Contributed ADDITION — The Follansbee Chamber of Commerce welcomed the newest Gumby’s Cigarette and Beer World and Geno’s Playgrounds location with a ribbon cutting. Making the cut was Tyler Prather, operations manager for the location, which is in Brooke Plaza near state Route 2.

FOLLANSBEE — Two familiar businesses have expanded their operations to Brooke Plaza, offering more than their names would imply.

Tyler Prather, operations manager for Geno’s Playgrounds and Gumby’s Cigarette and Beer World, said in addition to a variety of tobacco products, beer and other adult beverages, the latter will offer milk, bread and other food for customers’ convenience.

For added convenience, the store has a drive-through open during the store’s regular hours of 7 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. Monday through Sunday.

Prather said the store offers hot and cold specialty coffees.

He said demand for the limited video lottery games offered at two other Geno’s Playgrounds elsewhere in the plaza has been strong enough to merit another location with 10 machines.

Prather said his family opened the first Gumby’s 32 years ago in the Elm Grove area near Wheeling while the first Geno’s opened about 18 years ago.

Since then, the local chains have grown to include more than 40 locations dotting the Northern Panhandle between Chester and New Martinsville as well as Bellaire.

Many combine the two chains, with the latest representing an investment of more than $1 million by the Prather family.

The businesses in one building were welcomed with a ribbon cutting ceremony conducted by the Follansbee Chamber of Commerce.