Jackson Free Press

While some businesses are busy introducing themselves to the Jackson metropolitan community, others who have already established their presence are finding innovative ways push forward even further.

As such, this list details renovations, relocations and more that local businesses have been making over the fall quarter.

Ed's Burger Joint/Capri Theater

Mississippi restaurateur Robert St. John, owner of the Purple Parrot and Crescent City Grill in Hattiesburg, will soon re-open the long-closed Capri Theater in Fondren alongside bringing another of his Hattiesburg restaurants, Ed's Burger Joint, to the neighborhood.

St. John plans to use a remodeled former service station that once housed 
Butterfly Yoga, which closed in 2017, as part of the new restaurant. Ed's Burger joint will serve burgers, shakes, homemade frozen pops and more, and will have rooftop seating and a rooftop bar.

Additionally, St. John will re-open and remodel the Capri, which has been closed since 1985. The renovations will include a new projection system, reclining seats and a full bar. When it re-opens, the Capri will have the only movie screen in Jackson. The theater will have seating for 170 people and a 40-foot screen and will show both first-run and classic movies, as well as host live music shows and more.

St. John will also open a 10-lane bowling alley, Highball Lanes, beside the Capri, which will contain a cocktail bar and a restaurant that will serve the cuisine of Crescent City Grill. St. John also plans to open a tiki bar called The Pearl next to the bowling alley. Construction should finish in 2020.

B&B Theatres at Northpark

Northpark announced in May that it will open a new 14-screen movie theater by fall 2019. B&B Theatres, which has 50 locations nationwide, is partnering with Northpark to open its second location in Mississippi on 250 Ring Road in Ridgeland, which surrounds Northpark. The other B&B Theatres in Mississippi is at the Vicksburg Mall.

For the new theater, Northpark and B&B Theatres will renovate the former Regal Cinema, which closed in January 2019.

The renovations will include changes to the lobby, restrooms and concession area, as well as the installation of new screens, seating, carpeting, countertops and signage. The renovations will also include a new exterior facade and a resurfaced parking lot.

B&B Theatres will include amenities such as the Marquee Bar, a full-service bar with beer, wine or cocktails for guests age 21 or older. The theater will also have a lounge, a made-to-order food menu, auditoriums with electronic heated leather recliners and other features.
 Malco Grandview Madison

Memphis-based Malco Theatres has renovated the Malco Grandview Cinema in Madison to contain the first IMAX theater in Mississippi. A release from Malco states that the IMAX will open in time for the release of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" on Dec. 20, 2019.

Malco has also made additional renovations to the Madison theater, including upgrading the concession area into the Malco Cinema Grill with an expanded food and drink menu; installing a new private-event space that includes virtual-reality devices; and luxury recliner seats for all screening rooms.

For more information, call 601-898-7819 or visit malco.com.


Humana Ridgeland

Medicare health-benefit company Humana Inc. held a grand re-opening for its Ridgeland facility on Wednesday, Sept. 25. The remodeled Humana Ridgeland location has 1,400 additional square feet of space to house fitness, health and wellness classes, as well as a new coffee station.

Humana health insurance agents will assist members and Jackson residents with health insurance questions at the site. Humana Ridgeland also offers free fitness classes, health and wellness seminars and education classes on specific diseases.

Humana Ridgeland is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 601-605-5130 or visit Humana's website.

Stewpot Renames Food Pantry

Stewpot Community Services held a grand opening and dedication ceremony for its newly relocated and expanded food pantry, named in honor of former Stewpot Executive Director Rev. Frank Spencer, on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Stewpot will offer tours of the pantry, its community kitchen and the St. Dominic Community Health Clinic located on the building's first floor.

The Stewpot food pantry originally opened more than 30 years ago in the basement of the renovated church that the organization operates out of, and reopened in its new location on Oct. 21.

The new facility is wheelchair accessible and operates like a grocery store rather than a standard food pantry.

Stewpot's food pantry serves more than 5,000 people per year, half of which are senior citizens age 65 or over. Stewpot also provides guests with travel bags of items that don't need heating, including canned food, dried fruit and other items.

Stewpot's community kitchen is free and open to all visitors for lunch service every day at noon. The food pantry is open in the morning, and service there ends when lunch service begins.

The facility also houses the St. Dominic Community Health Clinic on its first floor, which serves adults age 18 or over who don't have health insurance. The clinic serves more than 3,000 clients per year and offers primary care, f—lu shots, over the counter medication and more. The clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 601-353-2759 or visit stewpot.org.

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