In a year when many small food businesses in rural Arkansas have closed their doors, Misha Murphy’s business is still rolling.
Murphy, owner of Murphy’s Bakery & Burgers, credits her resilience to creativity, community support, and steady guidance from the Entrepreneurship Team at Communities Unlimited (CU). Before she could apply for a loan to scale and launch her food truck last year, CU’s Entrepreneurship Team worked closely with her to develop a business model and create financial projections.
That preparation made her loan-ready and set her up for success when she transitioned to CU’s Lending Team, who approved her Small Business Administration (SBA) loan in May 2024. Just two months later, Misha celebrated the grand opening of Murphy’s Bakery & Burgers, unveiling her new food truck to the community.
The new venture built on several years of running a home-based bakery, where Murphy became known for her breads and baked goods. What began as a spark during her college days has now grown into a community hub for meals in Almyra and the nearby towns of Stuttgart and DeWitt.
But 2025 hasn’t been easy.
“Unfortunately, 2025 has just been a slow year for all businesses,” Murphy said. “We’ve had several food businesses here locally shut down because of sales being so bad. With CU’s help, though, we were able to survive.”
Navigating Hard Times
Working bi-weekly with CU Senior Management Consultant James Custer, Murphy has been able to analyze sales, brainstorm marketing ideas, and keep her business on course despite sluggish consumer spending and rising food costs.
“He would help me go over marketing ideas, go over sales ideas to try to help me boost sales where other people were having issues we could talk through,” she said.
Custer provided tools like a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) tracker and helped Murphy adjust her menu offerings to match customer demand. Those changes included healthy lunch meal prep options, rotating specials, and snow cones sold year-round.
Creativity on the Menu
Murphy has leaned into innovation as her main survival strategy. She now offers hibachi plates on select days, delivers meals directly to schools and hospitals for free, and recently launched children’s cooking classes.
“People love hibachi down here,” she said. “Teachers can’t leave, hospitals and clinics only get 30 minutes for lunch. By doing this, it’s allowing them to have a fresh cooked meal.”
The new cooking classes are especially close to her heart. “We already have some children signed up for it, so we’re hoping to kind of give back more to the community,” Murphy said.
A Partner in the Journey
Murphy said that without CU’s Entrepreneurship Team, her food truck might never have opened — much less endured the pressures of this year’s economy.
“Honestly, without CU, it would have taken us another probably five to eight years to be able to open. They made sure I was ready to open it and wasn’t just throwing me into the fire. That support has been just awesome.”
— Misha Murphy, Murphy’s Bakery & Burgers
Even now, she sees the E-Team as a partner in her family’s future. Her goal is to eventually transition from the truck to a brick-and-mortar restaurant while continuing to serve the community through events, catering, and youth programs.
Murphy’s dream remains alive — because she had guidance that kept her business grounded when the ground itself was shaky.
“I want to thank Communities Unlimited for believing in us and cheering us on,” Murphy said. “Like I said, without them, we would not be open right now.”
