By John Cofield

Flem Mize came home after the Beacon’s first day in 1959 and placed a $100 bill on the dining room table. His wife, Charlene, said, “Well, if we can do that every day, we’ll be just fine.” And so began an old Oxford tradition stretching over these 66 years. The Beacon restaurant was the oldest operating eatery in Oxford. All good things must come to an end, but this one is hard to let go of. 

The Beacon closed its doors on May 10.

Flem’s friends told him he was taking a risky chance when he had 20 years as Ole Miss food director and left. He rented a service station out on North Lamar and never looked back. Food service has changed through the years, and the Beacon changed with it. Once, carhops on rollerskates served Oxford and Ole Miss. The menu grew to include classics like the Big Bubba and one of the town’s favorite hamburgers. And the finest lemon icebox pie most have ever known. The building was added on to until big crowds could be seated in several areas. 

When the decades-old Square coffee-clubbers found themselves, with the closing of another iconic restaurant, Smitty’s, without a home, the move to the Beacon was their natural next chapter. All gone now, their portraits on the Beacon wall are a nod to the spirit of an era now coming to a close. 

Father Time and Mother Nature moved on, and Flem Mize passed away. And it was Tony Mize’s natural next chapter to take over for his dad. With his mother, Charlene, by his side, more decades of Beacon memories were made. 

Having started kindergarten with Tony, I can speak for our class when I say that our respect is boundless. While we slumbered, Tony was there over that grill at five o’clock. When we were laughing in the Grove, Tony was hard at work reminding generations of the Ole Miss faithful just why they loved their Oxford days. We respect you for the years, Tony. Thanks for all the meals and precious memories. 

The closing of the Beacon after 66 years was a blow to “Old Oxford.” The town’s oldest operating eatery. Now we must look again at the past to present Father Time’s title to Pizza Den, followed by The Sizzler. Robert “Pizza Bob” 

Whiteaker opened Pizza King in 1966, and shortly thereafter changed the name to Pizza Den. For years, students and locals enjoyed great pizza and sandwiches at the University Avenue location before moving to Heritage Drive. 

The Sizzler, on Hwy 6E, as best I can tell, opened for business in 1972, by the Sparks family. The business has had several owners through the years and still operates from the original location. 

Both Handy Andy and Littlejohn’s Grocery are decades old, but serving bar-b-q and country cooking was a later addition to the businesses