![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKiuF0KVAmte_g4iio-UU-Nqc1uq1JbG80rI7VVTUUSoBf7XJWp0vAdKkiWRJv-OXTIVVR5Q427kArP8aKlyJfKD-sUXCbgfg6oLpxM6-yUh2AESbbIM-uiSt6mA_e557P3kXqDy0P58PDuEo9aFQv9QAtuH99CX7BH3tFVxLwckJ4AVV251zGXoN1bQyc/s1600/desoto%20tate.png) |
Today's post highlights DeSoto and Tate County, MS, retail. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39hEEJtiC22hDiKhX0dkwOFEoXOMZE-K5zp_J1xWhnm_xTe17qAXKSxdRDOrCe3H575c4X31JC6xJRfxuT1vgQ0TcjntAD75wjHsVi5E9jpEzT18gyY7QZ6msnq9gIpBg7s-Hv4H4BXAToxro3dUasUQSAgtVwPmCAo2Sp6whWjJKiUIEdfMTrdit-QsD/s320/Lost%20Histories%20Broken%20Chains.png) |
Broken Chain: A business which, at some point in its history, had multiple, similarly-functioning, physical locations where a customer could purchase goods and/or services, and which presently has a significantly diminished presence and/or value as a brand compared to the same brand in its heyday. - Zap Actionsdower |
In case you missed it, my entry for the month of June was published not here, but as a
guest post over at the Sing Oil Blog, where I covered a former Sing Oil station in Brandon, MS, and also shared some hodgepodge but nevertheless interesting details and photos on the former Jitney Jungle chain of grocery stores and one of its banners, Jitney Premier. That Sing station is now operating as a Shell, and as I mentioned in that post, I am extremely brand loyal to Shell gasoline. In fact, it is precisely through its neighboring location to the Hernando Shell station I grew up going to that I am familiar with the subject of today's post: Coleman's Bar-B-Q.
Unfortunately, despite living in Hernando for 18 years before Coleman's closure in 2020, I don't recall ever having eaten at the barbecue restaurant; that said, it almost feels as if I wasn't meant to. Now, don't misinterpret that statement: I am not saying I would have been unwelcome, as that is categorically untrue. Rather, it's just that Coleman's had been around in Hernando far longer than I had, and felt like part of the fabric of the town... a regular crowd of locals met there every morning and chatted over coffee; politicians often stopped there as part of their campaign trails. The atmosphere surrounding the restaurant made it feel like an institution from days gone by that had outlasted all of its peers, and for me to interrupt or disturb that legacy felt almost disrespectful or out of place. So, yes, I never ate at the Hernando location; but regardless, this post is still dedicated to its memory and to the history of Coleman's Bar-B-Q as a whole.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuHMoa3BsCLYk3lWDFDUJy7WApKPOJSIMRBL39wWocIMyK5LgU11r8zRGrrCMZsu2keGYrRbz35KAvEkTJ1geTQgKSaaJWZJInMDoNJ7ygELgE-5y_F4Si-qHgWX_yI9zAYUpMinTlc4dcmbRQRH4b0XiQYcteSA_LIUS7zsfOTJ8fWYxznoWyBV8a14D/s320/552c0b220a3e0.image.jpg) |
A campaign stop at the Hernando Coleman's, 2008. Courtesy DeSoto Times-Tribune |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfifKaAX13Y_P0g5dVANCitKgaO-UNvIqvmNWYohjYEAFDSi5mVEIMqnL461o8nxad7fO0jTiCOo54-azu8NWhAnEgUrfBa_i1hTobhGWl75f09jtHpsKRfv5cl56SyX9Wa8rSkSfeCdB5C1WEgNoWkU-xwWcisWceVYy-rNnNj_Z_jKq4ixLizAIAxA7/s320/26824947766_b5e811fe74_o.jpg) |
Hernando Coleman's, 2016, as viewed from the Shell station next door |
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Although others may not have associated it with the term "broken chain," I am far from the first person online to blog about the history of Coleman's Bar-B-Q. As a matter of fact, most of my sources for this post did their own research on the chain's history, and moreover have personal connections to Coleman's locations of the past; please understand that I am not trying to pass any of their work off as my own! Rather, I simply feel Coleman's was an important, memorable part of the Mid-South retail scene, and therefore I think it is important to share the chain's story here. Other posts I have seen about Coleman's across the internet and social media usually result in a lot of interaction from folks sharing their own memories of former Coleman's restaurants, so my hope is that this post similarly finds those readers looking to reminisce and sparks warm memories and discussions.
The two most informative sources I found are the
"Memphis Barbecue Restaurants Ghost Pit Chronicles" blog on Tumblr, and the book
Memphis Barbecue: A Succulent History of Smoke, Sauce & Soul by Craig David Meek, which itself references the aforementioned Ghost Pit Chronicles written by Richard McFalls. According to McFalls, A.B. Coleman, a native of Coldwater, MS, first entered the realm of barbecue in the late 1950s, when he began working at Tops Bar-B-Q -- today a still-extant Memphis chain, at that time only just beginning. In 1961, Coleman branched out on his own and opened up Tasty Bar-B-Q. A year later, he and William Loeb joined forces, and so began the Loeb's Tasty Bar-B-Q chain (later just "Loeb's").
