They’re bringing a town that was once full of life, back to its prime.
Dr. Tarcia and Derrick Hubert, a Black couple in Lott, TX, has jumped into full-time entrepreneurship, purchasing an entire block of abandoned commercial property to feature Black-owned businesses in the community.
According to a recent interview, the couple spent years highlighting Black-owned businesses through their YouTube channel. After the pandemic stunted business growth, the couple looked into purchasing buildings in Lott, like Tarcia’s uncle, who bought multiple buildings in the town.
“We kept telling him we want to purchase one and finally the opportunity rolled around,” Tarcia said in an interview. “The thing about these buildings are they’re owned by people who don’t want to sell them. In some cultures, people are taught to not sell — to hold onto their things. So, even though [the buildings] were abandoned, the people who owned them didn’t really want to sell them.”
The opportunity to purchase presented itself to the Huberts with a connection through Tarcia’s uncle who knew an owner willing to sell.
Tarcia revealed that the Lott area used to be a thriving town, back when it was known for a popular a store called Western Fair that drew people from all over the state. Currently an owner of an event space and a salon run their business on the block.
“Our goal is that people would want to come visit and patronize our businesses. They will want to come see what we’re doing. And then, also we want to get into developing the residential areas around there as well,” Tarcia said.
Construction is in process for the town revitalization and residents can expect a wing restaurant, coffee shop, and other restaurants to open soon, as the couple plans to have the block up and running by summer.
Additionally, the couple wants Lott to be a location option for people looking towards retirement.
“Like, here’s a small place that I can go to to have a peaceful life and a safe environment but also to have some nice businesses that people would want to come to visit,” Tarcia said.