Take that chain and shove it

The city of Holmes Beach, between Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, has a message for franchise and chain businesses: go away.

The city commission, in a unanimous vote held June 14, agreed to proceed with plans to temporarily ban franchise and chain businesses from opening in the city. The moratorium, if approved after a reading and another meeting, could last at least six months, Commission Chairwoman Judy Titsworth says.

“We already have a CVS, Walgreens, Dollar General, Publix, Dominoes and others, so we have to make sure the large-type franchises don't put the mom and pop stores out of business,” Titsworth tells Coffee Talk. “It's not that we are disallowing it. But we just want it to be a franchise that doesn't change the character of Holmes Beach. We want them to conform a little bit.”