According to Meek's book, Loeb's expanded rapidly during the 1960s. In one 36-month span during the decade, a jaw-dropping 40 locations were opened. Coleman did not stay with Loeb's throughout this entire expansion, however. In summer 1965, Loeb's opened its 25th restaurant, and by the end of that same year, Loeb bought out the contracts of Coleman (president and general manager), Coleman's wife (secretary/treasurer), and Peter Moss (vice president). McFalls describes the parting as "less than amicable," and Moss himself is quoted in Meek's book as saying the Loeb-Coleman partnership failed because "They were too busy trying to screw each other over." Indeed, as just one example, in 1972 Coleman was charged with tax evasion -- after Loeb reported him to the IRS!
Undeterred by the severing of their partnership, A.B. Coleman set out on his own to create a new chain of restaurants, Coleman's Bar-B-Q. The first location opened in Tupelo, MS, in 1966, and like Loeb's, Coleman's grew rapidly through franchising. By the end of 1967, there were 20 locations in existence, and at its peak the chain reached somewhere between 160 and 190 locations (accounts vary, with 174, 176, and 186 being the most commonly reported figures) to become "the South's largest barbecue chain," as once reported by A.B.'s great nephew, "with restaurants ranging from Sikeston, MO, to Pensacola, FL, to Amarillo, TX."
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZMOpPyZqccDGhiYyl2j62xk-osOItW4-bDLA1ZCwIC8J2gba5wkWGa0D4ynxTbh0M6TluZx5Xt7-CM6I84dn90QCarGjLGzRxK2edlunKZa_mbvRnUGwqyS_E4bZGD1XhzRnoeAAM7R-gn3s3s89hXy5zqczYWKymEuw9u-HtWDjJqaJ7qtvHpkjUz0M/s320/tumblr_lsgnniSa3w1qclyx8o12_r1_1280.jpg) |
Early ad celebrating 20 locations, with a list of all 20. Circa 1967. Courtesy Ghost Pit Chronicles |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGuMKPLnGJjzi6Z_6AnydqIGEM-t5fb5t7eVzV_ZHVYH7aNlOaO5THURnwWzDF2-RjBN3aKbpxuTF8k0s8-nhJ_HFmHLURnUsMdH0vEYWPJ5bGHjuqNMf6fAFr8BsS82QtW1UyJo15jjc2dg0PUbviSn4q2aLFt_H3nh3MxvAZDOlSJW0phXKmrSC4Izn/s320/sikeston%205-9-74.png) |
Photo from an ad for the Sikeston, MO, location, May 9, 1974. Courtesy newspapers.com |
Meek's book notes that these widespread locations "left behind a large number of buildings equipped with old-fashioned brick-and-steel charcoal pits. Some are still empty; some have been converted to other uses, ranging from thrift shops to convenience stores; and some have been reborn as mom-and-pop barbecue joints." In a
2017 post on his blog "Marie, Let's Eat!", author Grant G. says despite all Coleman's restaurants bearing the same design, that design is not particularly distinctive -- he calls the restaurants "boring rectangles" -- meaning that photos of such restaurants, unknowingly, "could be anywhere, even on our blog." I think it's fair to say that this same sentiment expands from pictures to include the physical structures of the many unassuming former Coleman's buildings scattered throughout the south, as well.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrdEsAgBFojvWRaG5QxasE8r2_ij68ywHwh3LFYqdamQzYl-VYNHq5Zm6RPTy7uA4Igp97P8XlZYcQY_dqj6NqBgYV9NJz6MSIExvNEYHCp-oPDc0v-C8RwxJxwKnZyE3iWJhTw4ncgd5o03AILk9JHyDUNiUXHlczuPsDD82GUfT2_4D3TYh7BcL8HDA/s320/tumblr_lqcdqnwG4W1qclyx8o1_1280.jpg) |
Coleman's (now closed), 5175 Millbranch, Whitehaven. Now closed. Courtesy Ghost Pit Chronicles |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1v5YAq2J-bvq3WT4yMk0Jus-Fdl5L0gFDDEw4QtnpjHhBawgWIMouONJ7NdvakFNZ_BeatTSJuhRlCLyfGoBmCGQKIam9bqFZH7E6fOoEIIhlrumDgP_4aWNaDtDGJ5LrXJ19Gonycd6-PolikzkCJB4nWMmJ9AVqXMwLCaDalTMKGlhhS3rCnTqi0pi/s320/tumblr_lr7u72VBet1qclyx8o4_1280.jpg) |
Captain John's Bar-B-Q, former Coleman's, Collierville, TN. Courtesy Ghost Pit Chronicles |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgytL5Xv1svdacDxhRGUBWxws80f9kMnpFRQRHqp2SsGUd7d76zttTYf_peSNz7oQI4Aar-ht282nGNTv6o5Tx_GGTX3Ab-uiUdiSm2kNOnvLPcK7P0LjNNaudPe_hCJ-8IPwJcF68a4UwN1zdPf7J4Uc-3jxXTkJlkvw-SvdJI1jdqgjomaY42M8GNaRbI/s320/1541-c-01.jpg) |
Plaza BBQ (now closed), former Coleman's, Guin, AL. Courtesy Marie, Let's Eat! |
Returning to the history of the chain, Meek notes that, like Loeb's, the Coleman's Bar-B-Q chain "fell apart after expanding too fast." The franchise model appears to have been the root of the chain's demise. Reports vary somewhat on the exact issue. A comment on that same "Marie, Let's Eat!" post from A.B. Coleman's granddaughter stipulates, "Due to the way the contracts were written, he lost all of the stores. ... It is a great story and a great business case with missed opportunities to expand globally." A 2019 Facebook post from a friend of Gene Coleman, who operated the Whitehaven location at 5175 Millbranch (the third-to-last surviving Coleman's, since closed), seems to support this account, noting, "Once upon a time, these franchises were everywhere. However, the original franchise contracts were for 25 years. After that period, a franchisee was allowed to stop paying fees and take his store private. So gradually they all became 'Fred’s BBQ,' 'Hound Dog BBQ,' etc. Eventually the only stores which remained as Coleman's BBQ were the family-owned ones in Whitehaven, Hernando, and Senatobia."
