GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) — The Downtowner is set to open in late May to early June in downtown Gulfport.
By Thursday afternoon, the restaurant had a nearly full kitchen and furniture already in place. Operators are now completing inspections with the fire department and soon with the health department.
New South Restaurant Group Chief Operating Officer Jarred Patterson said this is more than just a restaurant.
“This is going to encapsulate memories from as early as 1900 Gulfport all the way up until the 80s and 90s in recent times,” Patterson said. “So it’s going to be not only a great place to eat because the food’s going to be fantastic, but it’s also going to be fun to walk around and kind of see that this cafe is going to be all about Gulfport. It’s going to be, hopefully, the most Gulfport cafe in Gulfport.”
Construction began on The Downtowner in May 2025. Building owner Ryan Goldin has seen the process from start to now. He said the best way to describe what he’s seen is “Wow.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“From what it was, which was an old drugstore that everybody remembers, with a soda fountain, with a small kitchen, to what you see behind me and throughout this place is absolutely amazing,” Goldin said. “It has been, it’s been a ride from start to finish, but I felt like once I was able to align myself with the right people, things just started rolling.”
Those involved with The Downtowner are asking for any pictures or trinkets that highlight Gulfport history to feature in the restaurant.
To bring pictures, email Jarred Patterson at jarred@nsrg.com. Also check out The Downtowner’s social media pages for more information and future giveaways.
See a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE.
Copyright 2026 WLOX. All rights reserved.