True southerner, Jeff Dudley, has finally moved back to his roots.
After living in Portland, Oregon, he’s glad to be back in the South and he’s brought a new food concept with him.
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for the Yardbird Bento traveling food truck. Dudley said while the menu isn’t finalized yet, he will serve marinated chicken on beds of rice with up to 10 sauces to choose from.
“There are a lot of food carts (in Portland),” Dudley said. “There was one particular one that was there that did this same thing, and they’ve been doing it for 16 years. I frequented the place quite a bit. … We moved back here and this is what we decided to go with.”
The Yardbird Bento will be open by next month Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The food truck will be stationed in various areas throughout Columbus, but you can keep up with the Yardbird Bento’s Facebook page.
After just a year in town, Dudley added he loves Columbus and he’s excited for his first business venture to take off.
“I grew up in the South and I’m glad to be back,” Dudley said. “I want to give back to the community. It seems like such a welcoming community and we’re really happy here. We want to be able to make an impact in the community and make a living while doing it.”
Also, a Columbus health store has expanded to Starkville.
Hollydale Health Food Store, which has been open in Columbus since 1976, opened its second location last month.
Owner Justin Stephenson decided to open a spot in Starkville after so many customers traveled from there to his Columbus location.
“There was a need in Starkville,” Stephenson said. “We had so many customers coming from Louisville, Starkville and Ackerman. I always saw a need for a local health store in Starkville. It’s a college town, and I think people are more health conscious in Starkville.”
The health food store at 446 Hwy. 12 Suite B, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
You can find all-natural products at Hollydale’s including loose herbs, vitamins, all-natural deodorants, gluten-free snacks and more.
Stephenson’s shops also sell sea moss. According to Web MD, sea moss is a type of seaweed that has numerous health benefits ranging from Parkinson’s Disease prevention to boosting your immune system.
“It’s good for everything, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, people use it for energy, pain and blood pressure,” Stephenson said. “It’s super duper good for anything. We’ve been selling it for a year now and we’ve been selling it like crazy.”
Be sure to check out the new health spot in Starkville.
Also, we’ve got some cool state news.
Yazoo County native Chat Phillips is putting a new kind of tea on the shelves in Mississippi.
Phillips started the Inaka Tea Company in 2019, and his bottled teas can now be found in our local Kroger stores.
The tea company manufactures barley tea, a roasted grain tea that has a nutty flavor.
Phillips had his first iced barley tea in Japan as a college student. Simply put, after that glass he was hooked. He started brewing his own tea when he moved back to Mississippi and started the Inaka Tea Company from there.
Now, the Golden Triangle tea lovers can try a new (to us) tea at Kroger. Next time you’re shopping, be sure to support some Mississippi entrepreneurs.
Former Dispatch reporter Mary Pollitz writes about business openings and closings, as well as other unique business news. Send tips to [email protected].
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