Columbus picked up a steakhouse, a fish house, two breakfast-and-lunch cafes, a gyro shop and a sandwich-and-wing shop between June and the end of September. Each one opened inside a space or under a name that already had some history. In that same stretch, the restaurants being built from scratch on Highway 45 North stayed behind construction fencing. Most of what Columbus has gained this year came from reusing old rooms.
That pattern also tells you which "coming soon" signs are close to opening and which still have months to go.
A steakhouse in a former sports bar
Martie's Steakhouse and More opened at 3756 Hwy. 45 N. in August, in the building that used to be Office Sports Grill and Bar. The Dispatch reported that partners Carl Ulmer and Martie Bowen serve ribeyes, New York strips, T-bones, sirloins and chicken tenders. Bowen is a longtime Old Hickory employee and ran her own restaurant on Tuscaloosa Road from 2001 to 2011.
So the building already had a kitchen and a dining room, and one of the owners has run a Columbus restaurant before. The Dispatch listed hours of 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday when it opened.
Big Ed's Fish House at 525 Alabama St. in East Columbus started out as a different plan. Edward and Jennifer Bishop opened it in July. Edward Bishop told The Dispatch that they first looked at turning the space into a pool hall, "but with the layout and East Columbus needing more restaurants, we decided to go with a restaurant." The menu covers catfish, shrimp, oysters, ribeye, cheeseburgers, fried mushrooms, cheese bites, baked potatoes and a salad bar. Hours in July were 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. The Mississippi State Department of Health facility record lists the restaurant as open.
Familiar names at new addresses
The fastest openings this year came from operators who already had customers.
Gyro Guys closed its food truck and came back at the same spot, 1906 Hwy. 45 N., under a new name. New York Gyro now serves lamb, chicken, falafel and shrimp platters, along with gyros, shawarma, Philly cheesesteaks and New York-style hot dogs. According to The Dispatch's June 25 column, everything is made fresh daily and is 100% halal, and the posted hours were 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
American Deli closed its Leigh Mall location in March 2025 and reopened next to Hibbett Sports at 1440 Old Aberdeen Road. The column listed hours of 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
The Flying Spoon is the next one in line. Owner Jennifer Andrews plans to move from the Piggly Wiggly parking lot into a permanent space inside a grocery store in New Hope, and to add breakfast, lunch and desserts to the menu, The Dispatch reported on September 24. No opening date has been announced.
Two new cafes, both in strip-center suites
Both new breakfast spots took suites in existing shopping centers. Neither had to wait on new construction.
Lake & Vine Cafe opened in early July at 720 N. Lehmberg Road, Suite 3, in East Columbus. It serves biscuits, muffins, pancakes, baked potatoes, sandwiches, wraps and a salad bar. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The state health department record lists it as open.
Dark Oak Cafe and Deli opened in late September at 1920 Hwy. 45 N., Suite A, in Northgate Plaza, between Exotic Smokerz and Apothecary Green. Manager Summer Cutrer told The Dispatch that the deli serves breakfast all day, plus coffee and tea, deli sandwiches, smoothies and ice cream. It sits just up the road from New York Gyro at 1906, so that short piece of Highway 45 North now has two new places to eat within a few doors.
Here is everything that has opened since June, with hours as each was reported at opening. Call ahead before you drive over.
| Spot | Address | What's on the menu | Hours as reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Oak Cafe and Deli | 1920 Hwy. 45 N., Suite A | All-day breakfast, deli sandwiches, smoothies, ice cream | Not yet published |
| New York Gyro | 1906 Hwy. 45 N. | Halal gyros, shawarma, platters, cheesesteaks | Daily, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. |
| Martie's Steakhouse and More | 3756 Hwy. 45 N. | Ribeyes, strips, T-bones, chicken tenders | Tue–Sat, 4–9 p.m. |
| Big Ed's Fish House | 525 Alabama St. | Catfish, shrimp, oysters, steak, salad bar | Thu–Sat 4–8 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| Lake & Vine Cafe | 720 N. Lehmberg Rd., Suite 3 | Biscuits, pancakes, wraps, salad bar | Mon–Fri, 6:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. |
| American Deli | 1440 Old Aberdeen Rd. | Sandwiches and wings | Mon–Thu 11–9:30; Fri–Sat 11–10:30; Sun noon–9 |
The new buildings are the ones still behind fencing
The projects Columbus has been asking about the most need new structures, and they are moving much more slowly.
Newk's Eatery and Beef O'Brady's are planned together at 2400 Hwy. 45 N. On August 20, Joe Bostick of Bostick Construction told The Dispatch that Newk's had added a second cook line, which sent the building plans back to the architect for changes. "We should start back to work in a few weeks," Bostick said. "Work will take roughly seven months once we get started back." Seven months from a restart in the fall points to 2027. The original announcement in November 2025 aimed for the end of 2026. We haven't found a construction update after August 20.
Scooter's Coffee is the smaller build, a drive-thru-only kiosk next to Dairy Queen. Bostick said in August that it was moving along well and should open its window in early November. ALDI's grocery store at 1300 Old Aberdeen Road has a 2027 target.
Here is where the remaining projects stand, as of the latest reports.
- Scooter's Coffee, next to Dairy Queen: early November, per the August 20 update.
- The Flying Spoon, inside a New Hope grocery store: no date announced.
- Newk's Eatery and Beef O'Brady's, 2400 Hwy. 45 N.: about seven months of work once construction restarts.
- ALDI, 1300 Old Aberdeen Road: 2027.
Downtown is still a search
None of the new dining rooms above are downtown. The Tavern Wine Bar at 418 Second Ave. N. ended its regular public hours in August. Owner Doug Pellum said it will keep hosting private parties and events.
The one downtown food project in the news so far doesn't have a building. April and Greg Clayton are opening Ramen Lab, a self-serve concept where diners choose a ramen, add toppings and cook it at a ramen cooker. As of October 1, they were still looking for a spot downtown or near the Mississippi University for Women campus and hoped to open by late October or early November. April Clayton explained the idea to The Dispatch:
"We want someone who has never tried this type of ramen before to feel just as comfortable walking through the door as someone who already loves it."
A late-October target is tough when the location isn't settled yet. The places that have opened this year, from Martie's to Dark Oak, all had their space before they announced a date.
The one with no fixed address
Wolf Provisions skips the search for a building altogether. Chef Alex Centeno, head chef at Zachary's and a California transplant with 25 years in kitchens, runs pop-up menus out of a food trailer: smash burgers, street dogs, barbecue plates and "Lobo's Cali Cocina," which features California burritos and Mexican street corn. He told The Dispatch that his mission is "to bring something to Columbus they haven't had before." He hopes to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant eventually. Until then, his Instagram account, @Wolfprovisions2026, posts each day's location, hours and menu.
If you want something new this week, your best options are Dark Oak's all-day breakfast on Highway 45 North, Lake & Vine on a weekday morning, or a Thursday dinner at Big Ed's on Alabama Street. The Scooter's drive-thru is the next one due to open.
Many of the restaurants on this list moved into suites and storefronts that were already built. If you own a Columbus business and want to know what similar space on Highway 45 North or Lehmberg Road would cost to lease, Delta-Gulf Real Estate Corporation handles commercial leasing across the Golden Triangle and can walk you through what's available now.
