The Chamber would like to take a moment and "Spotlight" one of our businesses and Chamber members- Blackbird Boutique. We recently sat down with Sarah to get her story on her new adventure. We encourage you to stop by and check out this amazing little boutique here in our hometown. We appreciate them being a part of our community and everything they do to help support it.
My name is Sarah Sample and I am the one some people call “the boutique lady.” I help run the Blackbird Boutique that is inside the Flippin Station along with The Pharmacy.
What made us decide to put in a gift store/boutique in Flippin?
My cousins, Lisa & Shane Gardner, were the owners of a pharmacy in our home town of Melbourne for many years. After selling that pharmacy and retiring in January of 2020, they decided somewhere in early 2021 that they actually weren’t quite ready to retire and wanted to put a pharmacy in around Marion County.
They asked me about some different locations they had looked at and I mentioned to them the old Sodie’s building right in the middle of Flippin. They came to look at it and were really impressed with the possibilities of such a terrific structure and location. They purchased the building and began the task of bringing it back to life.
While working on the building one day, Lisa told me she was wanting something else to go in with the pharmacy that would complement the business but also something unique that the community didn’t already have. She mentioned a gift store and asked if I would be interested in helping run it. I was moving to the area full-time late summer of that year so it worked out perfect for me. I knew nothing about running a store but was anxious to learn and excited to bring something to Flippin and Marion County that I hoped would be an asset.
The Pharmacy opened in February of 2022 and The Blackbird Boutique opened its doors the second week of September that year.
It’s been a fantastic experience for me. I’ve met so many beautiful people and developed many special friendships. Hopefully we have brought a little something extra to the community and a few extra smiles when they walk through the doors.
We are located at 109 North 1st street in Flippin, Arkansas.
Located just minutes from the crystal-clear waters of Bull Shoals Lake and world-class trout fishing on the majestic White River, Flippin is also close to the Buffalo National River Park and Lake Norfork. Flippin truly is a great starting point to fish, fly-fish, float, water ski, swim, scuba dive, wade, gaze down into the waters or up into the hills that surround you. Hickey Park has a giant playground, a basketball court, soccer and baseball fields and a great walking trail that is beautiful and gets you back in touch with nature.
When you're ready to relax and unwind, take a leisurely stroll down the sidewalks in our historic downtown area or the paved park trail, get a haircut, handmade bread or stop in for authentic Tex-Mex. A short walk can also get you to the Old Flippin Jail, Hickey Park and WalMart.
