Another Belhaven eatery could be on the rocks. See which one

There are few chefs or restaurant owners in Central Mississippi that have received as many accolades as Louis LaRose, who owns Lou's Full-Serv in Belhaven and Lou's Southern Sandwich Company in Ridgeland.

Yet, LaRose will tell you accolades, appearances, awards and well wishes don't pay the bills.

"We need every bit of support we can get right now," LaRose told the Clarion Ledger specifically about Lou's Southern Sandwich Company, which opened in August of 2023. "We had a really good few weeks when we first opened, then it began to get quiet after Labor Day. But we are still over here making good sandwiches, salads and stuff every day, just trying to get the word out."

The sandwich shop is located at 1067 Highland Colony parkway in Ridgeland where two upscale, well-thought-of-sandwich shops were previously located and ultimately failed in recent years.

"I can't speak for the other places. I thought Majestic Burger was successful. He sold that and they rebranded and then changed concepts. I'm just not sure any of that worked out," LaRose said. I'm just trying to not let the same thing happen to me. I feel like we are in a good location, and we are serving a good homemade product."

LaRose was formerly a chef at POET’S, Sam’s Westside and Bravo! before opening the iconic Lou's Full-Serv in 2013. There, Lou's projects an energetic, yet laid-back vibe in a restaurant that's part history/part modern-day courtesy of original features from the previous century such as subway tiles and an old post office window combined with metal features and industrial-like lighting.

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It's located next to what was the Jitney #14 in the Parkins Pharmacy building.

And while Lou's Full-Serv has been successful for more than a decade now, LaRose says that location, just down the street from Belhaven Town Center, could be better.

"We are not without our struggles there too," said LaRose. "I'll be honest. It's been a rough last three years in Jackson. Between lockdowns, Coronavirus and other things, it's been a struggle ever since. Also, there are nicer, newer places that people like to go to."

While not a full-service restaurant and not associated with LaRose, District Donuts, just down the street, closed in recent months, but was generally considered a hit from a quality of product standpoint.

"Again, I can't speak to that, but we definitely aren't seeing the traffic that we once saw, but nothing else has really changed," LaRose said. "Maybe there are other areas that people congregate that we aren't seeing the same levels of business that we have seen in the past. But we are still making everything in house, daily and putting our best efforts toward making everything."

Parking problem in Ridgeland

At Lou's Southern Sandwich Company at The Township, there have been complaints to LaRose about parking because of a fast-casual restaurant in close proximity, but he says there are lots of places where parking is at a premium.

"Ultimately, I feel like we are serving a good homemade product," he said. "I may be a dollar or two per person higher than say a Newk's, but I also feel like we are serving a superior, locally-made, hand-made product that's not shipped out of commissary kitchen or anything that is precooked. We do everything in house here, much like what we do in Jackson."

He said he also believes not every one knows everything about the Southern Sandwich Company yet as well and he hopes that time can heal some of that. He also said he hopes there's enough time to allow that to happen.

Too many places to eat?

One of the things LaRose says could be an issue, particularly for his establishment in Belhaven is the number of good, quality fine-dining restaurants in the Jackson area.

"People are opening up a lot of restaurants," he said. "There people putting big money behind stuff. I am personally terrified of big deals, just because of initial investments, but there are a lot of other places."

He said there is more to the business these days than putting out good, quality food and being a destination location.

"I think there are a lot of other areas that bring something to the table, whether its the Town Center in Belhaven or the District at Eastover or Highland Village or Renaissance, where a lot of people are more likely to go and patronize because there are so many more other things that are readily available to do while they are there," LaRose said. "We don't win every day, but we damn sure try."

LaRose said that he is in touch with a lot of small business people in the Jackson area that are struggling as well.

"I had a conversation with a small bakery owner just last week and they are experiencing the same kind of issues," he said. "But there are also other who are flourishing. So, for us, it's hard to put a finger on the real problem. So, all we can really do is keep trying to do our best. We have had our struggles with certain things, but we are not going to compromise on what we serve and the quality of our product."

As for potentially moving Lou's Full-Serv from Belhaven to another location within the Metro area, LaRose said he is committed to "continue to work hard where we are."

Despite the struggles, both restaurant are serving high-quality food.

At Lou's Full Serv, both redfish dishes are popular. The short rib, the filet and the ribeye are some of the most ordered items on the menu and get rave reviews.

For dessert, the blueberry cake cobbler and bread pudding are a perfect way to end the dining experience.

"Those items will never change because we like to offer some things that people can know they can expect, time and again," LaRose said.

Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on Twitter @GreenOkra1.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Another Belhaven eatery could be on the rocks. See which one