Don O’Bannon, better known as Oby, sat down in the restaurant he started 43 years ago laughing and sharing stories with the new Oby’s owner on Tuesday.
Set for retirement, O’Bannon reminisced about traveling the coast of Mississippi and the New Orleans area while he searched for the best recipes to bring to Starkville: famous Cajun poboys, muffulettas, philly cheese steaks and more. As of Monday morning, O’Bannon has officially “passed the poboy” into the hands of his former employee Ayers Spencer and Spencer’s business partner David Calhoun. The restaurant at 504 Academy Road has grown over the years, initially a 55-customer restaurant that has expanded to accommodate a capacity of nearly 200.
“I’m tired and I’m just ready,” O’Bannon said. “Ayers and them are young, they got stronger hearts and can handle it a little better. … I came into Starkville with Sheriff Dolph Bryan and Coach Ron Polk and now, well, I’m the last man standing.”
Before becoming Oby’s owner, Spencer was a Mississippi State student who simply loved going to eat with his friends.
“Oby’s was the treat,” he said. “When we would go out to eat, Oby’s was No. 1 on the list — as long as the check cleared.”
He even worked for O’Bannon in the early 2000s before opening an Oby’s franchise in Oxford in 2005. Spencer said he jumped at the opportunity when O’Bannon was looking to retire.
“I fell in love with the concept,” Spencer said. “When Don started talking about retiring, at first I didn’t believe him. I told David, ‘We can’t let anybody else have it.’ It’s like our baby, not as much ours as his, but we consider it a part of us.”
As O’Bannon drank from the signature Oby’s cup on Tuesday, he laughed, “It’s your baby now. Every bit of it.”
As for the restaurant, not much will change, including the staff. Like the Oxford location though, Spencer said he wants to expand its catering production. As for everything else, the transition should be “smooth as silk.”
“Some of the (decorations) are from (O’Bannon’s) antique collection,” Spencer said. “… If it’s his and he wants to take it with him, we will just replace it with something not as sentimental and valuable.”
With a number of buyers offering to purchase Oby’s over the years, O’Bannon said Spencer was the perfect choice.
“I just kept waiting for the right people,” he said. “You know what? I couldn’t have found anyone better. … It’s been a great ride, a long one but a great one. There’s such self-satisfaction to create that. I love my job, but you have to have it in your blood. Ayers has it in his blood, I know, I have it in mine. You’ve got to want it.”
O’Bannon said it’s the crowds of Mississippi State fans piling in on game day and the faithful, everyday customers that made Oby’s a staple in Starkville. For 43 years of fruitful business and customers, he said he’s thankful.
Moving just across the street, Starkville Snap Fitness, at 100 Starr Ave., has closed. Gym owners Jack and Julie Riekhof announced the gym’s closure on the company’s Facebook page.
“We appreciate all of your patronage over the years and are grateful for the relationships that have been developed,” the couple posted on Facebook. “Best Wishes in your future fitness endeavors.”
Also nearby, a new liquor store has opened.
Late in 2019, Zack James was opened up for Hair of the Dawg: Wine and Spirits at 201 Academy Road, Suite 3. The new liquor store in Starkville will host its grand opening and ribbon cutting Friday at 4 p.m. Head over to Hair of the Dawg for some discounted bottles and specials. Raffles and giveaways will be announced Saturday night with in-store gift cards and a teeth-whitening kit valued at more than $500. Hair of the Dawg is open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Moving to Columbus, a Starkville shop is spreading its roots.
More than a year ago, Tough Guys Haircuts opened in Starkville. With business booming, owner Alicia Hardwell is preparing to open a second location in Columbus at 446 Wilkins Wise Road. In the midst of renovations, Hardwell said she hopes to open shop by March. She is actively searching for two full-time cosmetologists to help serve her Columbus customers.
“We have so many people that drive from Columbus to Starkville, so I thought why not,” she said.
She added Tough Guys, though geared toward men’s cuts, serves all customers. Each haircut comes with your choice of beverage, whether beer, soda or water. Though Tough Guys does take appointments, Hardwell said most of her clients are walk-ins.
Tough Guys is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