A different retelling, however, places the blame not on franchise contracts expiring, but on franchisees rebelling: "Coleman's franchises stopped paying their fees. He then did not provide services to his franchises he was contracted to provide. He pulled the plug when he spent more money on lawyers attempting to collect than he would have received. The frachisees were directed to stop using the name and cease using the recipes." Either way, it would seem -- as with many stories of broken chains -- that the franchise model was, in many ways, responsible just as much for Coleman's rapid expansion as for its equally-as-rapid demise. As mentioned above, following Whitehaven's closure, two family-owned locations in North MS were the final holdouts -- and now, there is only one.
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The Hernando, MS, Coleman's Bar-B-Q, located at 554 E Commerce Street and coming in at No. 43 in the chain, was opened in May 1971 by Carl and Mae Ferguson. Mae was founder A.B. Coleman's sister. Mae eventually ran the business solo for many years after Carl's passing, and after 23 years transferred ownership to her son, Bobby Ferguson, and his wife Becky. In a 2016 DeSoto Times-Tribune article celebrating the restaurant's anniversary, Becky echoes the sentiment I mentioned at the top of this post: "It's been family-owned for 45 years," Ferguson said. "It's an institution. We have our regulars who come in every day and socialize."
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuv0ru7yWNtuLRd1qM999p0tBk8sMXgSH9L8Ocu6d2TrZEmrD_JKn58ph6f87qyCBHltKKplJ0y4hlSz-GT81yuR67fgkTFYYHwU3uZlexOHO6XieEidlJwDsg-0orzo6ErnUobyN4610R7HdTG63YfhdCTKBtJXKRQYKJsKST6P-CCNmSpawiu-BlzN1/s320/575f304a57e9c.image%20dtt.jpg) |
Becky Ferguson at the Hernando Coleman's, 2016. Courtesy DeSoto Times-Tribune |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SfzXnu1ch_YGM9c50KbNHx-OPv4s3-vv6FEQoTTJj6Z1-RorPD5ozybkh6S5UE0wehGJl0iZNesbuvagh3oZc-vZCLqlzG1emA4lSTobSme0Q-8gjFJ_sW8UHXV4VKN1dcTMAgusynLLGTZ1KmPnz0yOrzHHYAwSKNVacNlgaMQsOkEQaH4PQuFqYI09/s320/img_6350-1.jpg) |
Close-up of the menu board. Courtesy My Delta World |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshc7xTzef1bExIvNLCJOokjY38KCLrT954YujIpOxm_3ZqrfdYqua0MIaILMYFiyxWxy7qGZ0uHrCZF-YfDwIxkv-hk63OfXiVn7EMUxKiWJ0jDmcX6zZs8o6ycmLjLqluzffrYNMyS6EsjQT3NqPQVQAcLFRlTDA1GhO1nyY5bgwPaHjvc6_3j9W0XKy/s320/image%20(6).jpg) |
Road sign facing Commerce Street (formerly Holly Springs Road). Courtesy LoopNet |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycf_cuy2x2HJFJO58_ggqhdhe3z-p9hOI0EtLUVvQlE6nPP-dzQkv4KlYCB9bqEJpvmm39o3Es-1s3yHAgwFYgn6c7JYZWsLQYE0k8JOUC6yrlZrHd_Y4WH3jcjkVNqHLQbBQa2LqukOuxLDufioruhAhcXPLh8VPEiNslR-9MYT1aHKMcG87Wbo0xFrH/s320/tumblr_lqcdqnwG4W1qclyx8o4_1280.jpg) |
Side view of the Hernando Coleman's showing the BBQ pit chimney. Courtesy Ghost Pit Chronicles |
The restaurant continued onward for another four years, ultimately coming to a halt at the same time as the rest of the world in spring 2020, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. My understanding is that retirement was already in Bobby and Becky's sights anyhow, so although the closure of the restaurant was probably more sudden than they had intended, Coleman's No. 43 never reopened. The sale of the property was closed at the end of July 2020, and the below two-full-page spread commemorating Coleman's was published in the following August 6, 2020, edition of the
DeSoto-Times Tribune. I went out and bought a copy of the paper that day, and actually scanned it for this post, but these digital screenshots are probably a bit clearer. You can also read the article in full online
here; I strongly encourage you to check it out.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDEhVaLmDZKs0Exd39uDhW5s3CZrDhVS2lQx_9CaGNWGa4p4OSM_cRfZ5005nGNv8jWWgrYjS15rpZfLVvyqV9h6YVXlJP4iv1rCASeNDglrzaaJYUdZJqbm_LJ4a03Et9uI6Tw0u7ooNvzT90gXqOX49jnl0m3hdxVkZP9bsLOIH0OSVRtZqLon3nn5L/s320/5f2c623aa2b37.image.png) |
