hoping to get a peek behind the scenes ( and a glimpse of the Napiers ), and the resulting boom for area businesses was particularly helpful during the pandemic , according to Lynn Weldon , the City of Wetumpka ’ s Economic Development and Tourism Director . “ Through the process of filming and the show airing , Wetumpka experienced a
INSIDE
PROVISIONS CHEESE AND WINE SHOPPE
LOCATION : Downtown Wetumpka
tremendous surge in tourism . People came from all over the world to visit and experience what Ben and Erin Napier have done to this small town ,” she said . She pointed to sales growth and increased revenues throughout the city ’ s business community . “ Our restaurants had tremendous wait times , sometimes not a good thing , but we welcomed it ,” she says . The rise in tourism also led to a need for more accommodations , and the city encouraged a private developer to switch its remake of a 1950s-era corner building in downtown Wetumpka from apartments to short-term rental units . It did , and The Lofts at Bridge and Hill hosted its first guests in October 2022 .
OPENED : January 2021
SELLING : More than 100 cheese varieties and more than 250 wines . You can also
“ sip and shop ,” enjoying wines by the glass and other products .
And on Thursdays through Saturdays , you can indulge in their full cheese boards made on site and also available to go .
Donna Grier , who opened her Company Street Mercantile just last year on the downtown thoroughfare that was given a facelift during “ Home Town Takeover ,” believes the effects will prove long lasting , thanks to efforts of city leadership , residents and individual business owners . “ Because we opened in 2022 , we didn ’ t experience the buzz that 2021 brought ,” Grier said . “ However , the excitement is still there , and we are bustling with visitors . ‘ Home Town ’ has quite a following , and its fans plan road trips to both Laurel [ Mississippi ] and Wetumpka
18 CentrAL Inc !