May 31, 2010
Between John Bradley Wells and his wife, Lana, the two have nearly 40 years of experience in the restaurant business.
He owned Como Steak House in Como, Miss., for 10 years, worked for B.B. Kings for six years and has been general manager of Huey’s Downtown for the past four years. Lana was a nationwide corporate trainer for Ruby Tuesday and general manager of the Wolfchase location.
Their latest foray into the restaurant business brings them to the intersection of Union Avenue and Second Street, just steps from the Huey’s John Wells managed, and a place called Cockadoos.
“Being Downtown for the last 10 years or so, I always had people asking me where they could get breakfast and with nothing right here on this main drag that did breakfast, we just felt like it was a great opportunity,” he said.
Breakfast at Cockadoos includes Belgium waffles, Texas French toast, buttermilk pancakes and, of course, grits, as well as cathead biscuits and gravy, and catfish and grits. In addition to the traditional fare, a coffee bar is also on site for caffeine fiends.
“We have the full array of the lattes and cappuccinos,” Wells said. “We wanted to make sure that we covered the whole gambit as it pertained to breakfast, so we wanted to offer all the coffees as well. Our coffee is a small roaster out of St. Louis called Mississippi Mud Coffee.”
The restaurant is only three doors south of Union on Second, in the building that used to house Café 61. The walls have been painted a light yellow, with some left bare brick, and bright floral patterns adorn the tablecloths and throw pillows in the two seating areas filling the two large bay windows looking out on the foot traffic. A mezzanine balcony overlooks the main floor of the dining room ... (read more)
