After less than a year in the Village, Grandma Betty's and QL's Bar-B-Que have been voted, by students, the best locally-owned stores in Muncie.
Despite the short amount of time the two have worked near the Ball State community, they have made an immediate impact on students, beating out the likes of cardinal cupcakes & coneys and Art Mart, the second- and third-place finishers.
Both Grandma Betty's and QL's have shared the same operating space on 1710 University Ave. since October 2011, with Grandma Betty's opening in April 2011. Though one sells ice cream and the other sells barbecue-oriented foods, they have found a way to coexist successfully.
"We enjoy working with Grandma Betty's," QL's employee and granddaughter of the founder, Tamika Crumes said. "Jeanine Lake [Grandma Betty's owner] is very sweet and we work together very well. It's a great combination because you can get your food and your dessert all at the same time. It's like we've become one big family."
The shop has taken a philanthropic approach to business by becoming a not-for-profit group and working in tandem with Muncie's Feed My Sheep. Grandma Betty's giving attitude is one of the reasons Lake was not exactly taken aback by the award.
"I'm not totally surprised, I have to tell you that, because people really do like Grandma Betty's," Lake said. "Our motto is 'love in every scoop,' and unlike other ice cream stores, if someone comes in and doesn't have enough money, we want them to have whatever they need. So they're short a little bit, but they want some ice cream, so we're going to get them some ice cream."
Unlike Grandma Betty's, QL's Bar-B-Que has been a staple of the Muncie community for 42 years, functioning from its Wolfe Street location. The founder, Q.L. Stevens was a barbecue legend in the Muncie area until his death in 2010, but his family continues to serve his classic menu items such as a sausage sandwich, pulled pork barbecue sandwich and ribs.
"I'm comfortable in saying that QL's is probably the best barbecue that you can find in Indiana," junior philosophy major Ben Rogers said.
Given the feedback from the community and the Ball State student body, these two businesses are thriving as a collaborative effort.
"I like the whole establishment because you don't see as many family-owned small businesses anymore, especially ones that have a combination of great service and great, quality food," sophomore English literature major Joseph Samaniego said. "Everything about them is nice, very warm and very welcoming."
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