A popular Black-owned restaurant started as a Coast food truck. Now it’s expanding again.
The Scratch Kitchen, a popular Black-owned restaurant in Ocean Springs, is expanding to another Coast city.
Brittany Cruso’s food truck became famous during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests lined up to get her take on Southern cuisine and her heavenly fruit nachos, a dessert she quickly became known for on the Coast.
She opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in early 2022 on Government Street with an expanded menu and live music. Now, she’s opening a second restaurant in downtown Gulfport.
Cruso announced on Facebook she purchased the space where Palace Cafe was for years on Highway 49/25th Avenue. Her newest spot will be close to Rock N Roll Sushi, The Magnolia Diner, Pop Brothers and Coast Roast Coffee.
She expects Scratch Kitchen Gulfport to open in the fall, and demolition and renovations have already begun on the building.
The blueprints Cruso shared shows the restaurant will have a dining room, bar, tall tables for intimate seating and a patio.
“If you don’t have unwavering faith, I’m here to tell you, you’re doing this life thing all wrong … just work and believe,” she said on Facebook.
Even if you choose to eat dessert first, the rest of the Scratch Kitchen menu offers tapas, salads, sandwiches and favorites from Cruso’s food truck days including flat breads, smashed potatoes and loaded nachos.
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 10:47 AM.
