Big things are happening at popular MS Coast music venue. Here’s what’s new
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- Ground Zero Biloxi adds two upper floors, expanding dining and event offerings.
- New Backroom Lounge features murals, memorabilia and upscale beverage options.
- Third floor flex space hosts social events, games, weddings and dance parties.
People can go to a museum to see history, or they can walk through Biloxi as it once was and hear some good music as Ground Zero Biloxi opens two more floors of entertainment.
The historic Kress Building is expanding into the upper floors, so visitors of all ages can find their niche, whether it’s dinner and a show on the first floor, a social getaway at The Backroom Lounge on the second level or a special event and dance party up top in a wide-open space called the Bucket Truck.
Academy Award Winning actor Morgan Freeman, a co-owner in Ground Zero, occasionally drops by to enjoy his Biloxi club and restaurant that is a franchise of his original Ground Zero in the Mississippi Delta.
“We had given so much attention to downstairs and our tribute to the Delta in Mississippi and the blues genre of music, with all the paraphernalia and pictures and artifacts,” said Lee Young, co-owner of Ground Zero Biloxi.
For the second floor Backroom Lounge, Young said, they decided to do a tribute to Biloxi.
A Coast time capsule
The upscale Backroom Lounge, expected to open in June, is an unusually-shaped space, with a balcony overlooking the stage and a seating area that extends back to a private bar.
On one side of the room are pictures of South Mississippi landmarks, combined into murals that put the viewer back at the drive-in theater, the Broadwater Hotel and Sun Tan Motel. The murals take visitors back to the days when trolley cars ran along Biloxi’s streets and down the Coast, and when Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise was welcomed back with a parade in his hometown.
The other side of the room is decorated with furniture that conveys an art deco-mid-century modern vibe. Displayed on that wall is a photo of singer Jane Mansfield, who died in a car crash after performing at Gus Stevens’ nightclub in Biloxi, along with other South Mississippi memorabilia that will be changed out periodically.
“This space was designed to honor the deep cultural roots and vibrant history that have shaped this city from its days as a coastal fishing village to its evolution into a center of music, resilience and southern hospitality,” said Daniel Givens, general manager of Ground Zero Biloxi.
On display are a Mardi Gras scepter, crown and a cape on loan from members of the community. Givens’ neighbors contributed a guitar autographed by Brooks and Dunn that was packed away in their garage.
They are hoping to display more local treasures, Young said, and are asking anyone who has something they think will fit in the room to loan it for display. They particularly are hoping to get more memorabilia that represents the African American and Asian American communities in South Mississippi, he said.
Stories, drinks music
Backroom Lounge is more than a place to relax and enjoy a drink, Givens said. “It’s a tribute to the stories, sounds and soul of Biloxi.”
It will be a place where people can still hear the music from downstairs while carrying on a conversation, he said.
“We will have a limited appetizer menu and elevated cocktails and wine selection,” Givens said. A Coravin wine list will replace oxygen with argon gas, providing a glass of higher end wine without actually opening a bottle, he said.
The cocktails will be “Instagrammable,” he said, created with a flavor infuser for a smoking Old Fashioned or a bourbon infused with citrus flavor.
It also has its own bartender and private restrooms, along with a new elevator that makes access easier than climbing the stairs.
Third-level party space
The third floor is flex event space that is open and can become a fun happy hour spot with its pool table, foosball table and cornhole games or a Mardi Gras party space. Move some tables around and it becomes a spacious wedding venue. Add a laser light and a DJ and it’s the place for a late night dance party, Givens said.
The outside stairwell of the building will be wrapped to look like a utility bucket truck.
The history theme just fits in this old building with a bootlegger tunnel still visible through a window that gives a peak from the main floor.
Carrying the Biloxi history to the top floor, a penny press salvaged from the Grand Biloxi Casino after Hurricane Katrina still works as part of the project that aims to honor Biloxi’s history and culture while providing a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 7:14 AM.
