Things That Make You Go Mmmmm…

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of The Dispatch and Mary Pollitz

The new soul food purveyor Danny’s Restaurant and Catering, 2124 Bell Ave., plans to have its grand opening next month. Owner Danny Osborne spoke of his recent soft opening: “I didn’t expect this kind of participation so early,” he said. “(Customers) appreciate the food we serve and that we’re taking the time to serve the community.” They will offer all sorts of tasty meals & sides such as baked chicken, beef tips, chicken spaghetti, dressing, fried chicken, black-eyed peas, mac’n cheese, pinto beans, yams, and more.

Cafeteria style is the plan. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. “We wanted to give our customers a place to relax and have good food and a good atmosphere,” he went on to say. “You have to walk in here to see what I’m talking about, but I’m proud of what we’ve built here.”

R&R Farms LLC is a cattle farm located on Oswalt Road. While they have been around for a good while – nearly eight years – they only recently began offering bulk meat orders to the public. Joel & Rachel Robertson, along with their family, run the business: “We like to know what’s in our meat and to have a healthier choice,” Joel said. “Our business is run by our family and all six of our children have helped with the animals. It also teaches our children about responsibility and helps keep them active and learning to work.” www.rrfarms1.com.

Financial Concepts is beginning work on a larger office, to be located at 2980 North Frontage Road. CEO Scott Ferguson said. “We’ve been in need of a larger space for a while now,” Ferguson said. “We originally had plans to relocate to a new facility in downtown Columbus, but unfortunately that never came to fruition. But as the old saying goes, when one door closes another opens, and we believe that our new location on Frontage Road is going to be an even better fit as we serve clients all across the Golden Triangle.”

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/mary-means-business-home-store-furnishings-to-permanently-close-in-starkville/

image: courtesy photo

Artists of All Kinds Working Hard – Music, Handicrafts, and Tasty Food On the Way!

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of The Dispatch and Mary Pollitz

Josh Gillis, a skilled guitarist who has been teaching others how to play for over fifteen years, will soon be opening a new recording studio/teaching area at 116 4th St S, to be called “Catfish Alley Studio.” He is currently in the process of renovating the space which has been sitting vacant for over a decade: “We want to bring in a lot of local culture, especially to Catfish Alley,” Gillis said. “… I want this to be a spot where people can see local musicians and we can honor the people that made Catfish Alley, ‘Catfish Alley.’” he will offer instruction on a variety of different instruments.

Also in Catfish Alley, the good folks at Columbus institution Jones Restaurant are hard at work on renovations and plan to be open later this year. Please keep an eye on their FB page for info.

Pottery studio Fired Up Studio, 424 Main St., recently opened for business. They offer workshops, private parties, and more for activities such as candle pouring, ceramic painting, etc. Wed/Thu 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fri 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sat Noon to 5 p.m.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/mary-means-business-recording-music-lesson-business-coming-to-catfish-alley/

Allegro is Expanding!

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of The Dispatch and Mary Pollitz

Allegro Plaza, home to one of Allegro’s four Columbus clinic locations, is continuing its expansion apace. They sit at the corner of Hwy 45 N and Bluecutt Rd, offering two floors of clinics and an adjoining pharmacy for patient convenience; construction on a third floor is currently underway. They are also adding an obstetrics and gynecology team. In the meantime, patients can take advantage of the new OBGYN team’s services at 2225 Fifth St. N., starting Monday.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/mary-means-business-allegro-plaza-begins-expansion/

New Life Being Breathed into Columbus Place

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of The Dispatch and Abigail Sipe Rochester

Leigh Mall was purchased by the Hull Property Group in 2019; they later changed it into Columbus Place, and they have been working hard to transform it into a more modern venue, complete with outward-facing stores and newly-renovated interior suites. Their VP of Government Relations John Mulherin, said, “We’re still very bullish on the community and the market and look forward to great things. . . Once we finish all of this work, it’s going to be a shopping experience that not only the people of Columbus, but the people of the region can be proud of. . . “The next step there on the interior will be a full interior remodel, which will include additional lighting and carpeting,” he went on to say. “On the exterior, we need to finish the work out front first, but we’re going to redo the entire parking lot.”

They have made great strides since the demolition began in 2022, and they hope to be open for business as usual by early August.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/ask-the-dispatch-your-questions-answered-about-progress-at-columbus-place/

image credit: Columbus Place – June 2024 – Abigail Sipe Rochester – Dispatch Staff

New One-Stop Shop for Home Improvement Coming Soon

STARKVILLE, MS – Courtesy of The Dispatch and Emma McRae

The former Starkville Korean Church building on Lafayette Street will soon host a new home design store: The Collective Design House. Owner Abby Thompson described its genesis: “We really wanted to be a place where clientele and contractors could come in and pick out building materials, home furnishings (and) accessories to really just make that process of renovating or building much easier and less stressful.” The shop will feature a variety of items such as furniture, cabinets, decor, and more.

“One of the things that we’ve recognized in this market is there’s a lack of consistency for the full service,” Thompson went on to say. “Like you might have someone who does interior design or furnishings or you might have somebody who is a home builder … but not somebody that really brings them all together.”

