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The former Shoney’s on North Gloster Drive will be transformed into Restaurant South by February. The building has been vacant since May 2011, when Shoney’s closed. (THOMAS WELLS | DAILY JOURNAL)
Blair Hughes owns Park Heights, an upscale restaurant in downtown Tupelo’s Fairpark District.
She said renovation work started last week on the building. The crews are remodeling the interior and exterior of the building.
She’s converting it into what will be called Restaurant South, which will serve upscale, updated soul food.
“Instead of fried okra, we’re going to have tempura-fried okra,” she said.
She hopes to be open Feb. 1.
The menu and hours are not finalized, but as of this week, she plans to be open for dinner Monday through Saturday.
Entrees will be in the $15 to $22 range, she said. The restaurant also will have a bar and wine list.
Blair Hughes plans to focus on local food and Gulf Coast seafood. Possible menu items include Gulf Grouper with sweet corn cream and a root vegetable gratin.
The menu will be different from what Park Heights serves, she said.
“It’s definitely Southern cuisine, but it’s taken up a notch and maybe prepared a little differently than how they’ve had it prepared in the past,” she said. “Updated Southern cuisine.”
She plans to hire 20 employees as servers, cooks and busboys.
Interested applicants should apply after Jan. 1 at Park Heights.
carlie.wells@journalinc.com