Jackson Free Press

JACKSON — Raymond T. Kersh, owner of Skybox Daiquiri Bar and Bistro (6392 Ridgewood Court Drive), said he hopes that his restaurant will serve as "a great place to take a break, listen to music, have some great food and a refreshing daiquiri," when it opens in September. Kersh said that Skybox will offer elements of his hometown of Denver and the restaurant's home, Jackson.

The menu at Skybox will include red beans and rice, available with alligator or crab sausage, lemon pepper catfish, hot wings, burritos, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, omelets, and stuffed burgers with cheese, bacon and other ingredients all inside the burger patty. Customers will also be able to purchase overloaded baked potatoes with chicken, shrimp or steak, as well as extreme salads featuring a choice of grilled steak, shrimp, turkey, eggs and other options. Skybox will also have a daiquiri and entree special for $12.99.

Skybox will also feature a wide assortment of regular daiquiris, and Kersh hopes to be able to offer his signature Moscato wine daiquiris, as well. Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control recently denied his request due to the fact that the wine would be poured into the machines rather than piped through them. However, he is currently looking into laws regarding this to arrange for the sale of the product.

"I'm also working on getting a daiquiri to-go license, like what they have in New Orleans," Kersh said. "I want to be able to eventually open three bars like this one around Mississippi and be able to be competitive with the daiquiri market in Louisiana."

Skybox will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day after opening in September. For more information, call 601-405-5600 or visit the restaurant's Facebook page.

Cakes by Crystal

Crystal Kelly, owner of Cakes by Crystal (139 E. McDowell Road), held a grand opening for her new bakery on July 23. Cakes by Crystal offers custom cakes for every occasion, with an emphasis on weddings and birthday parties. The bakery also offers fresh desserts every day including cupcakes, cookies, candy apples, cake pops, chocolate-covered pretzels and more. Cakes by Crystal also features specialty cake jars, which are cakes served inside pint Mason jars and available in any flavor, with lemon cream cheese and red velvet being the most popular, Kelly said.

Kelly also offers a special birthday-party service featuring cake-decorating classes for up to 12 children. Each child gets his or her own small cake to decorate and home after the party. Kelly plans to eventually offer cake-decorating classes for adults at events, as well.

Cakes by Crystal is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is available for party catering and other events by reservation on Sundays. Customers can make reservations through cakesbycrystalonline.com.

For more information, call 601-278-5954, email [email protected] or visit the bakery's Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages.

My Kid's Cabby

Bridget Williams, owner of My Kid's Cabby (1855 Lakeland Drive, Suite G-21, Jackson), came up with the idea for a children's' transportation service based on her own experiences as a single mother with children involved in multiple activities that took them all over the Jackson metro area. She opened up her business earlier this month to assist parents and families with busy schedules.



Parents can visit mykidscabby.com to schedule a ride for their children or teenagers to go to school, work, extracurricular activities or other destinations. Transportation services are available for ages 5 to 17. Each vehicle is equipped with an in-car camera and GPS-based turn-by-turn tracking. Parents will get a link on their mobile devices informing them when their children have been picked up, as well as their exact position in transit and upon arrival.



Rides can be purchased individually or in nine-, 18- or 30-ride bundles. Each trip is considered one-way and costs $13 to $16. All rides must be prepaid, and all transactions are handled online. Parents can also interview drivers ahead of time. All My Kid's Cabby vehicles are clearly marked, and the drivers wear logo T-shirts so parents and riders can identify them easily. Parents set up a password so the driver can identify their child, along with a photo. The child tells the driver the code that their parent gave them before the ride can begin. My Kid's Cabby currently has three cars and seven drivers, and every car has two possible drivers to ensure that service is always available.



Currently, My Kid's Cabby is only hiring female drivers age 30 and above. All drivers receive background checks from the Mississippi Department of Investigation, are fingerprinted and have the state Department of Motor Vehicles inspect their driving records. All drivers have experience in education or nursing so that they can act as a concierge to assist children and make their rides safe, fun and enjoyable, Williams said. All vehicles are also equipped with booster seats, a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher and an umbrella.



For more information, call 601-790-3038 or visit the My Kid's Cabby Facebook or Instagram pages.

Bumps and Beyond Boutique

Temekia Jackson held the grand opening for Bumps and Beyond Boutique (655 Lake Harbour Drive, Suite 1100, Ridgeland), an upscale store offering new or gently used maternity and children's clothing, accessories and gift items without boutique prices, on June 16. Jackson's boutique features a play area, equipped with a basketball goal, a large dollhouse, assorted toys and more, for kids to use while their parents shop.



Bumps and Beyond also sells backpacks and diaper bags that customers can have monogrammed, as well as many locally made gift items, including candles, picture frames and bath products. Customers can purchase unique items such as "Maggie's Golden Moment," a book that Jacksonian Cynthia Profilet wrote and self-published; special birthday-cake knives that can be engraved and are intended to be used at each of a child's birthdays and eventually their wedding; and "WubbaNubs," which are stuffed animals with pacifiers.



For more information, call 769-300-4266, visit the boutique's Facebook page or visit bumpsandbeyondboutique.com.