Courtesy DeSoto Times-Tribune |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqpVoLjEVNrkVdWQ8Ehqb2Wur7Gk9v3fW0-mCUCtpzKaSSh_gDG54skHmfgLDHx_sBh0IMlr2niy7mV4UJNgEMtKLLlMjQ4vVCw5cdRnsm1zJpGFP4SGoK-LJP1EpKbVDl0jc2jFbBHOeCsl7iLjpBkZ1848E-BlRsWD-d8rqFTJf0fJIDCMASNfY_LlW/s320/5f2c60493a0e8.image.jpg) |
Courtesy DeSoto Times-Tribune |
Noting that it had been closed since the lockdowns began and hadn't reopened, I took some pictures of the Coleman's building on April 24, 2020. I can't remember if I knew yet at the time that the restaurant would never open again. (The menu board pic at the bottom isn't mine, but felt fitting for this circumstance.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiVz0hhM46IGSX7a9LhwVzp8e7EFAWKr8W4HtEi-oGdcaWWFbJZHa2888oRPTilNhc7AWkLWharP8CW_n6UzVSzvNV5jzHrRnLn1BB-wYKaaxY1729ovj_Olv9_MX8FA6SpHpyUhIVNhyVfWSX3512WDCM3mOwMQ7jay4GPO0atLD4YLpAXwC-5dRjiYt/s320/91dbf7e4abbfaa101316e00c6f6819f2_1484612974%20zomato.jpg) |
Courtesy Zomato |
After the property sale closed and the newspaper article ran, short work was made of sign removal from the building. These pictures were taken on August 8, 2020. You will see in these pictures the neighboring Trustmark Bank building: when the Fergusons decided they were going to retire, they reached out to see if Trustmark was interested in the property. Trustmark agreed to the purchase with the intention of constructing a new, larger branch that would consolidate its Hwy 51 full-service facility with the drive-thru-only location currently adjacent to Coleman's.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IPsbXF-ydJexDMnpiIiFWvmkP_dM2e4vMYywl51w7PIq_XyXox1SXSbVGl05TxZeRtyjrD6-uBIkOIUgQJL1HkFApImD7x_B8SbCTFCgCDWhlYZGqH_udUi-xBvpV2DtV6hcYY2BLEwewWMoJTcmFIak7BcmIv8AnRTmoLYpuv_65kMPp5osxgKzIvv2/s320/IMG_20201125_134330~2.jpg) |
November 2020 |
Letters were distributed to Trustmark customers noting the forthcoming temporary closure and construction. After what I can only assume were pandemic-related supply chain delays, work began in earnest in the fall of 2021 with the demolition of the existing Coleman's and Trustmark structures. As of this writing, both the reopened Commerce Street branch and the Hwy 51 branch continue to coexist. Prior to the rebuild, the drive-thru-only Trustmark was closed every lunch hour because volume was not high enough to warrant two branches in Hernando; I'm not sure whether this has changed, or if the Hwy 51 branch is still targeted for eventual closure.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAh8vOd_nLI_39Rp72rA7IqkuRiqBPD_mJpeJZ9q60VTSz_w-jddN6A50nrFrRkdVvSUBhukCDd6V5ZygLJwRq9O39m99brXI9CE-cASl_TRuEtyjEqIb2ojWmeH4LavAlVusdMZOAP9HvamJEEfHl3YR-WNBXfEd6_X1td6unmLEYHFYRzeqQmtgv_79/s320/PXL_20210821_235545844.jpg) |
Existing Trustmark building, August 21, 2021 (six days before closing) |
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Demolition, October 2021. Courtesy DeSoto Times-Tribune |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCJHxbyJy05x8Rkv1OUWtARMTUi0IqGbnRb0m0CM2iVTinxGfiUqSr8Kb8qEHmqLPyaAmCROyQRU443-q0vqCQC-6YNZciUeUMhCXzyIXFjvAPxugWFjI-AG3zSzuNNFenoDX98F9VFXHmwVCg7tLamxcSQRzrmGpGbdHNbKo1PJvB9lgg4RVCDI3BSbl/s320/61574871e4393.image%20(1.jpg) |
Architectural rendering. Courtesy DeSoto Times-Tribune |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCpuM61E9fTbLWz1Wsyx7tc3sT_ApY6HcY3pZecNCKtv95NMQS2Ia6CRNp9M33WtkCj6LrwadGeuRIzbQlNWZfSTC1BtjaRBbkq09kpzmV0rQ_SIvNO6xTllVr6fjF7TqK7MNS4wneuSx1LfNIDtuTdfSym990MW9hqFdFghlPlTO0fSiy8rMN8oeDV6G/s320/1985,%20back%20parking.png) |
1985 plat. Courtesy DeSoto County Public Records |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOL6C34snInxa9c-3oqko5O4ID2XzV1oNOlQ9b3RiQJPgl1DWvtpIB4y9PKbjZx94iopFa2PgiV3EbfSZWvgag40volVA1A9KtQJQioORcZg4KaXCBDFPJr7Notoebew22ByZBxnk74bxsZklS_9TFR0dtCmsmn6ccT5cpysEwFcTPYFkL_rYAorexfCu/s320/sale.png) |
2020 sale plat. Courtesy DeSoto County Public Records |