“We did do a historic renovation working with Mississippi Archives and History and the National Parks Service,” Castle Properties owner Mark Castleberry said of the renovation project, which began in 2022. “We opened up the space as it would have been in the automotive days (and) opened up the big tall ceiling and beautiful beams.”

They hope to be open for business by early August.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/home-goods-store-opening-in-renovated-ex-church/

Are You Jonesing for Jones? Well Then, You’re in Luck!

GTR AREA, MS – Courtesy of The Dispatch and Mary Pollitz

COLUMBUS

Historic Catfish Alley eatery Jones Restaurant (née Jones Cafe, 112 Fourth St. S.) is on the path to reopening. Developer Chris Chain has filed the paperwork needed to proceed with the renovation of the structure, including both the restaurant itself and some upstairs apartments: “This is going to be something that is going to be done in stages,” Chain said. “We’re going to try to get the restaurant up and going first and the apartments after that.” The plan is to open their doors by October of this year.

While Sports Additions at Columbus Place (the former Leigh Mall) has closed down, City Gear has opened in order to offer similar sporting goods and clothing. They are located in the former JC Penney suite. Also, Hibbet Sports (the parent company of these stores) will also be moving into a new location within the mall later this year.

STARKVILLE

The Older Brother, 103 Rue Du Grand Fromage, just opened up shop. They offer a wide variety of seafood dishes and sandwiches. Tue~Sat 11-2 and Thu~Sat 5-9

https://cdispatch.com/news/mary-means-business-jones-restaurant-prepares-to-reopen/

Harnessing the Power of the Sun

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch and Abigail Sipe Rochester

GT LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins, in conjunction with Origis, reports that the Golden Triangle II solar project has recently come online: “Its location [in Lowndes County], next to the Golden Triangle megaplex, will provide renewable power on a large scale,” Higgins said in the release. “The project will also provide millions of dollars to our schools and county government.” Two other such sites are currently under construction, and are expected to be up and running by next year.

“Solar energy enhances Mississippi’s economic competitiveness, and Origis is removing limits to a cleaner, brighter future by building the region’s clean-energy infrastructure,” Origis Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Development Officer Johan Vanhee said in a press release.“Golden Triangle II is the first step in fostering a zero-carbon economy across the state that supports our nation’s economic and energy security goals.”

The projects are providing about 500 construction jobs and a local economic benefit to the tune of over $100 million during construction.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/new-solar-project-up-and-running-in-lowndes-county/

When one BBQ Closes, Another One Opens

STARKVILLE, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch and Mary Pollitz

Moe’s Original BBQ, 110 E. Main St., has officially shut down after eight years of serving up tasty BBQ, seafood, and more. “While these past few years have been great, they haven’t been without struggles as well,” per their statement on social media. “We have decided to close ours permanently. … We can’t say thank you enough to everyone. Anyone who has supported us over the years, trusted us with your tailgate food or Thanksgiving dinner. We want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. While this wasn’t an easy decision by any means, we feel that it’s the right decision to make at this point in time.”

Meanwhile, Big Chief Barbeque has opened its own doors at 1444 Louisville St. “Big Chief BBQ is the dream of a local kid who grew up and lived in Starkville,” Nichols posted online. … Grilling has been a passion of mine since my days in the U.S. Navy. I started competition grillin’ in 2002 after a group of friends and myself got together and decided to enter the rib contest during Super Bulldog Weekend at the Mississippi State University.”

Thursdays 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Fridays 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 6:30 p.m., and Saturdays 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

New boutique Little Magnolia Gifts and Apparel has now opened its second store at 87 Cotton Mill Road, Suite 2, the old Hungry Howie’s location. They offer children’s clothing, toys, gifts for moms, and more. Mon-Fri 10-5:30 and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hours may change based on holiday shopping and sporting events, so please check their social media for updates, especially around holidays or sporting events.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/mary-means-business-moes-barbecue-closes-in-starkville/

Castleberry Doubles Down on Starkville – Investing Millions More in Retail, Apartments

STARKVILLE, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch and Mary Pollitz

Starkville developer Mark Castleberry, who brought the Triangle Crossing shopping center to the city (ALDI, et al) on Hwy 12, has announced that he is developing a new mixed-use building to be called 110 Mill (on Mill Street). In order to make room for this, three old houses were demolished, two of which had been sitting vacant for over a decade. The venue, which is slated to begin construction next year, will house 45 apartments and about ten thousand feet of retail space: “We just really believe in this market,” said Castleberry. “… We feel that good quality apartments and retail in this great area is only going to make this area better.”

Another of Castleberry’s projects is proceeding apace on the far side of town. The former Cadence Bank HQ has become Professional Park after extensive interior and exterior renovations. The location is 12183 Hwy. 182, which is about half full. Contact Castle Properties for info about leasing warehousing space available; they will renovate to suit.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/mary-means-business-another-castleberry-development-coming-to-starkville/

image: Mark Castleberry (courtesy photo)