By Eason Franklin
The Lowndes Signal

The Mosses Meat Market has remained a staple in Mosses for many years and is giving back to its customers in more ways than one.

Located on Main Street in Mosses, between Hayneville and Gordonville, the market has been a large part of the community for nearly 20 years.

Owner and operator Harvey Bell draws his business from 120 customers per day on average in the grocery store alone.

The market gained its name when it opened at its original location further down Main Street when it still housed a full line of meat products.

Between the years 2000 and 2001, the family’s establishment A&P Grocery burned down leaving the Bells little choice but to relocate the store.

Now primarily a grocery store, the Bell’s business also brings a small portion of its proceeds from the Laundromat which was attached to the side of the establishment in 2002.

“We get a lot of good business from all the surrounding areas,” said Bell. “Our Laundromat brings in a majority of people from directly behind the store.”

The Bell family has owned a number of establishments over the years including gas stations, grocery stores, Laundromats and restaurants.

“We used to own Bell’s restaurant in White Hall until we saw the need for Mosses to have a grocery store,” said Bell. “A lot of people don’t have the means to travel to Hayneville to purchase what we’re able to supply at our store.”

Bell’s store is open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. and, in addition to Bell, is operated by Quitta Barrows, Quinique McCall and Ashley Bell.

The market also makes regular donations to sponsor the local basketball team, cheerleaders, police and Sheriff’s departments for events such as Cops and Kids Day.

“We’re not like any other store in the world, in my opinion,” said Bell. “We help people in the community when they don’t always have the funds to cover their groceries.”

Bell attended Central High School and has lived in Lowndes County all his life and around the age of 16, began working in the store until he took over operations at the Meat Market in 2006 from his mother Aza Bell who ran the business prior.

The store is currently making plans to expand its operation this summer by installing walk-in freezers to attract more customers in the market for meat and having gas pumps installed for local customers.

Bell said he has been a butcher for about eight years and is looking forward to bringing the meat business back into his store.

Apart from his market, Bell also manages local artists and has worked as a salesperson for radio stations such as 93.9, 95.9 and 104.3 in Selma.

Currently, Bell has a 2-month old daughter named Azaria and says he is confident she will be operating the business as she gets older.