Starkville’s Cotton District is welcoming a new addition to student nightlife with the construction of The Landing, a rooftop bar on University Drive, expected to open early next year.
The Landing, which will neighbor Bulldog Burger, will be around 10,000 square feet and feature two stories. It will also include a sky lounge that overlooks Mississippi State University. Although there is no set opening date, however, it is expected to be fully operational by mid-to-late January 2025.
The idea for The Landing was a team effort involving the minds of 10 alumni, said owner Ken Ezelle.
“It’s a bar that we wanted for the students at Mississippi State. We all love the university and wanted to give back to the students,” Ezelle said. “We wanted Mississippi State students to have something to be proud of.”
In addition to the bar atmosphere, The Landing will serve bar-type food and provide a venue for local events such as Greek life date parties and game day activities. Ezelle stated that The Landing will be unique in the Cotton District due to its size and ambiance.
“We’ve heard people talking about The Library in Oxford for years. People would say, ‘Starkville should have something like that,’” Ezelle said. “The Landing is going to fulfill those needs and be one of the nicer bars, probably, in the Southeastern Conference.”
The bar’s Cotton District location will make it just a short walk from Davis Wade Stadium. It will be an addition to University Drive, which already encompasses 10 other bars and restaurants in very limited space. Ezelle hopes the location of The Landing will give football fans more space for their postgame celebrations.
“I think just simply the size of it and the aspect of having the rooftop bars — there’s nothing else like that in Starkville,” Ezelle said. “We’re going to have something that can hold 500 to 600 people at a time.”
Josh Haight, general manager of Two Brothers Smoked Meats, shared his thoughts on how the new venue might influence the Cotton District’s dynamic.
“I’m excited to see the Cotton District and Starkville as a whole growing. Anytime a new bar or establishment opens, it has some level of impact on the community,” Haight said. “I think it’ll, hopefully, bring more people to the district, like during game days and stuff, for sure.”
Though the new business will bring in new customers, its effect on parking in the area raised some concerns according to Haight. The limited paid parking spots in the Cotton District are already known to restrict employees and local consumers.
“I mean, we struggle over at Two Brothers with our six, seven or eight spots,” Haight said. “It’s not just people coming in. You’ve got to give your employees somewhere to park.”
While some patrons and employees may struggle to find a place to park, students and residents in the Cotton District can expect to have a new restaurant that is accessible. Clay Roberts, a senior at MSU and Starkville native, expressed a need for an upgraded atmosphere.
“For the student and alumni population, I see The Landing as a further move towards offering a game-day atmosphere on par with other SEC schools,” Roberts said. “Plus, who doesn’t like the idea of having dinner atop the beautiful Greek Revival setting that is the Cotton District.”
