Downtown Columbus is getting a new restaurant.
In coming weeks, Old 82 will open for business at 400 Main St. — the former of Front Door, Back Door, which closed in February.
Mark Eakes, a native of Philadelphia, Mississippi, is the man behind Old 82. He has been remodeling and updating the building’s interior for a little more than three months. The kitchen area is 90 percent new, Eakes said.
When it first opens, Old 82 will serve lunch on Tuesday through Saturdays, and brunch on Sundays. Roughly six weeks later, the restaurant will begin offering dinner on Thursday through Saturday, and a bar will open. The main entrance will be off Catfish Alley. A mural directing people to the door will be painted on the rear exterior wall.
Eakes, a chef who graduated from Mississippi University for Women in 2008 with a degree in culinary arts, said the restaurant will offer fresh coastal cuisine. Think fish, po-boys and oysters on the half-shell. The bar area will have an old-school theme — the walls are adorned with signs from Columbus businesses circa the 1910s through the 1930s — and table bases will be authentic barrels from the Jack Daniels distillery in Tennessee. There will be a patio-seating area, and some bench seating inside. The benches are pews from an old, abandoned Philadelphia church.
Old 82 will be able to seat roughly 100 people.
Staying in Columbus, Baldor, which manufactures electric motors, mechanical drives and power transmission products, is looking to do some updating on its facility on The Island. The company submitted a request for a construction permit to the city of Columbus this week. The work, according to city officials, includes the addition of a storm shelter and some interior renovations, totaling about 3,200 square feet. The facility is located at 70 Industrial Park Access Road.
A Baldor spokesperson did not respond to a message from The Dispatch by press time today.
Lastly, Christy’s Burger has closed in Columbus. The burger spot was located at 703 Hwy. 45. Late last year, the Christy’s Burger location on Alabama Street closed. There is still a Christy’s in Starkville at 446 Hwy. 12 West.
Todd Burkis and Rob Moore, the men behind Christy’s, opened JT’s Burgers, Fries & Shakes on Highway 45 North, right in front of DICK’s Sporting Goods and Michaels, in February.
Browning on Business is a weekly column that runs each Thursday. We want your input. Send items and tips to [email protected] or [email protected].
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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