This time of year holds the most opportunities for a fella like me to pack a bag, hop in the car and kick my feet up at a cozy hotel.
With that in mind, we start off this edition of Goings On with Grant in Crawford. The Hill and Moor Event Venue and Tangerine Motel located in the former Moor High School at 1699 Moor High Road is slated to open on Feb. 16, event specialist Gabby Morgan said.
Morgan told me the renovation project to turn the once abandoned high school building into a brand new event and hotel space with warm colored whites with splashes of orange is nearly complete, with only minor touch-ups left to do, such as painting and other aesthetic work before the grand opening later this month.
“They probably have another week worth touching up stuff,” Morgan said. “But all the big stuff is completely done. So we don’t have to deal with a bunch of banging sounds anymore.”
The project to transform the former school began in March. I was lucky enough to get a tour Wednesday afternoon and saw several walls had been knocked out to open up the original foyer area, and the gym and cafeteria have been redone with new floors.
With it all coming together now, Morgan said the event venue will have several large and small event spaces for everything from Weddings to board meetings, while the motel has 18 rooms. She has already seen positive feedback from folks around the Golden Triangle and has even begun booking weddings for the event spaces.
“A lot of people are really excited,” she said. “We’ve already booked several weddings for this year and people are excited about a new fresh take on the space. And then for the motel. We can never have too many rooms to stay in for game days or weekends. And every bride that booked is just so excited because they could have all their family and friends stay here as well.”
But Crawford isn’t the only town getting a fresh new look to one of its historic buildings.
The old Columbus Inns and Suites, located at 506 Hwy. 45 N., has made strides in the renovation project to become The Suburban Studios, a hotel chain under the management of Choice Hotels, an international brand with more than 7,500 hotels around the globe.
Hotel Manager Angela Sherrod said the company is renovating the entire complex in sections and is currently wrapping up parking lot work on the property as well as some exterior painting on some of the buildings. She expects to reopen by July.
“We have to get the parking lot done first,” she said. “Then we’re going to do the exterior spaces, and then they will move into the rooms.”
Sherrod also said the hotel will add a few studio rooms complete with a kitchenette by combining several of its current spaces, bringing the total number of rooms down from 99 to 80.
We were very excited about the new change,” she said. “I think when the people see that we are doing the renovation, I think it will be good for the business.”
Moving along to West Point, Mary and Adnan Hanania opened the Big H on 45, a Mediterranean and American restaurant, on Wednesday in the former Staffords building at 7257 Hwy. 45 Alt.
Mary said she and her husband moved here from Fairfield, California, where they ran the original Big H Deli, a top 100 restaurant in the nation recipient in 2019. But as time passed, it was time to move closer to her family in Mississippi.
She said the goal was to bring their unique Mediterranean and American fusion-styled cuisine to West Point to recapture the small-town appeal they love and be closer to family.
“We had a history of getting to know our customers by face and by name,” she said. “Here, we just feel like we’re going to be able to connect more with people. It’s a small-town atmosphere, and we absolutely love that.”
Mary also noted her husband’s famous roast beef sandwiches and zesty chicken shawarma. I’ll have to give it a try myself.
Finally, my friends, I hope you’re still hungry for one last update.
Stockman’s Barbeque, a food truck in Starkville, is running the streets of the town with fresh smoked barbeque classics.
Manager Lequeint Brandon said the truck held a soft opening in mid-January and is now in full swing with smoked ribs, pulled pork and other classic barbeque dishes.
The business is open Friday and Saturday starting at 11:30 a.m. Customers can visit the truck’s Facebook page for updates on where the truck will be on the weekends.
Well folks, that’s it for now. Make sure to check back in next week for more goings on in business.
Dispatch reporter Grant McLaughlin writes about business openings and closings, as well as other unique business news. Send business tips to [email protected].
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