BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) – A corporate layoff and the loss of a previous business became the catalyst for Kerri Paul to open restaurants on the Gulf Coast.
Paul and business partner Britni Thompson now own and operate three Brick and Spoon locations in Gulfport, Biloxi, and Mobile, serving breakfast, coffee, mimosas, and brunch fare to busy crowds.
“Back when we were first open in Biloxi, we couldn’t serve all of our guests. There were people at the doors, chopping at the bits to come chop on our food. We knew that it was time to expand,” Paul said.
Paul’s path to restaurant ownership began with a setback in corporate America.
“I was in corporate America for a little bit, and I was laid off from my position, and I thought to myself, we have to do something different. God is telling me that it is my time to do what I really want to do,” Paul said.
She had previous business experience, operating a shoe store in Hardy Court in Gulfport from 2006 to 2008, before the economic downturn affected that venture.
Paul said finding the right location was the first step in the process.
“I had been watching the Edgewater Village area come back because in the early 2000s, it was kind of a sleepy area. I saw that it was getting reenergized, and there was a pad site outside of the mall,” Paul said.
Paul then opened up a Brick and Spoon at 140 Eisenhower Drive in Biloxi and later at 15264 Crossroads Parkway in Gulfport.
Paul said business ownership requires hands-on involvement beyond what customers see.
“So as a business owner, you really do all the things. People see the glam and the glitz, but they don’t know I’ll get back there and work the expo line. So you have to be flexible,” Paul said. “There was a time when Britni and I were in the restaurant every day and every weekend serving grits and eggs.”
Brick and Spoon is a Louisiana-based franchise that becomes locally owned once purchased by local entrepreneurs.
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