New food hall opens in Flowood. You already know the name
When Nathan Glenn was 9 years old in 1984, his father, Tim Glenn, put him to work from time to time at the original Rooster's Restaurant on Roach Street in downtown Jackson. He would pick up trash, wash dishes and occasionally stand on a milk crate to help cook, when it was necessary.
That all-hands-on-deck family mentality is still a staple as Nathan and his family have expanded the business over the years, which includes Basil's Restaurant.
The newest addition is the Basil's/Rooster's combo that officially opened to the public on Monday off Airport Road in Flowood.
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"We had a little soft opening last week, and we pulled all of our family members in to help us get open," Nathan Glenn said. "It's really a combination of Roosters and Basil's. We kind of have that in Fondren with both close to one another. But this is different in that they are both physically under the same roof and the same kitchen."
He said there are two separate lines with two separate menus.
"It's like a little mini food hall. We are real excited with it," Glenn said.
He said that when the website is fully functional after the staff is completely trained, people will be able to order from both menus online and pickup.
Rooster's is famous for its crispy chicken, but it also has a cheeseburger that folks drive from far and wide to order. Basil's has 12 kinds of gourmet pizzas with four sauces (white, tomato, honey barbecue, southwest coffee barbecue) in addition to the panini and salad menu.
Among the most popular pizzas is the John Wayne that is topped with beef brisket, caramelized onions, jalapenos and southwest coffee barbecue sauce and served with a side of chipotle bacon ranch sauce. All of the pizzas come with the sauce for dipping.
The expansion into Flowood means there are now two Rooster's locations and four Basil's locations with plans to open more in the near future as Glenn and the family explore franchising opportunities for Basil's, specifically.
"Our brand is strong," Glenn said. "We hit Fondren 20 years ago, and a lot of people like to give us credit for helping to revitalize the area. Maybe there is a little truth to that, but it's probably more of being in the right place at the right time. But we are community oriented and want to help give back whenever we can."
There is the Rooster's in Fondren as well as now in Flowood, and there are Basil's locations in downtown Jackson on Congress Street, in the Renaissance in Ridgeland, on State Street in Jackson and now in Flowood.
Glenn still has fond memories of the original location, which backed up to the King Edward Hotel.
"Man, as a 9 year old. I can remember running around behind the restaurant hunting rats with a blow dart. That is absolutely the truth," he said. "Then I can remember at one of the other restaurants, the cook didn't show up. My dad threw an apron around my neck, put me on a milk crate and showed me how to sauté shrimp and mushrooms. So, yeah, a lot of memories, and it was all about family then and it is all about family now."
Franchising opportunities
Glenn has opened or been a part of opening 15 restaurants of different kinds over the years, but now he is looking to expand the brand of Basil's.
"One of the reasons we were building this location in Flowood is for models for upcoming franchising opportunities," he said. "We are putting the final touches on that now, a lot of legal and paperwork still to go."
Glenn said he also has some other opportunities with other business people in the area that he hopes to be able to announce in the near future.
Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on Twitter @GreenOkra1.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Basil's, Rooster's restaurants open new location in Flowood MS
