Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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FEBRUARY 21-27, 2018 UCW 21 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Hope Mills News & Views Kenny Howell was literally almost everywhere in the early years of 2000 promoting his homemade Uncle Zip's Beef Jerky. You could see him at high school and profes- sional sporting events in his trademark white apron and chef 's hat selling the original flavor of his jerky. His business peaked when he made an appear- ance on the hit TV show "Shark Tank" in 2011. He didn't get the big cash prize while on the show, but he did get a so-called "Oprah bounce" from the national exposure that was both a blessing and a curse as the orders that emanated from a national show were sometimes too much for a small busi- ness to handle. en came tragedy when Howell fell ill and passed way in 2014. e business floundered for a time until childhood friend Jeff Harris stepped in to right the ship. Now, from its location on Trade Street in Hope Mills, Uncle Zip's is back in business, with the origi- nal flavor of jerky and more for sale, and a slightly different direction for the business than the one Howell had established. When Howell passed away, Harris tried to keep the business going with co-packing, getting some- one else to produce the product and selling it. at proved ineffective, so Harris decided to re- turn to the roots Howell had established, making the jerky himself. "We make it all right here in small batches,'' Har- ris said. "Kenny always said homestyle, like if you make a small batch at home. It's going to taste just like that.'' Harris doesn't promote Uncle Zip's with the flair that Howell did, but he returned to Howell's original flavor of jerky, which is flavored with soy and, in Harris' words, is still awesome. He's expanded the line of flavors considerably. Selling almost as well as the original jerky is a teriya- ki flavor that's marinated in pineapple, Harris said. He's also added hot chili lime, mesquite smoke, sriracha and habanero. His daughter, Jenna Harris, has an interest in cu- linary work. Harris found some recipes Howell had hidden away, and Jenna tweaked one of them to be a spicy version. Harris said he can't keep it in stock. If making a decision on which flavor to buy is a problem, Harris said that's no worry. ere's a tasting table located in the company's Trade Street headquarters. "You can get a cup and taste the flavor before you buy,'' Harris said. "It's made daily.'' Uncle Zip's is currently open seven days a week, normally from noon until 7 p.m. weekdays and from noon to 5 p.m. on weekends. You can walk in and buy the product, or visit the business website at www.unclezipsbeefjerky.com. Harris takes orders for the product over the inter- net. Depending on his personal schedule, he may actually bring your order directly to you. You can also find it available for sale in a variety of local businesses, from small food markets to bars and bowling lanes. To find out more about Uncle Zip's and what it has to offer, visit the Facebook page by searching the business title in the Facebook search bar. Meetings • Feb. 22 – Hope Mills Board of Commissioners Special Meeting at noon at the Town Hall Board Room. e board will conduct a workshop session with Cumberland County Planning & Inspections. Lunch will be provided. • Feb. 22 – Veterans Committee at 7 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center • Feb. 26 – Parks and Recreation Committee at 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center • Feb. 26 – Appearance Committee at 7 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center Activities at Hope Mills Parks and Recreation: 5770 Rockfish Rd. • Hope Mills Youth baseball and indoor soccer registration is open through Feb. 28 and ends at 4:30 p.m. daily. Baseball ages 5-14, instructional soccer ages 5-8, indoor soccer ages 7-12. Eligibility cut-off date for baseball and indoor soc- cer is May 1. Proof of address and birth certificate are required to register. Call 910-426-4105 for more information. Email us at hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com. EVENTS Friend keeps Uncle Zip's Beef Jerky in business by EARL VAUGHAN JR. SMALL-BUSINESS PROFILE The Trade Street headquarters offers a tasting table where customers can try all the flavors before deciding what to buy.