Dreams do come true, and they are blissful

Southern Bliss Grill is owned and run by a mom and daughter duo team. Debra Haithcock and Christy Baggett opened their restaurant in Teachey, officially on July 8, 2024. What used to be known as Dixon’s Grill, now serves both breakfast and lunch.

“Unlike Dixon’s Grill, we do things a little differently here, meaning we are not cash only, we accept all payments.”

Their environment speaks of family and love for all, pouring just as much back into their customers as their customers pour into them. Running things all on their own, Christy takes care of the customers and their orders, and mom Debra is the cook. Meeting each other in the middle, along with other family members — they pretty much get the job done, without fail or complaint.

When asked what stirred up the idea for them to become owners, Debra said, “I have been in the industry for probably about thirty years, off and on, and I was in Florida, working as General Manager of a restaurant there, and just got tired of giving it to the other man and this has been our dream and I called Christy and we talked it over and decided to get our own restaurant.”

Chiming in, Christy, who is engaged and has four children, stated that, “I was always for it, I have been in the industry as well for a long time, working at the Pizza Corner for about ten years pouring into the community and the community has always stood behind me, this has always been my dream, so, here I am, they’re pouring into me like I pour into them.”

The thing they both most enjoy about owning their own restaurant is that it’s given them a chance to fulfill their dreams and give back to the community. “My joy is the connection with the community. That was my biggest thing whenever we first came into it, like, I can cook mama, but I don’t wanna cook, I’m all about the social part. That was one of my biggest things, to make sure that I keep that personal connection because it’s so rare now and that’s important to me, and so, I want to always try and maintain and keep that up. It makes customers feel good when they walk in the door and you can greet them with a smile and call them by name, or you know, somebody calls and you say, you want your regular? It’s home, it is home, that’s the whole point, make people smile, make them feel at home,” said Christy Baggett.

Knowing that this is theirs, and that they are their own bosses, they credit what they do now, with knowing the business inside and out. They had to ask themselves, “Why do it for someone else, when they could do it for themselves, how they wanted to do it?”

“Our ideas are what we put on that menu. We ain’t got to listen to somebody else…it’s our recipes,” said Debra Haithcock. The one thing that they did not change on their menu is Dixon’s Burger.

“We didn’t call it the Dixon’s Burger, it was already traditionally and originally Dixon’s, which we absolutely support and honor that, and we think a lot of the Dixon’s in general because it not only gives us the opportunity to come in here and do our thing but just because they’re family. They’re a family and they worked together, and they supported us,” said Christy. The most favorable and biggest thing from their crafted and put together menu that their customers order are their home fries, freshly pressed every day.

Becoming part owner of Southern Bliss Grill was a sure thing for Christy, being a mother of four, because she said that being home every afternoon and every night for her family was truly important to her, especially since she would have to work nights, and it took time away that she knew she wouldn’t be able to get back, but now, she is afforded to be able to do that — to be here.

Family is very important to her, and the restaurant levels things out more to her and her family’s advantage as she has three daughters. “I have two dogs at home that I was away from for a long time, thirteen years while in Florida, and now that I’m back home, doing this, I get to go home to them every night, because they’re family too,” said Debra.

If you’re ever coming through Wallace or Teachey or pretty much from anywhere and from any direction, stop in and visit this down-home southern hospitality, where family is everything and everybody is family.

Debra Haithcock and Christy Baggett would like to give a special thanks to those who have helped them along the way:

John HaithcockDavid West and Welding CompanyChris MurphyRichard Yarborough &Clay Barbie

You can visit Southern Bliss Grill at Wallace Highway in Teachey and reach Christy Baggett by email at dixonsgrill24@gmail.com