Restaurants. Breweries. Hotels. These are the top 2021 openings across the MS Coast.
One of the biggest development projects in South Mississippi in 2021 actually opened the last week of 2020.
The $11 million Pearl Hotel — new in the heart of Old Town — has sparked development in downtown Bay St. Louis since it debuted last Christmas Eve.
Now there are upscale hotel rooms right in the downtown, where people can stay and walk to the restaurants, shops and nightlife. Thorny Oyster and Smoke restaurants opened at The Pearl, along with Hinge cocktail bar.
Fleurty Girl boutique moved its headquarters from New Orleans to the Bay for a time after Hurricane Ida. The Bay St. Louis store later expanded to a newly-renovated home at 216 Main St. Owner Lauren Haydel isn’t done yet. “We’ll be opening up the suites behind and above the shop soon and you can shop + stay + play in the Bay with us,” says a post on their Facebook page.
Murky Waters BBQ opened a fourth location, this one at the former site of Lulu’s Old Town in Bay St. Louis.
The new Court St. Cafe brought an international menu to the Bay and the infamous Mockingbird Café expanded with an outdoor “Birdgarden” to host community festivities.
Building for generations
New senior living homes opened in 2021 as Baby Boomers look to retire in style. The Blake in Biloxi began welcoming new residents at the beginning of the year and The Claiborne at Gulfport Highlands opened later in 2021.
Downtown apartments are returning to Coast cities in the hopes of attracting young professionals who want to live amid the action. Pascagoula and Biloxi downtowns are being revived and apartments are a big part of those plans. The Hemingway boutique hotel opened in Ocean Springs to provide an upscale space for those who want to vacation in downtown.
COVID-19 fueled the race to establish dominance in health care on the Coast. Coastal Family Health, Memorial Hospital, Singing River Health System and Ocshner Health System all opened new clinics and other facilities or expanded their services to treat all ages.
Sipping and shopping
It was a year when new Dollar General stores popped up like wildflowers in Ocean Springs, D’Iberville and several other areas across the Coast. America’s Thrift Store opened in Biloxi and St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store opened in Ocean Springs.
Renee Loranger turned her $25,000 win on The Food Network’s Halloween Baking Challenge into Sugar Pop Bakery at the Ground Zero Museum in Waveland
New coffee shops and breweries popped up to provide a fun way to relax and forget the issues the pandemic brought to Coast lives.
Fly Llama Brewing opened in January on Bohn Street, just north of MGM Park and in Biloxi’s entertainment district.
Lost Springs Brewing Co. is just opened in downtown Ocean Springs and has a bar with a live edge indoors, or customers can head outside to the heated patio and watch people wander by.
Restaurants galore
Mostly 2021 was a year of restaurant openings in South Mississippi and more are on the way.
Starbucks is now open outside Edgewater Mall in Biloxi.
Opening anytime in Gulfport, Sully’s in downtown Gulfport is in a building big enough to accommodate a restaurant, separate bar and wedding and meeting venue. Also opening any day is I Heart Mac & Cheese on Pass Road in east Gulfport.
Two of the biggest openings this year were Martini’s on Howard Avenue in Biloxi and The Lady May on Washington Avenue in Ocean Springs, where customers can dine indoors or sit outside in the large courtyards.
Barbecue was big this year. The Rib Crib opened in Ocean Springs to huge crowds wanting to try the restaurant chain, based in Oklahoma, and its first Mississippi location. Nae Nae’s Memphis Style BBQ opened in Waveland and The Thumpkeg in Kiln.
Closed in 2021
While the Coast celebrated openings in 2021, South Mississippi also lost several businesses to the challenges of COVID-19 and changing times.
Restaurants were hard hit over the past two years of the pandemic.
Palace Grill in Gulfport closed after 60 years. The Parks family opened in 1960 and were hit hard by the coronavirus.
Rosie’s Cantina that was known for its tacos and tapas closed in Ocean Springs.
Greenhouse in Ocean Springs closed, while the Biloxi location remains open.
Purple Banana in Bay St. Louis closed.
Wells Fargo closed the downtown Biloxi branch of the bank and Hancock Whitney closed several branches across the Coast as customers move to online banking.
The Disney Store closed at Gulfport Premium Outlets closed permanently.
What’s to come
Developers said the coronavirus put a hold on plans, but now building and remodeling is happening across the Coast.
Several restaurants are under construction and will open in 2022.
Housing developments are being built and adding thousands of new homes and apartments in South Mississippi.
A waterfront amusement park will debut next year at Margaritaville Resort Biloxi and at least three new casinos are proposed on the Coast.
With hundreds of millions of dollars flooding into the Coast from BP funds, the Cares Act, infrastructure funds and private development, 2022 promises to be a year of openings for South Mississippi.
