by Ashley Cotton

FRANKLIN
Have you been putting off your dental visit? How about a day at the groomers for your pup? You can come to Downtown Franklin and mark those two off your check list and enjoy a fabulous meal while in town. Check out these fresh faces in Downtown Franklin:

• Golden Paws Grooming Salon, which is owned and operated by Niki Jernigan, is a full-service pet grooming facility. Services include haircuts, baths, nail trimming, cleaning and plucking of ears and checking teeth for decay or damage, among other services for pets.

Niki has been in the dog grooming business for 11 years and has been in Downtown Franklin since June 2016. She shared that it has been a very exciting year since she made the move.

You may be asking, “What makes her different than other groomers?” The answers is a pretty good one: she does pick-up and delivery of your pet.

You can find Golden Paws Grooming Salon at 103 E. Third Ave. Her hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with some flexibility. Call 517-5117 to make your appointment to get Fido cleaned from nose to tail.

• Thompson Family Dentistry has been in Downtown Franklin for 41 years, but Dr. Harper Thompson, son of Dr. Harvey Thompson, took over the family business in June of 2016. He said he is excited to continue his father’s legacy. He shared that he loves Downtown Franklin because of the people and its charm. The office serves patients of all ages in Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. Services include routine and deep cleanings, fillings, crowns, bridges, veneers, root canals, extractions, dentures, implants and orthodontics.

Dr. Thompson is a graduate of VCU School of Dentistry and completed a two-year general practice residency at the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond before working in private practices in both Williamsburg and Richmond.

The five employees of the office pride themselves on being on time for every patient and making their visit as pleasant as possible. One thing that sets them apart of their competition is having same-day emergency appointments available.

They are located at 500 N. Main St., and open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon. Please call 562-5156 if you would like to set up an appointment.

• Franklin’s Seafood and Steakhouse is the newest face in Downtown Franklin, having opened on March 8. They are a moderately priced seafood and steak restaurant offering family style service. They are the only restaurant in Franklin that offers a full line of fresh shrimp, fish, scallops, oysters, crab cakes and grilled salmon. If you’re a steak lover, don’t worry, you can order a 16-ounce or bigger T-bone and ribeye that is cooked to order. They also offer buffet-style breakfast on Saturdays.

Franklin Seafood and Steakhouse also offers catering, delivery and have a room for private events that holds around 40 people. The owner, Wydia Bailey, started working in the restaurant, catering and event coordinating business in New York at the age of 12, under the supervision of a family member.

She then spent time working at various delicatessens and restaurants in New York to gain experience that lead her to open a restaurant in Downtown Franklin where she hopes to fulfill the void of shortages of restaurants in the area.

Dine with her today at 102 N. Main St. Please call 556-7173 if you have an inquiry about catering or private parties.

Look for more new faces to come make Downtown Franklin their home!

ASHLEY COTTON is a member of the Downtown Franklin Association Board.