Pictured: The Bank of Delight in Hope on Hervey Street
After five months of much success, Hope’s newest bank, the Bank of Delight, will be hosting a grand opening with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, November 10th. The bank is located at 1303 North Hervey Street and was opened on June 11th of this year. It is set up to be the fifth branch of the Bank of Delight. Interested in finding out a bit more about the Bank of Delight and their newest branch in Hope, we went to the bank to talk to the President and Chief Operating Officer, Vince Grimes.
Reporter: Can you tell us a little bit of history about The Bank of Delight?
Vince: “Well, as the name suggests, we were founded in Delight, Arkansas on June 16th, 1911. Today, the majority shareholder is the Hendrix family. Over the years, we have since expanded to Prescott, then Gurdon, then Arkadelphia, and now Hope.”
Reporter: What’s the reason for opening this branch in Hope?
Vince: “Honestly, quite a few loans being made at the Prescott branch had originated out of Hope and the rest of Hempstead County. We had a lot of these customers saying, ‘Y’all need to come to Hope!’ So, when the opportunity to do so came up to us, we decided we needed to go forward with it.”
Reporter: What is the advantage of a smaller bank such as Bank of Delight?
Vince: “For us, our advantage is that we like to know our customers, and we like for our customers to know us. We want to be able to have a face-to-face relationship with people. Also, we don’t have an automated phone system. That means that when you call us, a real local operator will answer and will help you. Our customers really mean a lot to us, so we want to treat them like prized possessions.”
Reporter: Is the bank looking to expand more in the future?
Vince: “The Bank of Delight doesn’t have any intentions to expand further right now except in Arkadelphia, where if the opportunity arises, we would be interested in making our station there into a full-service bank. But we are happy with what we have right now.”
Reporter: Does the Bank of Delight offer loans for small amounts to customers (such as for Christmas)?
Vince: “Yes we still do! We cater to all sizes of loans. We try to make sure our customers’ needs are taken care of, whatever they are. Whether it’s for helping a kid go to college, to buy farm equipment, or for anything below or above and beyond.”
Reporter: What does the Bank of Delight call success in Hope?
Vince: “Being able to satisfy our customers. That’s the best advertisement you can have.”
We thank Mr. Vince Grimes and the rest of the Bank of Delight staff for helping to show us a bit about what the Bank of Delight has to offer in comparison to other local bank institutions. The Bank of Delight will host their official grand opening on Tuesday, November 10th, at 11:00 am. Free hot dogs will be offered for all those present.
Pictured: President and Chief Operating Officer Vince Grimes
Pictured: A look at the lobby inside the Bank of Delight