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CommentsGO Getter: Jay Hickman
Matt Lemmon
Photo Melissa Pedersen
Jay Hickman, owner of downtown’s Ernie Biggs Dueling Piano Bar, is also one of Springfield’s most active entrepreneurs. He just opened a Planet Smoothie in the Wilhoit Plaza, is partnering with Icon Nightclub owner Paul Sundy on Parlor 88—a southside bar due to open early this summer—and just signed a letter of intent to open a third Ernie Biggs location at Branson Landing (see page 8 for details). What does it all mean for the recently wedded 27-year-old and father-to-be? Not a lot of sleep, that’s for sure. Despite the time crunch, he sat down with us to talk about business, rare fruits and football.
When did you decide to open Planet Smoothie?
“About a year and a half ago. My wife Kristen and I saw a need for it downtown, especially right next to the Y. There are people walking by here all the time.”
How is it owning a place like Planet Smoothie along with Ernie Biggs—which is pretty much the total opposite of a smoothie place?
“Hopefully it’s going to rub off on me and I’ll start working out and getting healthier. I’m not sure how I wound up in the bar business—I went to school and got a degree in finance; then I opened a bar [Ernie Biggs in Little Rock] and my parents were like, ‘What are you doing?’”
This is basically your chance to pimp Planet Smoothie. What does it offer that other smoothie folks don’t?
“It’s all natural, all fresh fruit. I looked all around, at Java Juice and Smoothie King, but I wanted this because it wasn’t here, and I couldn’t believe how fresh everything was.”
I saw on the menu that they include nutrients, and one is called a “Women’s Only Boost.” What is that, liquid estrogen?
“It’s high in calcium, magnesium …Vitamin D—which they just found out fights breast cancer—folic acid and soy isoflavone. I’m just learning about all this stuff. We went [to Atlanta for training] and they tested us on all of it, and we didn’t do real well because we don’t work out.”
Ernie Biggs has been open since October 2003. With so many places opening do you feel like an old man in the group sometimes?
“I think we’re middle-aged.”
Have you ever been on stage?
“Oh yeah. A couple of my birthdays they got me up there. When Kristen and I got married, we avoided it. We knew they’d make us go up there.”
[Sipping my smoothie, made of a fruit called acai] This thing is really, really good. Does it have crack cocaine in it?
[Laughing] “No. That fruit has only been around a couple of years. It’s kind of a cool story: they were cutting down big trees in the Amazon and found it.”
The fruit kinda tastes and looks like blackberry. Is it going to turn my mouth blue?
[Not laughing] “No.”
Now to the really important stuff: Who do you like in the Super Bowl?
“Colts. I want to see Peyton Manning win it.”
Would you put money on it?
“Yeah. I don’t know the spread.”
Colts by seven, I think.
“Playing the Bears, laying seven? I don’t know” [Kristen from a table away: “He doesn’t win.”]
Jay: “I quit betting a while ago.”
On sports, maybe. On his businesses? Jay’s all in.
When did you decide to open Planet Smoothie?
“About a year and a half ago. My wife Kristen and I saw a need for it downtown, especially right next to the Y. There are people walking by here all the time.”
How is it owning a place like Planet Smoothie along with Ernie Biggs—which is pretty much the total opposite of a smoothie place?
“Hopefully it’s going to rub off on me and I’ll start working out and getting healthier. I’m not sure how I wound up in the bar business—I went to school and got a degree in finance; then I opened a bar [Ernie Biggs in Little Rock] and my parents were like, ‘What are you doing?’”
This is basically your chance to pimp Planet Smoothie. What does it offer that other smoothie folks don’t?
“It’s all natural, all fresh fruit. I looked all around, at Java Juice and Smoothie King, but I wanted this because it wasn’t here, and I couldn’t believe how fresh everything was.”
I saw on the menu that they include nutrients, and one is called a “Women’s Only Boost.” What is that, liquid estrogen?
“It’s high in calcium, magnesium …Vitamin D—which they just found out fights breast cancer—folic acid and soy isoflavone. I’m just learning about all this stuff. We went [to Atlanta for training] and they tested us on all of it, and we didn’t do real well because we don’t work out.”
Ernie Biggs has been open since October 2003. With so many places opening do you feel like an old man in the group sometimes?
“I think we’re middle-aged.”
Have you ever been on stage?
“Oh yeah. A couple of my birthdays they got me up there. When Kristen and I got married, we avoided it. We knew they’d make us go up there.”
[Sipping my smoothie, made of a fruit called acai] This thing is really, really good. Does it have crack cocaine in it?
[Laughing] “No. That fruit has only been around a couple of years. It’s kind of a cool story: they were cutting down big trees in the Amazon and found it.”
The fruit kinda tastes and looks like blackberry. Is it going to turn my mouth blue?
[Not laughing] “No.”
Now to the really important stuff: Who do you like in the Super Bowl?
“Colts. I want to see Peyton Manning win it.”
Would you put money on it?
“Yeah. I don’t know the spread.”
Colts by seven, I think.
“Playing the Bears, laying seven? I don’t know” [Kristen from a table away: “He doesn’t win.”]
Jay: “I quit betting a while ago.”
On sports, maybe. On his businesses? Jay’s all in.
