This week there are two restaurants — one locally-owned in Columbus, one a chain in Starkville — and a new apparel store to tell you about.
Let’s start in Columbus.
Cafe Unique Home Cooking is located on Airline Road. The owner is Johnnie McBride, a Columbus native. Her restaurant specializes in home cooked soul food.
It opened on 14th Avenue North in 2013. In June, it moved to 94 Airline Road. That is where every weekday at lunch, McBride’s staff serves up the food, she said, that “everybody likes but few cook at home anymore.”
We’re talking neckbones and salmon patties. Chitlins and catfish. Fried chicken, pork chops and meatloaf. Fresh vegetables, cornbread and more.
“All that old stuff,” McBride told The Dispatch on Wednesday.
McBride always loved preparing food. In 2007, she opened a restaurant near Columbus Air Force Base. It didn’t last. “But I never gave up on my dream,” she said.
Cafe Unique Home Cooking is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday and Sunday. It is closed Saturday.
The cafe employs six people. The phone number is 662-327-4863.
Over in Starkville, on Highway 12, a Panda Express has opened.
The eatery — the largest Chinese-American food chain in the U.S. — serves its food buffet-style. The signature dish is orange chicken.
The restaurant opened its first store in California in 1983. Since then, it has grown to more than 1,700 locations.
The new Starkville location is at 1004 Hwy. 12 West, near Walmart. There is another location, as well, at 198 Blvd., on the Mississippi State University campus.
Lastly, staying in Starkville, The Shirt Shack opened last Thursday.
They offer Mississippi State University apparel, decals for your vehicle, hats, assorted Greek apparel, bags and other items. They can accommodate special bulk orders for different groups, as well, creating a shirt for any event or organization. In the future, they will offer tailgating supplies, according to Will Malone, the store’s manager.
The Shirt Shack is located at 1085 Stark Road.
Browning on Business is a weekly column that runs each Thursday. We want your input. Send items and tips to [email protected] or [email protected].
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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