It's good to be back, guys. I think Grant has done a great job of keeping you updated. I wish him well in his next steps. I'm happy to be here and I hope you all come back. Now, let's get back to the topic.
Columbus Depot is officially considering picking a new tenant from the inside out (oh, I'm rusty). Property manager Lois Hudspeth confirmed that current tenants Kelly and Matt Pittman will not renew their lease in February. Pitman's opened the event venue “The Depot” in February 2019, and has since held a variety of events in the renovated space. Dispatch was unable to reach Pittmans by press time.
“There is some interest, but no leases have been signed,” Hudspeth said. “…(This space) brings many benefits to the downtown event venue.”
He added that the location is just over 6,000 square feet of event space with a kitchen. California-based judge Gail Gainup purchased the building in August 2014 and has since restored it. The Columbus Depot has historical ties to the city and is of significant public interest. Keep an eye out for the next business to stop by downtown.
Moving to Starkville, we have pizza news.
Stromboli's Italian restaurant, 408 University Drive, is officially back in business. The 20-year-old restaurant closed last April, but on Sunday night it announced on Facebook that it would be offering a menu of classics including hot chicken calzones, one-topping pizzas, chicken ranchero pizzas, cookie dough bites, and pizzas. They announced a soft reopening. more.
Pizza news continues in Starkville.
Godfather's Pizza, located at 401 University Drive, officially closed late last year. The Godfathers first opened in January 2022 in the Starkville Midtown development. The property manager could not be reached by press time. We were hoping the restaurant would simply be closed for the holidays, but the company office confirmed it was permanently closed.
Proof Bakery (109 W. Main St.), which has moved all the way to downtown Starkville, is on the verge of closing permanently. Owner TJ Manna announced online that the store would be closed “until further notice.”
“We also accept custom orders,” Mana posted. “Unless a miracle happens, Proof may be closed forever.”
Mana said she is still accepting custom orders via text message and people can stay up to date on Proof and its future on social media. She attributed this primarily to ongoing water pipe installation work downtown and an inability to hire qualified employees as there were no customers for the past six months. She said Manna has seen a decline in customers since the summer because parking at the bakery is limited due to construction.
She said she is grateful for the support from loyal customers, but added that she is looking for investors to help keep the Starkville bakery open.
“It's been at least six months since I received my paycheck from Proof,” she said. “I'm not going to give up. I'm a baker. That's my livelihood.”
Moving onto Route 12, the vacant buildings are starting to change. Starkville's newest breakfast restaurant is slowly making its way into the former Chicken Salad Chick building at 602 Hwy. 12 East City Planner Daniel Habarin said Big Bad Breakfast has begun the demolition process.
The breakfast chain was originally founded in Oxford in 2008 and now has over 16 stores. Dispatch was unable to contact the owner by the time of this article's publication, but we'll let you know as soon as they plan to open.
Finally, let's talk about my favorite time of the year: Carnival season. In the spirit of Mardi Gras, we'd like to introduce you to a few places where you can buy King His Cakes this season. Proof Bakery in Starkville is still accepting online and custom orders and will be selling king cakes along with Southern Flour Bakery, Coffee Depot and Easy E. King Cakes. Please support your local bakery. Bought a king cake.
Buy two! Celebrate Carnival Season! Once you've got your king cake, it's yours.
Once again, it was good to be back. I'm excited to jump back into the business world. We look forward to hearing from old friends and covering businesses in and around the Golden Triangle. If you have any business tips or scoops, please send them to me. [email protected].
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