Local restaurant in Starkville celebrates 40 years
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – What started as a weekend hobby for Berry and Margaret Ann Wood has become a 40-year staple on the Starkville restaurant scene.
The Woods were known for their weekend Barbeques, and friends convinced Mr. Wood to let the public in on the flavor.
In 1985, the Woods started smoking and selling out of a former gas station, and The Little Dooey was born.
They quickly outgrew that spot and found a larger building that still serves their customers on March 28.
For 40 years, The Little Dooey has managed to not only survive but thrive, even as other restaurants have come and gone.
It has been a favorite of locals, students, and SEC sports fans, who keep coming back.
Bart Wood represents the second generation to run the business, and he says it’s the loyal regulars who keep things going.
“We just want to thank people, and I want them to feel like we’re grateful and humble for what we’ve built here. And it’s not that we’ve built it. We’ve built it with them. I still have people today who will call me on my personal cell phone. They’ll say, ‘Hey Bart, pay attention to this’, or ‘Hey Bart, that was great’, and we’re always listening, always trying to evolve and be better, because they’re the ones that make this thing work – our customers – those that come week-in and week-out. They make this thing work,” said Bart Wood, Co-owner of The Little Dooey.
And The Little Dooey is looking to the future. Bart’s son Connor has joined the business, making it to a third generation.
