In Oxford, a town known for its quality restaurants, there is no shortage of good eats. Aplós is the newest addition to Oxford’s culinary scene. The Mediterranean and Greek-inspired fast-casual eatery, owned by Alex Eaton, opened in June and has quickly grown in popularity among University of Mississippi students as they returned to Oxford for the start of the school year.
The new Oxford restaurant is Aplós’ third location, with others located in Jackson, Miss., and Ridgeland, Miss. It is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and offers a variety of fresh options to choose from.
Because of his heritage, serving authentic food is vital to Eaton.
“My mom is full-blooded Lebanese, so growing up, I was around a lot of the culture,” Eaton said. “The more I got into my food career, the more I liked that style of food, (especially) the cleaner eating and flavor profile of it. I went to California and worked at a gyro shop, and then went to Lebanon to study the food, and then opened up Aplós in (Jackson, Miss.).”
This trip to Lebanon was especially important to Eaton in crafting his restaurant brand. He continues to rely on the lessons he learned abroad to ensure that his restaurant is up to standard.
“I didn’t want to open up a Mediterranean restaurant without going to the Mediterranean,” Eaton said.
While Aplós is still new to Oxford, students have already begun making their way to the restaurant. Noah Kuehn, a sophomore majoring in business analytics, said he has already visited Aplós twice and enjoyed his experience.
“Aplós is so gas. I’ve been twice now and have got the white chicken pizza, and it is amazing,” Kuehn said. “The crust is super good, and it doesn’t take long at all for my food to come out. They have plenty of seating and misters for when it’s hot.”
The Aplós menu boasts various options of dishes and proteins to ensure there is something for everyone to enjoy.
“I recommend the plates. I, personally, get the roasted chicken or red fish plate, and I sub the vegetables for rice. By the time you get done eating the plate, all the flavors melt together and it’s a really good way to taste the Aplós experience,” Eaton said.
The restaurant happily welcomes students. Lily Potter, an integrated marketing and communications graduate student, believes Aplós has quickly become an excellent fit in the local restaurant scene.
“Aplós has been a great addition to Oxford. The food is delicious, and the menu has a variety of options. The atmosphere is fun, welcoming and relaxed. The service is great, and the staff are very friendly,” Potter said.
Regarding challenges with the new location, Eaton said the restaurant has occasionally run out of seating for its many customers. He and the staff underestimated the amount of business they would receive upon opening. They have fully adjusted now and put more work on the outdoor patio section of seating.
Though the Mississippi heat might deter diners from sitting outside, the restaurant aims to make both indoor and outdoor seating comfortable.
“We got our misters put out earlier than expected. Originally, we were going to wait until next spring. We went ahead and fully loaded the patio. We (have) motorized awnings coming, and the last step will be putting in the heaters,” Eaton said.
For Eaton, the mission of Aplós extends beyond just sharing authentic Mediterranean food with Mississippians.
“Our mission statement is that we bring communities together,” Eaton said. “We don’t want it to turn into a college-only or an old-person-only restaurant. We want it to be a place that truly feels like a community center.”
