It has been a little more than two years since Damien and Mary Sanders Ferriss Cavicchi took over the iconic Hal and Mal’s from Malcolm White in Downtown Jackson.
In that time, the dynamic duo have continued to make tweaks and adjustments to the historic night club.
Now they have opened another bar within the bar that has already proven to be a destination location within the destination location.
Damien and Mary Sanders opened Walk In just a couple of months ago to rave reviews.
It is named Walk In because it is in what was an old walk in cooler of the old Merchant’s Food warehouse before the building became Hal and Mal’s in the mid-1980s.
“We wanted to create a concept that was completely different than Hal and Mal’s or (event space within Hal and Mal’s) the Red Room and also completely different than a lot of stuff that is already in town,” Mary Sanders Ferriss Cavicchi said. “We wanted it different, because we wanted to give people another reason to come downtown.”
She said she noticed that when people would come to Hal and Mal’s to eat or go to a show they would stop and look at the old courtyard and think it was another restaurant already there.
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“So, over the course of a couple of years, it just made sense to make it its own thing,” Ferriss Cavicchi said. “The courtyard is very New Orleans influenced. We really wanted that kind of eclectic, curated antique vibe. The same is true for the rest of the building.”
Damien and Mary Sanders opened Walk In restaurant and bar just a couple of months ago to rave reviews. The mural behind the bar was painted by Gavin Byrd.
She said that just like the bar’s creative and laid-back vibe, the menu is designed for sharing, encouraging conversation and connection over a drink or a classic board game. Featuring an Asian-meets-Southern twist, the dishes bring bold, unexpected flavors that blend the best of both worlds. Think tangy sauces, crispy bites and comforting spices, all designed to elevate your experience and make every visit memorable.
The drink menu, likewise, she said is an expression of craft and creativity.
“We didn’t want to have this cleaned-up fancy thing. We wanted the funky, eclectic feel,” she said.
While the idea for the space has been in her head, she and her husband pulled the trigger after a couple of negative business events hit in downtown.
First, Fenian’s Pub, the Jackson watering hole that hosted tens of thousands of people over the years, closed in September.
Then, Lou’s Full-Serv restaurant in the Belhaven area closed later in September, which was followed by the closing of a Walgreen’s in the same area at about the same time.
Damien and Mary Sanders opened Walk In bar and restaurant in downtown Jackson in the Hal and Mal’s building just a couple of months ago to rave reviews.
“The positive was the Hunter (Evans) and Cody (McCain) had just re-opened The Mayflower,” Ferriss Cavicchi said. “So, that had happened, which was good for downtown and we wanted to do something else that was good for the area and activate more of downtown. Honestly, we started the project not knowing 100% what the end result was going to be. Luckily, I have designed a lot of restaurants and my husband has opened a lot of restaurants. So, we played along side of one another.”
She also didn’t want to step on the toes of Chaz Lindsay. Ferriss Cavicchi is helping the Pulito Osteria owner, in designing his new Belhaven bar, Rowan’s on North Jefferson, which is expected to open this week.
“So, going out for a night here versus going out for a night at Rowan’s is two different experiences,” she said. “But we want to bring more nightlife further into the downtown area. It has been a success so far. I think everyone is happy.”
Ross Reily is a writer for the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: New Jackson restaurant and bar fills a void
