By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

Verbena Pocket Express has served the community of Verbena since January of 2016 as a convenience store and restaurant combination.

On one side, a cozy diner atmosphere welcomes the hungry of Verbena with a full menu including classic American favorites such as hot dogs, burgers and fries.

On the other, guests can find a convenience store that serves as a place to grab a quick snack and cool down for a minute.

Brothers Otis and Bobby Sherrill own the store and built it themselves.

“I was gonna put three two-bedroom apartments in it,” said Otis Sherrill. “We got so many requests for a place to eat or somewhere to get a drink … so we regrouped and decided to do a little convenient store with a restaurant.”

Otis Sherrill said the brothers weren’t aware of another store like theirs in Verbena, so they thought it would be a good service to the community. The duo worked hard to turn their vision into a reality.

“When I bought the building, you could actually see through the roof and the floors were rotten,” said Otis Sherrill. He said they had to gut the building and start fresh, and the two brothers did all the construction and renovations over the course of a year.

“My brother and I designed and built everything you see here,” said Otis Sherrill. ”My wife, Brenda, has been real supportive … and I couldn’t have done it without her.”

The family owned business is located at 3975 US Highway 31 in Verbena. For hours and a full menu, call Pocket Express at (205)299-2722 or look up Verbena Pocket Express on Facebook.