Handyman service opening in former Blandford's Drive-In

“I’m all grown up now,” she said with a chuckle, adding, “I’ve seen Owensboro grow. There’s a big need for this service — more than it would have been in the 1970s.”

After working as the office manager of a Honey Do Service in Tennessee for three years, Boaz said she sought to return home. She approached the company’s founder, Brad Fluke, with a plan to start her own franchise in Owensboro.

“We just opened up a location in Louisville four-five months ago, so [Fluke] ventured this way and fell in love with Owensboro,” she said. “He loves the downtown and thinks this is the ideal spot.”

Fluke said Owensboro reminds him of Bristol, Tennessee, where he founded Honey Do Service some 20 years ago. He said he thinks Honey Do can have the same success here as it did there.

Staffed with six handyman specialists — including workers with backgrounds in plumbing, electric, carpentry, and masonry — Boaz said Honey Do Service will aim to be a jack of all trades for the community.

“You never know what’s going to happen. Tornadoes, floods — we’re here for everything,” she said.

Fluke said Honey Do Service is geared toward helping middle- and working-class people.

“We’re not wired for the rich and famous,” he said. “We work for everyday people who own a home.”

Founded in 2002, Honey Do Service is a regional company with its eyes set on going national, according to Fluke.

Boaz explained that the COVID-19 pandemic made the home repair and remodeling industry ripe for expansion.

“The last two years have been our biggest for this industry because a lot of people stayed at home to work, and their kids were home. They realized, ‘I need a bigger kitchen; I need a bigger office; I need bookshelves,’ ” she said. “And of course everything breaks down and a lot of people can’t fix stuff on their own.”

Boaz said she has early indications that business will remain booming for her new company in Owensboro.

Though it doesn’t officially open until Thursday, Boaz said she’s already received 30 calls for estimates on work such as bathroom remodeling, leaky faucets and painting, as well as floor, door and siding repairs.

Following Honey Do Service’s official grand opening on Thursday, the business will have a ribbon-cutting with the Owensboro Chamber of Commerce.

The opening and ribbon-cutting festivities will include store giveaways, including a free gutter cleaning and a free home evaluation, according to Fluke.