cheerful story of a local business

August 11, 2024 7:45 AM

NINA mortgage and a decade of work turn into an actual place and business. There’s an accordion. It’s in Arkansas. It also sounds like what I would like Hallmark romcom movies to be.
posted by clew (13 comments total)

It wasn’t anyone in our community though. It was someone online who had a hipster-trustworthy beard and ended up being a total turd.

I like these people.
posted by phooky at 8:09 AM on August 11, 2024 [3 favorites]

Oh clew this was a really lovely thing to read this morning. Thank you so much for posting!
posted by hilaryjade at 8:37 AM on August 11, 2024 [2 favorites]

So it wasn’t until we put the whole idea together of the radio station with the pizza restaurant and the microbrewery that we were able to fix all the problems.

Normally, doing all that is the problem. Here, though, these crazy kids best the odds.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:43 AM on August 11, 2024

> "Butts in seats make money, and live music does not."

It's too bad even the married tuba-accordion duo come to this conclusion.
posted by mathjus at 11:21 AM on August 11, 2024 [1 favorite]

This is my hometown, and I happen to be here visiting my family. And just yesterday noticed this place as I drove past. Haven't been there before, so I'll have to check it out before I leave.
posted by zardoz at 11:36 AM on August 11, 2024 [2 favorites]

“NINA mortgage” means “No income, no asset” in case anyone else confusedly thought the pizza joint had a prank name or something, LOL
posted by FallibleHuman at 12:43 PM on August 11, 2024 [1 favorite]

in case anyone else confusedly thought the pizza joint had a prank name or something, LOL

Which it does, of course: SQZBX Brewery & Pizza Joint
posted by chavenet at 12:50 PM on August 11, 2024 [1 favorite]

I want this life.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:29 PM on August 11, 2024

This is charming as all get out, clew - thank you for posting!

From the FPP: "But the radio station is still going! We’re KUHS-LP. We’re programmed by volunteers, so anyone who shows up gets to play whatever they want. We try to avoid music that gets played on other radio stations around town, but otherwise, I invite people to share their musical experiences with our audience."

Their radio station, KUHS 102.5FM, has a live stream — scroll down for the schedule. A few examples from the eclectic programming schedule.
KUHS-LP DJ application

"Cheryl played the accordion, and I played a tuba-like instrument called an E-flat helicon."
E-flat helicon, "recognized as a precursor of sorts to the more specialized sousaphone".
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:28 PM on August 11, 2024 [2 favorites]

> E-flat helicon

And today I learned that the original Sousaphone, nicknamed "rain-catcher," had a bell pointed straight up... and I'd never noticed, but it takes two 90-degree bends to point it forward, though some makers have smoothed those a bit.

Delightful story. Moved the tin ceiling from the kitchen to the dining room!
posted by ASCII Costanza head at 6:00 AM on August 12, 2024 [1 favorite]

Oh man, there used to be so many stories like this in Northwest Arkansas, before it got 75% of the way to coastal city expensive. Thankfully, for what I can tell a lot of the people who bought their buildings stupid cheap and launched their dream are still going. The problem is that when they're gone there will be nobody to replace them because shoestring dreams have become impossible. Even the now old folks who are willing to lease space for a song to anyone with a fun idea because they themselves got a good deal 30 years ago and really only care that their expenses are covered and that everybody's having fun are dying off or having to sell to finance their retirement.
posted by wierdo at 7:00 AM on August 12, 2024 [4 favorites]

That was lovely. I am especially glad that the pizza ended up selling so well; after so many years of so much hard work, it's nice to know they're doing okay now financially (I assume; sounds like it).

I would love to visit this place. They have several pizzas I would enjoy and I'm always happy to see fresh basil on the menu.

Thank you so much for posting this, clew! I'm glad I got to spend a few minutes with Cheryl and Zac; I'm glad to know about them, and about SQZBX.
posted by kristi at 7:44 PM on August 13, 2024 [1 favorite]

Ok, just went to SQZBX for dinner. Great place! The space is really nice--they did a fantastic job remodeling. Very big and spacious--even their own instagram account doesn't do the place justice. And the pizza was excellent, too. Overall a really nice vibe.
posted by zardoz at 5:28 PM on August 14, 2024 [2 favorites]