Facebook Drama Embroils Caraway Quick Stop As Owner Scrambles to Save Face

CARAWAY, Ark. – The owner of a convenience store in Caraway was left cleaning up a public relations nightmare this week after one of his managers went on a social media tirade and banned a customer from the store for asking about the hours.

It started this week when Caleb Waugh asked why the quick shop in Caraway was closed so early. His post was at 4:49 PM on January 15. Caleb was talking about Caraway Express, previously Caraway’s Quick Stop, which lists its hours on Google from 6 AM to 9 PM on most days.

“They’re normally open around 5:30 AM for all the old timers to come in and drink coffee,” Caleb said. “There was an older gentleman, and I pulled up beside him. He said, ‘they’re supposed to be here.’ I came back around 6:20 AM and asked if they were running late. They said they were told to open late. I came back through at 4:45 PM and they were closing. That’s the only place to get gas in Caraway. ”

Several replies from readers speculated that it may have been because it was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. But then, an employee, Taylia Williams, began to reply and almost from the onset, seemed irritated by Caleb’s questions.

That may be because, Caleb said, he has complained about their prices increasing in the past.

“She was already on edge with me because when [the new ownership] purchased it, you could get a bologna sandwich for $1.75,” Caleb said. “They’re six or seven dollars now. I posted on Facebook that it was ridiculous, because you could buy a pound of bologna for what a sandwich would cost.”

But Caleb disputes this. He said he had never said anything about the reputation of the store or ran it down, although by that point, some of the others in the comments were.

If you couldn’t tell, this is around the time things went off the rails. As more people began to reply to Caleb’s post, many tagging Taylia in their replies, her frustration levels visibly grew. Taylia began messaging people individually. Several posted the messages they received.

Taylia was on a roll and she wasn’t backing down from anyone. She even posted on her Facebook wall, which someone, of course, screenshotted, telling people not to tag her if they don’t want her to reply. The comment included a lewd remark about male genitalia.

But the story was about to take a sudden turn. Caleb announced to readers on his post that he was contacting the corporate owners.

Suddenly, waves of comments by Taylia began to disappear. She stopped messaging people individually and seemed to change her approach to the situation.

Before long, Taylia replied with a new approach.

The problem with this was, no one had made jokes about MLK in the post that anyone could find. The excuse, based on a false statement, did not help the apology to be well-received by the public. Many kept screenshots of the comments and added them to Caleb’s post as they were deleted, too.

On the morning of January 16, Caleb said no one was at the store until 7 AM, as well.

“We ended up having to go to Monette to get gas this morning to hunt because nobody was there to open it,” Caleb said.

After talking with ownership, Caleb said he believes they’re having difficulty keeping staff. He also said Taylia called and apologized – while blaming the district manager in her apology.

“It all boils down to, we’re a town of 1,200-1,500 people,” Caleb said. “That’s all we’ve had for 15 to 20 years. You get everybody in a routine and it’s all they’ve known…It’s different. I enjoy going in there in the mornings and drinking coffee with my grandpa’s friends and stuff, but it’s frustrating when you go up there and you can’t get a biscuit or a coffee, and it is the only place open for 15 miles, from Lake City to Monette.”

Owner Responds

Noor Jalal is the owner of Caraway Express, as well as the gas station in Turrell and other convenience stores. He said someone contacted his office last night, leading him to drive in from Arlington, Tennessee to deal with the mess. He said Taylia is not even the manager of the Caraway store, although he did acknowledge she was a manager at the Turrell location.

“We do not reflect that,” Jalal told NEA Report. “Its a small community and we love all these people who come to the store.”

The main issue was why this store was closed, Jalal said, describing it as a very genuine question. Both weather and staffing issues had impacted the store. Jalal said he had no idea why Taylia began responding. He called her and told her she should not involve herself in this story. He also added she had no authority to ban anyone from the store.

The issues with the store opening on time are related to staffing, Jalal said. Several weeks ago, two store employees were fired due to theft. With the economic environment, finding reliable help has been a challenge.

While the store may have trouble finding employees, Jalal made it clear that Taylia would not be helping at Caraway Express in the future.

“She is no longer involved with our Caraway store,” Jalal said.

Jalal was adamant in his support for customers and for the Caraway community, as a whole. He said he wants to expand the store to offer more to the residents of Caraway. He mentioned working on bringing in a Subway branch to open inside of the stop.

“I believe in this country and I believe in these people,” Jalal said. “When it’s time to give back, I give back. And for somebody who is not reflecting my family or myself, going online insulting people or being disrespectful, I do not associate with them at all. We are taking strict action, including she is not going to be an employee in Caraway.”