Take a stroll down E. Front Street in downtown Hattiesburg, throw a rock (not really), and you will hit a restaurant owned by local restaurateur, Nelson Haskin, Jr.
His restaurants have become a staple for many Hattiesburgers and are quickly gaining popularity with visitors, too! Keep reading to learn more about the man behind four of Hattiesburg’s favorite eateries.
VH: Introduce yourself!
NH: Nelson Haskin, Jr., owner of Southbound Bagel and Coffee Shop, Nellie’s Chicken & Daiquiris, Nellie’s Food Truck, Blu Jazz Cafe, and Hattiesburgers and Blues.
VH: Why did you choose downtown Hattiesburg?
NH: It was a good starting point because they had a good building available, first and foremost. Once we got here, I liked the vibe and everyone here seemed to have a common goal. I just like downtown areas, I like sidewalks, I like the sense of community. So having a restaurant within a community just made me a part of it, and I felt like there was room to grow. They always say you need to have a great location and that is true, but I like the challenge of having a location in a cool place and bringing the people to us.
VH: What do you do when you’re not running your businesses, you know, with all of your “free time”?
NH: I’m at home and try to spend time with my family as much as possible.
VH: Anyone dead or alive, who would you want to cook for and eat with at one of your restaurants? Why?
NH: Leon Sims. He was a cook at Chesterfields and was a manager at 24 years old. He took me under his wing and helped me learn how to gain the respect of older cooks in the kitchen. He helped me learn how to be a good manager, and he also taught me how to cook my first steak.
VH: What is your favorite restaurant?
NH: Half Shell Oyster House
VH: What inspires your menus?
NH: Past experiences in other restaurants and also looking at the lay of the land, where I’m at and seeing what we don’t have. Also, doing research on what people like and meeting those needs. For example, burgers. Burgers are always the top selling food in America, and I love hamburgers. The challenge is to make a really good homemade burger that everybody will like. So just researching, seeing what’s trending, staples in American food, and most importantly, just the foods that I like.
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