As the population of Oxford expands, so does the food scene. While many University of Mississippi students are excited at the prospect of having more well-known franchises brought to the small Southern town, others are concerned about how chain restaurants will affect the future of Oxford’s food culture.
Among these new restaurants joining Oxford soon is Connie’s Chicken on Jackson Avenue, in addition to second helpings of Chick-fil-A and Chipotle.
“I think chains are definitely people’s easier options,” junior communication science and disorders major Haley Harris said.
But she believes Oxonians and students prefer the environments of non-chain restaurants.
“I think (people) definitely want to come to restaurants for the quality of food, the quality of customer service and the overall good environment, instead of just sitting in your car for a fast food restaurant,” Harris said. “It takes less than 10 minutes to get across the whole town. I don’t think we need another Chick-fil-A or Chipotle.”
Venice Kitchen General Manager Addie Brennan, a senior nursing major, thinks that the influx of chain restaurants could take away student employment opportunities.
“This is also a huge work pool for students. Our entire staff is students, so I feel like things would definitely change a lot if we were to get rid of sit-down restaurants or have fast food everywhere,” Brennan said.
Brennan believes Oxford’s local restaurants play a significant role in drawing tourists to the town.
“I definitely think that the food scene contributes to the tourism here. It is nice on the Square to have a bunch of different types of food,” Brennan said. “We’re an Italian restaurant, then there is Bouré, which is more American, and then Ajax, which is Southern comfort. I think it gives us a variety and a lot of options, especially for students. I feel like having different options is great.”
Brennan noted the Oxford culinary scene can be a difficult and competitive market to enter.
“I would say there have been a couple of changes on the Square,” she said. “We had a bar across the way that (went) out of business, and now they’re Donut Distillery, which I think is super cool. I want to try it, but I have seen a lot of tables turn with places like that because it is hard to open a restaurant business here.”
Blu Bistro, an upscale bar and dining establishment, was open for roughly four months and restricted its service to customers 24 years and older. Donut Distillery subsequently occupied the building. The restaurant has several other locations in Tennessee and Texas, plus a new location coming to Arkansas.
Donut Distillery Assistant Manager Blake Stilwell worked at Blu Bistro before its closure.
“The owner just was ready to get out. He was tired of things and wanted to live a different life that did not involve Oxford,” Stilwell said. “The Square is kind of its own breed of things. Everything is busy on certain weekends, and when you have a new business on the Square, it is hard to get into it and get the name out there.”
Unlike Harris and Brennan, Stilwell welcomes the influx of franchises in Oxford.
“I would say chain restaurants coming into Oxford is a good thing,” Stilwell said. “You have Grillhouse and St. Leo, and they’re all higher end restaurants. We don’t really have that lower end ‘it is not super expensive to get a meal’ place.”
Both Brennan and Stilwell praised their establishments for contributing to the local economy by providing crucial employment opportunities for students.
“Oxford is growing at a really phenomenal rate right now, so I think all the new businesses that have opened up have been really good for the town,” Stilwell said. “I’d say 95% of our staff are students. I couldn’t even think of one that we did have who wasn’t a student.”
This article is part of a team-up week activity that the arts and culture section of The Daily Mississippian is hosting. Each arts and culture staff writer collaborated with another writer to complete an article for this week of content.
