Flowers, family and food; Wauneta’s Meadowlark Lane to open July 29

What started as a joke between co-workers has become much more on Wauneta’s main street.
While working together at the Wauneta clinic, nurses Jamie Shifflet and London Maris had “lots of ideas” for a new business.
And although they were joking at the time, the need for flexibility in their schedules for their families led to more serious ideas.
It was Crystal Walgren at The Beauty Bar that mentioned to Shifflet that Roonie’s Place on the west side of main street was for sale.
“It went from there,” Shifflet and Maris said.
With the flower shop already in place, Maris and Shifflet began working with Jo Arenz on the flower side of Roonie’s Place after purchasing the building in March.
But the pair also felt Wauneta needed a coffee shop and somewhere for families to hang out. A place with couches and chairs and a TV to stream Wauneta-Palisade and Husker sports.
Those ideas became Meadowlark Lane. With building remodeling nearing completion, the shop will officially open July 29, right in time for Harvest Fest.
The store will offer Regier Coffee from the Madrid General Store, flavored tea, boba /bubble tea, smoothies and breakfast pastries. The store’s drive-through window should be completed in August.
The door is open for an expanded service in the future, such as after school cookies.
Other ideas include a monthly flower subscription, including delivery and a centerpiece arrangement class.
The shop will also house a small retail area. As the sign in the window says, “Pretty things coming soon.”
For now it will just be the two of them manning the shop, with some help from Shifflet’s children. They are hoping to add more employees and hours in the future.
Regular shop hours will be 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
They will also be open at 7 a.m. July 30 for the early Harvest Fest crowd.