On Jan. 28, the definition of a halfway house will change for the residents of Starkville. The Halfway House Bar and Grill will open its doors for business at the former location of Quiznos on University Drive. Owners Darrell Parker, Kenneth Toler and Nathan Kneisly have been wanting to create their own bar they would love to hang out in.
“Even though the remodeling has been hectic, we wanted to create a welcoming atmosphere,” Parker said.
Besides previous experience from bar tending and contracting, Parker and his friends have put their abilities together for Halfway House. Kneisly work at the Starkville Ruby Tuesdays and was the general manager of a Ruby Tuesday in Jackson, Tenn.
There seems to be a gap between downtown and the Cotton District, Kneisly said.
When choosing the name, they decided on the Halfway House because they liked the name and it was their first choice, but also the name fit the location of the place.
The only remnant left from the original business was the “Quiznos Tasty Tip Jar” on the bar.
“When we first bought the place, the first goal was to get rid of the bright colors,” Toler said.
Around the restaurant, seven 50 inch televisions have been mounted on red-painted walls. Behind the dark-stained wooden bar, mirrors accent the draft handles and liquor bottles.
With spring approaching, the owners are looking forward to having bands perform on the patio. On Super Bulldog Weekend, they may close off the parking lot to have a crawfish boil. There is even a Wii console at Halfway House where there will be competitions.
The Halfway House will be offering a wide variety of products Starkville has not seen, such as the “Grilled Cheese Hamburger.” The menu will include 15 varieties of buffalo wings, over 31 different choices of draft beers, which makes it the largest selection of draft beer north of Jackson. Instead of the typical penny pitchers, the liquor specials have not been decided because they are trying to find out what their customers will enjoy, Parker said.  Every item on the menu includes a humorous description.
“Our Caesar Salad is to die for, et Tu, Brute?” was just one of the menu’s original context describing steak and chicken caesar salads. Even though the dessert menu is relatively small, it contains a unique variety, such as a s’more wrapped in a graham cracker ravioli shell.
The Halfway House Bar and Grill’s hours will be from 11 a.m. to close. However, every day from 9 p.m. to close, including the weekends, Halfway House will change into a bar opened strictly to those 21 and up. Job applications will be available Friday for possible employees.
Friday is a day of anticipation for Parker, Toler and Kneisly, Parker said.
“Even people from Oxford have mentioned about coming down for the weekend,” Toler said.
With the neat atmosphere, expect the Halfway House to bind the gap on University Drive and give Starkville a great restaurant to claim.