Sawmill Restaurant officially closes; locals reflect on its heyday

STONE COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - The Sawmill Restaurant provided entertainment and a positive gathering space for the people of Stone County.

People like store owner Ms. Sew N’ Sew’s Quilt Shop owner Deana Cooley and her family still remember the first day they stepped inside the restaurant.

“We go back starting in 96′, 97′ I think,” said Deana Cooley. “So, buffets were big back then and we enjoyed it.”

Cooley says the center was not only a place to eat, but also a place where people would meet up after church to grab a lunch together.

“We had half the restaurant filled. You could fill half the restaurant up,” said Cooley. “I don’t know, we just felt like part of the family going there. We had a shop just south of it, so we were there a lot...We would do our lunch there and of course my husband would go over there a lot of times and fix his own.”

Now, that the restaurant is closed and could possibly serve a different purpose. Cooley says she hopes the new owners would keep the family friendly feeling for their next project.

“Just to have that home away from home feeling would be the big thing. Feel really welcomed there, just the atmosphere. And most importantly good food.”

The new owners told the Stone County Enterprise they will lease the Sawmill building, but didn’t say if it will remain a restaurant.

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