OMEGA — A local business owner is looking to mix things up with their new physical location in Omega.

Jan Schroeder proudly opened the doors of her new brick and mortar store Chef Jannybug’s Pantry and Gifts the morning of Sept. 14, bringing a selection of mixes for preparing dip, cookies, pickles and more, plus an assortment of snacks and other goodies, to the City of Omega.

Schroeder has been selling her dry mixes since 2020, but mainly did so online and at festivals. With the new location, she’s excited to build up her brand in Omega and the surrounding community, and hopes to potentially create a job or two in town.

With her grand opening falling on the same day as the city’s annual Pepper Festival, Schroeder celebrated her new store by not only hosting a ribbon cutting, but joining the festivities with a booth advertising her business’s products just outside the storefront.

Festival attendees coming away from the morning Pepper Parade, which ran right past the new shop, were encouraged to sample what Chef Jannybug had to offer and step inside the store to look around.

Looking to the future, Schroeder hopes to be able to expand the services her shop can provide, such as creating a cafe space and selling sandwiches or other foods or branching out into catering.

She has also begun looking into partnering with consultants in other parts of the state or neighboring states to expand the business’s brand and promote her products at local festivals in those areas, as she expects with the new store, it will be more difficult for her to attend those events as frequently.

Chef Jannybug’s is located at 5489 Alabama Avenue, and is currently operating from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with hours to be updated as needed on the business’s Facebook page. For more information, contact (229) 529-4339.