For roughly two months the building at 217 East Main St. in downtown Starkville has been undergoing renovations. That’s the 17,000 square foot spot that once housed the old State Theatre. It’s about to be a new restaurant.
The Dawg House Sports Grill will open July 1, according to Britney Ditzig, a marketing coordinator for the restaurant. A grand opening is scheduled for August 22.
Stephen and Danielle Boren are opening the restaurant. They operate another Dawg House Sports Grill in Ruston, Louisiana, the home of Louisiana Tech University. (La. Tech’s mascot is a bulldog, just like Mississippi State University.)
The Ruston location is known for its burgers (they are each made with a half pound of meat), but they also have appetizers, dinner plates and platters, and a bar. Ditzig said while the Starkville location will have the same type approach on its menu, the offerings will be tweaked for the Golden Triangle.
When the doors open on July 1, the restaurant will employ about 50 people. Ditzig said that when fall rolls around, though, and college students come back to town in full force, the restaurant will employ about 100 people.
When MSU students come back to Starkville, they will have more food options than they did at the end of the spring semester.
Wingstop is tentatively scheduled to open on Highway 12, in the old Krystal location, on July 2. Two Brothers Bar, a barbecue restaurant and bar, is slated to open in the Cotton District in late July. And sometime later this year, three other restaurants are slated to open along Highway 12 — Hungry Howie’s Pizza, Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina and Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches.
Back in Columbus, another Dollar General is being built on Highway 45 North, near Gatlin Road. It is being built by Mike Rozier Construction Company. No opening date has been announced.
Dollar Generals typically employ six to 10 people, according to Jaclyn Dees, a communications specialist with the retail chain.
Lastly, some interesting facts culled from a Washington Post story published Tuesday.
In the Golden Triangle, there are 16 libraries and museums, and 34 gun retailers. A breakdown of three counties looks like this: Lowndes County has nine museums/libraries and 17 gun retailers; Oktibehha has six museums/libraries and 11 gun retailers; and Clay County has one library/museum and six gun retailers.
The numbers come from statistics provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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