Pop-Ups Keep The Purple Parrot Spirit Alive

2 Min Read By MRM Staff

Mississippi restaurateur Robert St. John of the New South Restaurant Group has taken a twist on the adage "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." In his case it's  more like "when your restaurant closes due to the pandemic, host pop-ups." 

St. John's The Purple Parrot had been a community stalwart in Hattiesburg for 33 years. The fine-dining concept specialized in thoughtfully curated experiences and he and his team weren't convinced they could find a post-pandemic audience. They chose to follow a the pop-up trend and hosted several sold-out dinners.

"We had a great 33-year run," St. John told Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine. "When I decided to re-concept the space, I took another part of the building and remodeled it to look exactly like the Purple Parrot dining room. So, the Purple Parrot never officially went away. We do the pop-ups now on the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of every month."

Each month has offered a new coursed menu and wine…