The last two images above show a site plat from 1985, when Coleman's neighbor, then The Hernando Bank, sold a portion of the rear of their property to Coleman's to increase Coleman's parking, followed by the site plat from the sale in 2020 (notice the addition of the rear parking lot on this plat). At 9,000 square feet, the new Trustmark Bank building joining both lots was completed in January 2023, designed by Wier Boerner Allin, an architectural firm in Jackson, MS (where Trustmark is headquartered). Some photos below showcase the property, including an old safe from The Hernando Bank... and a photo on the wall of Coleman's Bar-B-Q No. 43.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34XV_mHRv55zw_6Ou2EDNaaQdrAupJK6EepS0ovmVImkq1MbVq2HVBXJ9DLEBq3DJeoAukXKeOrJOiVHUpUx1ewPPTMrynfrtth5NApXySWYeAf7Pix9XYgmngaI93AvWIX3XvSPXcd29o0L6JU0sze889nj2NIZc3AzFY9f7oDTgvfd1wqP_Xp6g6uSv/s320/61-scaled.jpg) |
Completed Trustmark Bank facility. Courtesy WBA |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQme7y1I6eAjXAUZz3GSsQ6kRpzFltSOENfw804iQZoU8OIU_hHL4GidHlT1t0RFPYdAPvTfLyBmMMLNs93J_V3wi0imPlqrwFc8uwO1uEYJkNCdRBOOadFDTaSNV-aP4oe6ODnlQk8MCrto9uzwuTrRRfk3ds60umnIv3iPvUewAudC9u5VGN61LS464k/s320/55-scaled.jpg) |
Drive-thru lanes at rear of property. Courtesy WBA |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVC_-f0_tfGsaOQRTNcgrvGlu8BCZk0d-bwQIS5A3whZSkFIgwPmpRm5VBO6tcFDD0ScICS2B-Hq7l1TIbQSTmIP-GEBDhUEOUdMUM1lFX8B9aj82dUL_db22bP8MIiIvxZVo-fTHgTkJD0_kVSNKA8qd2rPxfWHF7j9N2JT8sZyYk2HVAKR92iaiITMnG/s320/Trustmark-web-2-scaled.jpg) |
Interior main lobby. Courtesy WBA |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9qgGgsl_aoY6zBpdID3WfnDGLyBNzVnA1iUE4xAdNJiNgEwx_xpB7seqoJDWn-LLZ0ye6JMIwgJS51AsdEwZI649xBDWnEN35CxXn5sLuqUHhfVCIcqc8pNaHZL-9B6GSAUoS4cIIXD7vpDBagvJ84p2bhkx5K9D-MbkqtveLQmTobhqSynCupBYjFOE/s320/Trustmark-web-4.png) |
Old safe from The Hernando Bank. Courtesy WBA |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bvVHyAQIP_Z-0fyWTrpJ_EWCa0t4G0HyKZR24SxtYG0nhAJLmf8ugjcJgM9dWRliMShhHhtlLi7vzPAC6IIsqgWdp2WPmicH1hFdk4AWO8OSEIlJG1j8TY_-ctxjiMRpecBieRpGGOabKV58bCOj-qgPFEVnMDDzwAUwXfApcVlyeMrFsgI1v6yJqNu8/s320/Trustmark-web-3.png) |
Offices and photo of Coleman's on the wall. Courtesy WBA |
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Following Hernando's closure, there is now just one Coleman's Bar-B-Q remaining, and it's just a 15-minute drive away: No. 9, located in Senatobia, MS. As you can tell from the store number, the Senatobia Coleman's predates Hernando, having opened in August 1966, the very same year the chain began. As noted in the below newspaper clipping, founder A.B. Coleman opened the Senatobia store himself, before selling it to his brother, Bob, in April 1967. Today, the Senatobia location remains open at the hand of Bob's daughter, Kim Coleman, who since November 2011 has not only actively maintained the restaurant but also a
popular Facebook page for it. Many posts of Coleman's Bar-B-Q memories, reflections, and travelers rediscovering the Senatobia location are shared on the page. The Senatobia Coleman's even appears in a Getty Images stock image!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeFf_F1SscnB_vJFe1UqHYXygECyJU8jPC8W2yMBYceCQmyFhx2ZQTQmBsNPXcoGE446o2pJRrDm5QrN3Xadd-yemuir7jp0h_BvmxjM8PxsSRFtbXPIjC8Cl1ZOuM2tJf-P25jLmUWF7R72WmfiG8xjUpvEVnFqMIluyjw57DzMaZ7uVJQvWjyhJ-34d/s320/427975973_18412806967010754_1699663707721308164_n.jpg) |
Courtesy Facebook |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hKnXoK_64C4xNLQaPl3EvacFXIo53KjDUlVhHt2SiZHfo-coa5pkm29mBTGUXu9_DVFm44yoHKyNN_t3j4HZCCgg47kt-6GTJ0_pVfDEmJ7wnT2zXjkWYFUf3pKQI0PHQfFXyZH1fcq5BoSR4mL73eC4E0Mt6k7ubQ0Z5NsUVzAG-INZk861WbhrkNyp/s320/gettyimages-696487040-1024x1024.jpg) |
Courtesy Getty Images |
Having already missed out on the Hernando location, visiting the Senatobia location before moving from north to central MS in August 2021 was a very important goal of mine. My visit on July 19, 2021, cut it pretty close, but I made it nonetheless.
