By Ellie Thomas

UM Journalism Student

Rooted in family tradition and Italian-Creole dishes, the former Lusco’s Restaurant of Greenwood will soon open its doors to the quaint community of Plein Air in Taylor.

Lusco’s relocation has been underway since September of 2023 following the retirement of former owners Andy and Karen Pinkston in 2021. Partners Rhyine Long, Thomas Long—a blood relative of the Lusco family—and limited partner John Miller plan to have a soft opening in early May from their new building on Town Square Lane.

Thomas Long, who grew up working at the stove alongside his grandparents Andy and Karen, has always dreamed of running a restaurant and furthering the Lusco’s legacy.

“It’s not just a job for him,” said Carrie Long, wife of Rhyine Long and Thomas’ stepmother. “It’s part of his childhood, the years working with his grandparents, all of that goes with it and makes it so much more.”

Carrie assists in public relations and various operations for Lusco’s Restaurant.

The restaurant will closely replicate its former atmosphere, with repurposed furnishings, corresponding paint swatches and private seating areas resembling those installed for discreet drinking in the age of Prohibition.

“When somebody walks into the restaurant in Taylor, we want them to feel like they’re walking into a place they’ve been to for 20 years of their lives,” she said.

Charles and Mary Lusco first opened Lusco’s as a grocery store in 1921 following their move to Greenwood from New Orleans. Originally from the Sicily region in Italy, the couple combined Creole surroundings with their Italian backgrounds to serve lunch and dinner to the community, their offerings ranging from crabmeat salad, steaks, broiled pompano—a fan-favorite—and marinara dishes. They officially established Lusco’s as a restaurant in 1933 after a fire-related relocation.

Lusco’s hence flourished as a Mississippi tradition and family-owned business, ranking alongside Doe’s Eat Place in Greenville and Lillo’s in Leland. World War II soldiers, ZZ Top, the Manning Family and Morgan Freeman have visited. The 1991 film, Mississippi Masala, features the historic restaurant.

“Most people know Lusco’s and have eaten there, their parents have eaten there or their grandparents became engaged there,” said John Miller, Thomas Long’s uncle.

Taylor resident Kerry Hamilton grew up just outside Greenwood and has an abundance of memories from his meals at Lusco’s. He once dined there alongside the late singer Tony Bennett, an unforgettable experience during which Bennett actually sang at the table.

“It’s one of those restaurants that’s etched into your psyche,” he said.

Hamilton is also the inspiration behind Lusco’s move to Taylor.

“We were all talking about Lusco’s and they were telling me that Thomas would love to run the restaurant but didn’t want to live in Greenwood,” he said. “I suggested, ‘Why don’t you move the restaurant here?’ And that’s how it got started.”

Lusco’s is not just well-known for its popular dishes, lively atmosphere and prominent guests. A New York Times article from 2021 highlights the racial disparities of Greenwood and the implications of a restaurant operating in the Jim Crow-era South.

Its history also involves the era of Prohibition, during which diners would bring their own liquor to the restaurant in a brown paper bag. Luckily for those awaiting Lusco’s reopening, the new establishment will have a bar.

Many of the former Greenwood staff are moving to Taylor for the reopening, and most of the menu items will remain virtually unchanged save occasional specials like lamb chops.

“It’s not just opening a restaurant,” Long said. “It’s continuing a tradition with the food but also a tradition of people, generations and stories we’ve heard.”