RED BAY | After a two-year break, Brent and Lorie Collum have made a prayerful decision to re-open Fourth Street Grill and Steakhouse.
For the last two years, the building has been leased and occupied by El Patron Mexican restaurant. Earlier this year, El Patron closed its business, leaving the building empty.
“We have a business sitting empty,” Lorie Collum said. “Not only is that not a good financial decision, but another restaurant option is a need for our community and our motorhome customers who visit Red Bay looking for a variety of options, Southern food, as well as a good experience.”
Both Lorie and Brent come from a background of working in the restaurant business. Lorie graduated from Red Bay High School and then earned an associate’s degree in science from Northwest Shoals Community College. She started working for a local restaurant in her early twenties and found a love for the fast-paced challenges the food industry offered.
“After two years of college and few different jobs I found myself back in the restaurant business and fast tracking my way through a management position in a corporate restaurant,” Lorie said. She got most of her knowledge and management experience working for a big-name casual dining restaurant. Upon leaving there, she worked helping a group of partners in the Franklin County area open and franchise a restaurant that is still in business in the Shoals and Florence area. After ten years of traveling to work out of town she left the restaurant business, but never felt like she knew how to do any other type of work.
Brent was born and raised in Red Bay and graduated from Red Bay High School as well. He went on to Northeast Mississippi Community College and then to Mississippi State University, where he pursued a degree in Industrial Technology. While in college, he worked part time in the restaurant business and continued to do so after he begin his career. He began his career in 2000 in the furniture industry. From there he went into the window blind industry in the engineering field. Throughout his engineering career, he never left the restaurant business, always working part time and on the weekends. He worked on the catering side of the business.
Before opening Fourth Street originally in 2012, the couple had discussed opening a restaurant in Red Bay on several occasions, but the opportunity and timing just didn’t seem right. In February 2012, they learned of a restaurant for sale in the Red Bay area and began pursuing the idea. Following a building remodeling the restaurant became known in April 2012 as Fourth Street Grill and Steakhouse.
The Collums have mixed emotions about reopening the restaurant. Although Lorie is excited to be doing something for which she has a passion, studied, and trained for most of her adult life, she also fears not being able to find the help to service the business as they have been able to do in the past. The couple is also aware there are supply chain issues they have not had to face in the restaurant business. Covid has changed a lot of things for everyone. Food prices across the board have increased 30 percent and with all companies having staffing issues, it has made it very difficult to get items in a timely fashion. Paper product costs have increased as much as 50 percent or more, as well.
“I do not like to disappoint customers and I like consistency, but we may be facing some challenges with food, pricing and staffing that are beyond our control,” Lorie said.
Brent and Lorie will both be back at the restaurant, but Lorie will be running the day-to-day operations as Brent will be keeping his current job and be the face of the weekend nights. Currently, plans are to open all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. If the demand is there and staffing allows, they will also consider expanding their hours as needed.
Customers can expect a few changes, as there will no longer be a salad bar, but a few more salad options will be offered on the menu and most entrees will come with a house salad. All the favorites will be back on the menu: Philly, Chicken Salad Sandwich, Shrimp and Grits, Delmonico, and more. Lorie will be offering some seasonal items and homemade desserts if there is a demand for them.
“I will always keep an open ear to what our customers are requesting,” Lorie said. Catering will be limited so their main focus can be on the restaurant. “I want to scale back on what I take on so I can do justice to my family and my staff.”
The target date for opening is around the first of April. The business will need a lot of help, as they will be hiring for all positions. If you are interested in a job, contact Lorie Collum 256-483-1132 and leave a message; she will contact you as soon as possible to set a time and place to apply.
“We feel privileged to have the opportunity to re-open, work and provide jobs in the community that we both love, and we are looking forward to seeing our customers again,” both Brent and Lorie said.
