Businesses coming to Muncie
Dick’s Sporting Goods
• To be part of a multi-million dollar development in the Village
• Will be the third sporting goods store in the area
Culver’s
• Will have a ground-breaking ceremony Friday
• Located on the corner of Wheeling Avenue and McGalliard Road
Panda Express
• Expected to open in January
• Will be located near Walmart off McGalliard Road
• Culver’s will host a ground-breaking ceremony Friday on the corner of Wheeling Avenue and McGalliard.
• Dick’s Sporting Goods will be part of the multi-million dollar development being built in the 600 block of E McGalliard Road.
• Chick-fil-A has seen success after opening in August.
Dick’s Sporting Goods, Panda Express and Culver’s are a few big names that will be coming to Muncie.
Todd Donati, president of Delaware County Commissioners, said these businesses bring healthy competition to the city.
“I’ve always said competition is a healthy situation because it forces people that are in the business to do better and to provide more,” he said. “And if they are not willing to step up to the plate and be a better performer, then they are going to fall.”
A few weeks ago, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced it will join a multi-million dollar development in the 600 block of E McGalliard Road as the third sporting goods store in the area. The development also will bring four or five stores to the Muncie area.
Culver’s is planning on a ground-breaking ceremony Friday on the corner of Wheeling Avenue and McGalliard Road. Panda Express is expected to open in January, near Walmart off McGalliard Road.
Donati said he hopes that the Dick’s development will retrieve and draw in new business to the community.
Chick-fil-A opened on McGalliard Road in late August.
“Thankfully, Muncie was incredibly gracious and welcome to us — it has gone very well,” owner Craig Sample said. “There wasn’t any sort of buildup, it was just boom and off and running. We have had lots of regulars, which is very cool.”
Sample said he has seen a consistent flow of customers and a set of regulars since then.
Donati said he has seen a similarly grateful response since the announcement of Dick’s in a new development coming to Muncie.
“The number of people I’ve talked to are just grateful that there is a Dick’s Sporting Goods coming to town because they immediately said, ‘I have to drive 40 miles north or south to go to a Dick’s Sporting Goods,” he said. “That money leaves our community.
“I’ve talked to 30 or 40 people and they’ve said to me, ‘Hey, I’m really glad you’re bringing Dick’s here. We’ve a long time for that.’”
Sample said despite being a corporation, almost all Chick-fil-A businesses are independently owned, including the one here in Muncie, keeping revenue in the county.
The new franchise owner of Culver’s, Rayme Swan, said his business won’t bring in employees at new stores, but rather hire locally as to not harm local business.
“I think that there is good population here in Muncie that allows for a diversity in business,” Swan said.
Although three newest businesses are fast food, Donati said he doesn’t think economic status plays into the popularity of fast food in Muncie.
“I think people go for convenience, it’s a timing factor,” he said. “If they [have] 20 minutes to get something to eat, they’re going to go to a fast food restaurant. If they’ve got an hour and some time, they are going to go to some place and sit down and be catered to by somebody who is going to bring the food to them and sit around and talk.”
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