West Point Mayor Rod Bobo purchased a vacant building with hopes to pour back into the city.
About a year later, he and his partner, local attorney Robin Brown, opened Coleman’s Bar and Bistro at 120 S. Division St.
“I felt like the need was there, so we went and recruited some qualified staff, from the culinary chefs to the bartender. … We really feel like we have a good product to offer for people.”
Coleman’s offers a high-end style menu including lamb chops, steaks and pastas with a lounge area that offers bar favorites like wings, burgers and fries. Bobo said the cigar lounge has a small selection of cigars for folks to enjoy as well.
You can check out Coleman’s Bar and Bistro for a blue plate lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and soul food 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. It is also open for evenings 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight on Fridays, and 5 a.m.-1 a.m. on Saturdays.
Bobo is excited about how the public has received the new restaurant.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” he said. “We’ve learned things we can improve on, and we’re working our way through those kinks so we can offer our customers a superior experience every time.”
Moving over to Columbus, a new food truck is facing some issues.
Gyro Guys opened their food truck not long ago; however, according to their social media it is closing temporarily.
“After successfully establishing our business and acquiring all necessary approvals and documents, the state of Mississippi has unfortunately decided to revoke our license and permit,” the social media post reads. “This decision was made on the grounds that the employee who approved our application was reportedly in a training period, and that our trailer is deemed unsuitable for serving the food listed on our menu. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and assure you that we are working diligently to resolve these matters.”
Gyro Guys are working on reopening, but there is no hard timeline.
Also in town, a local produce vendor expanded its operations.
Cynthia Killingsworth, owner of Military Produce Market at 1112 Military Road, opened a new location this season at 1702 Martin Luther King Drive.
“Our plan is to be a small grocery store, providing convenience to our neighbors, especially those with no transportation,” Killingsworth said.
Follow along on social media for more details, but you can check out produce, jams and jellies, breakfast sandwiches and more 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday on MLK.
Heading over to Starkville, a new dispensary celebrated its new location.
Rootdown, located at 605 S. Jackson St., hosted a pop up celebration earlier this month.
Rootdown operates more than 20 locations across Mississippi, expanding access to medical cannabis statewide. Its Starkville dispensary is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays.
According to its website, Rootdown prioritizes its patients and their needs while staying true to its Mississippi roots. Founded with a mission to increase access to medical cannabis, the company has opened multiple locations to better serve patients throughout the state.
Moving on to one of my favorite, albeit sneezy, parts of the year.
If you look outside, you’ll see your car is coated in yellow, and I’m walking around with a box of tissues. Yes, spring is in full swing, which means we’re gearing up for farmers market season.
Celebrating 50 years of farmers market greatness, The Hitching Lot in Columbus is preparing for its season grand opening May 9. May will be here before you know it. The Hitching Lot will be open 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday and 7-10 a.m. on Saturdays May through October.
Applications are open now for the Starkville Community Market at starkvillecommunitymarket.org. The market is open for the 2026 season, starting in May at Fire Station Park. Vendor submissions are due May 22, and the market is open 8 -11 a.m. on Saturdays.
The West Point Market opens later this summer in June.
See y’all next week.
Former Dispatch reporter Mary Pollitz writes weekly about interesting business news. Have a tip? Send it to [email protected].
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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 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
