This historic Mississippi restaurant is changing locations. See where

The story of food in the Mississippi Delta has many chapters to it.

There's Doe's in Greenville, Lilo's in Leland, Crystal Grill in Greenwood, Abe's in Clarksdale, Crawdad's in Merigold and many more.

There is also Lusco's in Greenwood.

Throughout the end of 2021, media throughout the nation reported the end of an era as the historic venue, that opened in 1933 on the same day of the inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was set to close.

However, it never closed down completely. There were private parties and to-go plates and many other options.

Then, in November last year, it started the process of re-opening on Friday and Saturday nights to serve its blend of Italian and Creole cuisine that has defined the restaurant.

But there was a catch.

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Thomas Long, who is a sixth-generation member of the Lusco family, his father Rhyine Long and John Ramsey Miller, are in the process of moving the business from downtown Greenwood and building a near-exact replica in Taylor, Mississippi, just 6 miles or so south of Oxford.

"Right now the plan is to stay open in Greenwood until May 31," Rhyine Long said.

From there, they will start disassembling the pieces inside the restaurant and reassembling them as it was in a new building they are having built in Taylor about the time school starts and crowds begin to gather to see if Lane Kiffin and his Ole Miss Rebels can make a push for the college football playoff.

"Most everything on the exterior has already been removed, particularly things that need to be refurbished, so they can be moved to Taylor," Rhyine Long said.

They said the historic neon sign from the front of the old building is nearly complete. All of the old booths, everything on the walls and all of the memorabilia will go.

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"Basically, we want people to walk in to the Taylor location and be really weirded out because they think they are in Greenwood," Rhyine's' wife Carrie Hodges Long said.

"We have measured every inch of that place four times to make sure everything fits and make sure everything is as close to the original as possible," Rhyine Long said.

The old building in Greenwood will remain empty.

The ownership group had all moved to Taylor a few years ago, and if there was any chance of Lusco's having a future, it was going to have to be in Taylor.

"We looked at several locations in Oxford, and we had several opportunities, but it was always going to be someone else's spin on recreating it," Rhyine Long said. "But now we are not recreating it, we are moving it. … the same food and the same interior."

As far as staff, the ownership group is trying to keep as many employees as are willing to come along for the ride.

"We have some people who will be relocating. There are some that will be traveling back and forth, and we have some people from the Oxford area that we are training," Rhyine Long said. "It's a mad dash. We are moving our business. We are moving almost all of our staff. So, we believe we will hit the ground running."

As for Greenwood, when the owners decided that the Oxford area was the best place for them to live, it meant that Lusco's days were numbered there.

"We all love Greenwood," Rhyine Long said. "But it was a family decision. It just felt right when we moved our family up here and this feels right, too. I'm not going to say we have outlived the market, but the market in the Mississippi Delta has shrunk."

They said that part of the experience of Lusco's is patrons being able to stay and enjoy the environment for as long as they want. Being in Oxford, they said, meant much higher prices for property.

That also meant having to turn over tables multiple times a night to make more money to go toward higher rent or a lease or a mortgage. They didn't want to do that, and Taylor, while small, provides an opportunity to offer the Lusco's experience.

Of course, Taylor is famous for Taylor Grocery , the catfish joint with live music that also has delicious steaks, chicken, seafood, pork and salads.

In addition to Taylor Grocery, which has been around in some form or another since 1889, the culinary scene also has the funky Southern cuisine of Grit Bistro in the community of fewer than 400 people.

There is also a boutique hotel that is in development for Taylor, which would be just two doors down from Lusco's.

"It's kind of the place to be. It's 6 miles from Taylor to the Oxford Square," Miller said. "Oxford folks are already used to driving to Taylor, and now they have one more reason to come down. Financially, it didn't make sense to be in Oxford."

For now, folks can still enjoy the old digs in Greenwood. However, as the end of May gets closer, the owners say it is getting increasingly difficult to get a reservation.

"Get 'em while you can," Rhyine Long said.

If you have a story idea, Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or at 601-573-2952. You can follow him on Twitter @GreenOkra1.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: This historic Mississippi restaurant is changing locations. See where