Outside, the building looks just like all those other recognizable "boring rectangles" with its prominent yellow signage, large plentiful windows, and brick construction. The only exception here compared to the others is the presence of a neighboring space leased out to a different business (here, a Domino's Pizza franchise).
The restaurant was, as expected, crowded at lunchtime; I returned later in the day to get some more photos of the exterior after it had closed for the day (hence why most of my shots show an empty parking lot). Currently, the hours are weekdays 7:30AM-3PM, and Saturdays 7:30-2. The Senatobia Coleman's is located at 312 E Main Street.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgQ_LJQKpf3eGIyYEgLQ5CiVqh_YbkMCCyZ2I9sYKE4yUYrXptLYeS5LmooKdgus9OqpO1QE5bf4caneE7DqLZeUUu3Ca__KO8a3qHWJhDiw4aTtL591gHWseMKdDQxp19vV-OE2Rf_wCMOnc4JqGz_5JbuPEsozD8LzAsuMHX3YhQYKalQXZ03JzSvaS/s320/277b8d2e47d8d5c899aa45959529954c_-united-states-mississippi-tate-county-senatobia-colemans-bar-b-qllc-662-301-0077htm.jpg) |
Image source unknown |
Heading inside, here's my shot of the ordering counter, followed by a better one I found online. Behind the counter is the restaurant's kitchen. You can see the restaurant is well-maintained and has an old-school vibe (as well as a lot of pig-themed decor).
A shot of the menu shows the restaurant's offerings. I was here with my mom on this visit, and we split our sandwiches: one bologna with cheese, one regular bar-b-q with cole slaw (the classic). Our side items include baked beans, potato salad, and sweet potato fries.
Alas, I am a retail blogger, not a food writer, so if you're here looking for descriptions of my meal, you're out of luck. In fact, this visit was so long ago now that I am struggling to remember it at all. I do know the food was good -- I'd remember if it was anything but. If nothing else, the food sure looks delicious, and staring at it is making me very hungry... maybe I need to stop in again next time I'm up by Senatobia, and refresh my memory.
More pig decor on the tables (cute salt and pepper shaker holder!), and more wood paneling throughout the dining room. Horse-riding images line the far wall, and out of view next to the claw machine is a wall dedicated to more family photos and a custom reproduction of the Coleman's logo. During 2020, one of the restaurant's Facebook posts showed a new addition to the claw machine: rolls of toilet paper!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9n4FdVMuvcDRHinI_ZushiiKdDDa6rmteitx6ygQdRo2GRZ-BAOWNJc0gOS2ovo2mEXAS0l18WEk70bJKcGIk551Cugdf6SOqeR7p99NXX495z8c5BWRldB5I0N3qgJ7vlKcPQhV_Zo8xt-kKfaF02r26Bj7XW3lbrocvcZlqcvehdkjF26vbanH6WfcD/s320/PXL_20210719_235015406.jpg)
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Back outside, we can see that the pit used for barbecuing is not located on the side of the building, but rather, in the back (perhaps due to the co-tenant arrangement with Domino's, and/or other property layout constraints). I am by no means a barbecue expert, but my understanding from my research for this post is that pit barbecuing like Coleman's, Loeb's, and others did is considerably less common these days. On the flip side, clearly it was popular and perhaps even relatively new back in the 1960s when these chains took off, given how prominently "Hot Pit" was featured on the Coleman's signage.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXQvZUXh2HGRV9qKEKyeobtGZoarEdw6kSCCtSZ8tICQVhbxYQ_Y4Rg5aneeXMlVm7E9RG_XNPnWvjFe3qxYLWxIJzItolyaWWpQN6rgkRlTe1UWYtxgkHKF3SjyleJ0RPpOlNNwLQC7Ui4QjYIDgjBdkCcrQ9Eb8TYfasNG3cjpQQXh1bFNCz42CYOID/s320/PXL_20210719_234907277.jpg)
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Looking back up towards Main Street and the road sign for Coleman's at the edge of the property. It would have been neat to be here late enough in the day to see the pointing arrow neon on top of the sign turned on (assuming it is still turned on at night -- since the restaurant is only open for breakfast and lunch, perhaps the sign isn't lit up in the evenings anymore). Either way, we can imagine it with
this really awesome rendering of the sign and the building created as part of a "Senatobia Landmarks" series by local graphic design artist Kevin Pitts.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5y6oFTJbkjTA6QD1ryOb6_11CPlE-Jskkn2JkD_4qWRqLBIfGNR7BUUaHgDeV9rs8bBqyqDUgCbYRnL4Rx9ey0gMJ_yrX6f784hsik2orjlML2WGjOMPtT4HY7PyW8yvqJ7JNoXQYCOtBm32G5WEosoftMIZ3nqlZGF91ARaiH_tuu7AKVgC8VGGXN4K_/s320/PXL_20210719_234952822~2.jpg)
Last but not least, one final shot of the sole surviving Coleman's Bar-B-Q restaurant, No. 9 in Senatobia, MS. This broken chain seems to have touched a lot of people during its time throughout the south, and the family involvement at the last remaining locations seems only to have strengthened those strong connections with locals and regular customers. I may never have been part of said crowd myself, but I'm glad I got to experience the Senatobia location nonetheless. If you have any memories of Coleman's Bar-B-Q in your town, please don't hesitate to email or leave a comment below! Until next time and as always, thanks for reading, and have fun exploring the retail world wherever you are :)
