Family-Run Businesses Find a Home in Robins Region, GA
With its welcoming environment, stellar schools and picturesque communities, the Robins Region of Georgia provides an ideal location for families to thrive. For these local business owners, the region has proven to be the perfect place to start a business in addition to raising a family.
Bringing It All Home
Toni and Lance Slade have always known about the appeal of the Robins Region, having grown up in the area. Now, with two sons and a new business, the Slades have no plans to move elsewhere.
“We love our community and have chosen to raise our family here,” says Toni Slade, owner of Woodlands Coffee Roasters & Cafe in Kathleen.
The Slades always talked about opening a coffee shop in the area, a family-friendly space where people could gather. A medical mission trip to Honduras finally provided the impetus to go ahead with their dream. The Slades, who already had one biological son, Spencer, met the newest addition to their family at an orphanage in Honduras.
Three years and 16 trips later, the Slades were finally able to bring their adopted son, Henson, home.
“We’d been wanting to open a coffee shop for 10 years or more, but the component that was missing was the ‘why,’” Slade says.
Henson turned out to be their “why.” After opening Woodlands, the Slades took a team of 60 people to Honduras to plant more than 3,000 coffee plants at Henson’s former orphanage, allowing children to learn about the coffee trade and potentially find a career in the industry. Coffee beans grown at the orphanage find their way back to Woodlands, where Middle Georgia locals can enjoy.
Along with helping the community in Honduras, Woodlands has become the gathering place that the Slades had always hoped it would be.
“Woodlands Coffee Roasters & Cafe, to us, is a symbol of light and love in our community,” Slade says.
Since growing their family, the Slades continue to enjoy life in the region and embrace an outdoor lifestyle that includes triathlons, hunting and fishing in nearby lakes.
Both of their sons have a role at the shop, continuing the family legacy and bringing them closer together. “To be able to build a life and a dream together as a family – that is what you dream about,” Slade says.
It’s Personal
Dr. Ankit Patel’s local journey began when he moved to the region in 1998. After graduating from high school locally, he studied at Mercer University in Macon and completed pharmacy school at the University of Georgia. After taking a job at a chain pharmacy, Patel soon realized that his goals lay closer to home, so he returned to Warner Robins to open his business at the age of 27 in 2017.
“I decided to open my own pharmacy with my own rules and provide patient care in my way,” Patel says.
Patel opened Robins Pharmacy in Warner Robins with his wife, Dr. Chandani Patel, in 2017. Since then, the family pharmacy has become a staple of the community, providing a friendly, personal experience where customers feel right at home.
“Patient interaction is our priority,” Patel says. “I want (my staff) to talk to people, to know their names, to know something about them. When they walk through the door, we should know exactly who it is.”
Several years after opening their business, the Patels had a new life event to celebrate: the birth of their triplets. The Robins Region has proved to be a supportive environment for Patel’s business as well as his family.
“There are so many family-friendly businesses and restaurants, and it’s a very safe environment,” Patel says. “I feel very comfortable taking my kids with me wherever I go.”
From the Museum of Aviation to Center Park at Centerville, the Patels are always able to find fun activities. Patel says the region’s great schools are another reason he is grateful to raise a family here. Patel says he has plans to expand Robins Pharmacy and add a drive-thru for customers.
“We’re permanently rooted in this community,” he says.
