JACKSON GETS NEW BUSINESS

The Woodard's Smorgasbord may be new to Jackson residents, but it's been around for a while. Woodard's Smorgasbord Restaurant has been serving home-cooked meals to the residents of the Delta area for the past 14 years. Now the Woodards hope to do the same for customers in Jackson.

The restaurant, which closed its Delta location Dec. 16, reopened its doors on Jan. 2 at its new location, 1830 E. Highway 61 in Jackson.

"People think when you move you make changes but all the mainstays are still here," said Ron Woodard Jr. He added that during employee training some customers had come in hoping to enjoy a meal. "Nothing has changed. It's the same food and the same recipes."

The sign reads "Good food everyday at everyday prices," and a member of the Woodard family will always be present to check the quality of the food, he said.

Most recipes are family secrets that have been passed from generation to generation. "It's a little bit of everything," said Woodard, who manages the restaurant. "Some we even invented ourselves. We still roll our own dumplings and bake our bread by hand when most places use machines. It makes a difference when you cook by hand."

Ron and Glenda Woodard started the business in 1979 with a restaurant in Bell City. Their restaurant features a menu of home-cooked foods like chicken and dumplings, ribs, homemade rolls and pies.

Despite the consistency of menu items, some things have changed in the move. The restaurant now employs about 60 people instead of 15.