Retail Retell
There really seems to be a never ending supply of broken restaurant chains out there to cover! I seem to find new ones all the time, even discovering that a few local places in my area are the last surviving locations of a larger enterprise. Unlike retail, it seems restaurants very commonly become popular, have a huge expansion, then slowly fade into obscurity once the popularity fades off (and this isn't just a phenomenon from the 1960's or 1970's - even today I can think of some examples of this). Seems like Coleman's had a lot of factors going against it, as having little penalty for not paying franchise fees or stipulations for the end of the franchise contract probably weren't the best business moves.
ReplyDeleteBeing near Memphis, I'm not surprised that area once had a lot of various BBQ chains through the years! I've never heard of Coleman's before this post, but it seems like the remaining locations have/had a very loyal following from locals. Even if you missed out on visiting the Hernando location, at least you made it to Senatobia. I'm surprised that as a BBQ restaurant, the Senatobia Coleman's doesn't operate into the evening for the dinner crowd, as that seems like a busy time for a place like that, opting instead for the diner/breakfast joint style hours. The Senatobia location really has a retro restaurant vibe to it, which I like!
It was also nice to see the nod to the property's past in the new Hernando Trustmark branch too with the Coleman's photo.
Right?! Coleman's was right under my nose the whole time. I can't remember when exactly I realized it was a broken chain, but it certainly wasn't always on my radar, despite seeing it all the time. Of course, never having eaten there probably didn't help bring it to the forefront of my mind, haha. Anyway, I agree with you that restaurants seem much more subject to becoming broken chains than do retail stores, even non-franchised restaurants, although it does seem that failed franchising is the most common story.
DeleteOh yeah, BBQ is one thing Memphis has no shortage of! If I were more versed in the situation, I'm sure I could've weaved Coleman's story together with many others and created a huge history -- heck, as you saw, there's even a book on Memphis BBQ history! (And that's just one of many!) But I wanted this post to focus solely on Coleman's, plus it feels right to defer to the many experts out there on Memphis BBQ rather than try to put anything together myself (not to mention I wouldn't have a clue where to begin, either, lol!).
Anyway, yeah, I'm glad I made it to Senatobia -- and I think the operating hours reflect that its regular crowd is more like Hernando's, meeting for coffee in the morning, and a busy lunch rush. I'm sure they'd do decent business in the evening too, but of the three dayparts, breakfast and lunch are busier. Kim Coleman has also shared on Facebook about staffing troubles which probably also contribute to the hours of operation.
And I agree about the Coleman's photo at the Hernando Trustmark! I've never noticed that... I think that hallway of offices is off-limits to the public. The old safe is really cool to see up-close, though.
Two weeks, two blogs, two new Retail Retell posts! This has been quite the start to the summer season!
ReplyDeleteI can't say I've heard of Coleman's BBQ, but I suppose I know their history now! I also can't say I know much about Memphis-style BBQ (the one Memphis style place that opened up here a few years ago went out of business very quickly, welcome to Houston I suppose since that is hardly uncommon around here!). With that in mind, I'm trying to make sense of the menu, but I'm having trouble doing so! Here in Texas, most BBQ places have a wide variety of meats (beef brisket, chicken, pork, sausage, ribs, etc.), plus hamburgers, so I'm not quite sure what all kinds of meat Coleman's served. This might be a Texas thing, but to me, a real BBQ place serves fried okra. At the Senatobia location at least, it seems fried green beans is the closest equivalent! I can't say I've ever tried or even heard of fried green beans, but perhaps that might get me laughed out of a genuine Memphis-style BBQ place!
In typical broken chain fashion, it seems the Hernando and Senatobia locations had different drink vendors with the southerners in Senatobia serving Coca-Cola and the yankees in Hernando serving Pepsi! Ha, well, don't take that too seriously, that's probably the first time you've been called a yankee unless maybe some Mississippian Gulf Coasters have called you that, lol.
In reality, BBQ places have been having a very difficult time even here in Texas. The price increases on meat have been especially hard on BBQ places with a lot of diners looking at different types of restaurants to avoid the sticker shock since the price increases have not been so bad at other kinds of restaurants. It seems the lower-priced BBQ places especially have been hit hard. I suppose the people wanting higher-end BBQ are willing to pay the price for it.
Perhaps to wander into more familiar territory, I wonder if any supermarkets in your area had delis serving genuine BBQ. It was not uncommon for supermarkets here to have smoke houses at one time. Weingarten's had it at some of their locations and Safeway experimented with smoke houses at their new Houston locations in 1987 which opened mere weeks before Safeway decided to leave Houston. The Hammerly Krogway I featured in November's The Year of Kroger post originally opened with a smoke house when it opened as a Safeway. The smoke houses debuted at around the same time that China Express debuted out west, from what I can tell. HEB has opened BBQ restaurants in some of their newer, fancier locations, but they have been rare in Houston for whatever reason. I'm sure the aforementioned meat price issue is probably the cause and so that type of dining concept probably isn't the most logical thing to implement now.
Glad you've enjoyed it! Don't go expecting more content from me like that, lol -- the back-to-back thing was definitely not the norm. I had written that guest post back at the end of May (to be posted in June), and in fact had pre-written my post for May back in March or April as well. It just so happened that the publish date on the Sing Oil post ended up being right here next to the holiday weekend I was going to write my July post during! I thought about pushing this one back also, but figured nah, might as well publish it same-day and get things a little more back to normal in that regard, lol.
DeleteAnyway... good point on the Coleman's menu not specifying the type of meat! I guess I hadn't really thought of that, although now that you mention it, most BBQ places I've been to do specify, so it's a little strange Coleman's doesn't. Funny you mention the fried green beans -- I saw those in scrolling through the Facebook page; they sounded interesting! I can tell you fried okra is considerably more common around here; in fact, I don't know that I've ever encountered fried green beans anywhere else. I'd actually be interested to try them, though, as green beans are my favorite!
LOL at the yankee talk, and good catch on that discrepancy, too! Trust me, even here in central MS it seems like most people treat north MS as a different world. Not only do people gravitate more towards the coast for travel, it's also fair to say that DeSoto County at least seems to be considered by a lot of Mississippians as more part of Memphis than of MS. Of course, as a longtime resident of DeSoto County, I associate myself more with MS than with Memphis, but it honestly is common to see people claim Memphis more so.
That makes sense on the prices of BBQ driving people away in the current economy. Hopefully Coleman's is still doing well. As discussed in my reply to AFB's comment, they've definitely cut hours, and like I said in the post, staffing seems to have been difficult too (although neither of those are necessarily price-driven issues).
I bet there were, or perhaps even are! I wish I could speak more to that. Smoke houses, maybe not, lol, but I know a couple of Kroger stores in the Memphis area were supposed to get Corky's BBQ counters added with the delis back around the mid-2010s. I think the Union Avenue and Germantown stores did get Corky's, but have since removed the service. Oxford never got one at all despite it being planned.
Great post! As BBQ is one of my passions it got my attention.
ReplyDeleteI'm certain that I stopped into what was once a Coleman's back in '21 - a little town on the AL/GA state line near West Point (GA). It looked the same as all the pictures including all the pig decor, and the menu was basic and good BBQ. Pretty cheap too.
As to "Hot pits" - it's an inefficient way to cook. Most everyone now is using rotisserie smokers, the real BBQ Places are wood fired, the others, well....
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! It certainly is possible that there was once a Coleman's there. Thanks for the added info on hot pits as well -- much appreciated!
DeleteAs usual, great post! I was not familiar with Coleman's before this, but I agree with AFB that there is seemingly an endless supply of broken chains out there (like a chicken joint in my hometown).
ReplyDeleteI also agree that it seems like "real pit" BBQ places are dying off and many have resorted to "liquid smoke" flavoring rather than actually using wood like the person above mentioned. I know my local BBQ restaurant switched from the pit to the smoker close to 15 years ago yet still has "real pit" emblazoned on the road sign.
Most BBQ restaurants in Georgia have a variety of meats, such as brisket, chicken, and even turkey, in addition to the standard pork. I also typically see fried okra, macaroni & cheese, baked beans, slaw, and potato salad; however, fried green beans are a new one for me! It's also crazy that a BBQ restaurant has hamburgers, catfish, and bologna on the menu -- the latter two are surprising to find anywhere besides a true country buffet. I can't tell you the last time I've seen bologna on a menu!
Anyway, I'm glad you made it to the Senatobia restaurant; I just wish we could have seen the neon sign in action!
Thank you! The use of liquid smoke definitely sounds like something restaurants would be going for these days. That is misleading to keep "real pit" on the road sign, though!
DeleteBologna sandwiches are great! I wish they were on the menu more often. And everywhere in Mississippi has catfish on the menu, haha!
Yeah, I wish the neon sign would have been active, too!