Hometown Madison - July & August 2017

Doe’s
_______________
Eat Place
Blending the New
and the Old
Susan Marquez
The Beagle Family: Steve, Rachael Ann, Sarah Beth, & Lisa
The Signa Family: Dominic, Salvatore, Lena, Carmelo & Jack
steve and Lisa Beagles are astute business folks who have
worked in the corporate world for many years. While
they’ve been involved in many different aspects of
business, one thing they’ve never done is run a restaurant. Yet today,
they are the proud owners of Ridgeland’s newest dining establishment,
one that has brought a taste of the Delta to central Mississippi.
Doe’s Eat Place opened in the spring and enthusiastic diners
have already become repeat customers. The original Doe’s Eat Place
was established in Greenville, Mississippi, in 1941 by Dominick
“Doe” Signa and his wife, Mamie. The business went through a
few incarnations before becoming a respected restaurant, including
a grocery store and a honkey tonk. In 1974, Doe turned the
restaurant over to his two sons, Charles and Little Doe. They began
franchising the restaurant and today you can find Doe’s Eat Place
in several locations in Arkansas, as well as Baton Rouge and inside
Margaritaville in Biloxi. “We are the ninth Doe’s Eat Place to open,”
said Steve. “Each location has its own personality.”
After contacting the Mayor’s office in Ridgeland and expressing
a desire to open a business in the city, it was suggested to the Beagles
that they look into opening a Doe’s Eat Place. “It’s technically a
franchise,” explained Steve, “but we have control over what we want
our restaurant to be.” After eating at Doe’s in Greenville a few times
and getting to know the Signa family, Steve and Lisa decided they
wanted to honor the family’s reputation. “Their values simply
aligned with ours,” said Steve. “We were driven from the moment
we met them. What we were buying wasn’t an Applebee’s – it was
a family’s name. We wanted to recreate the same atmosphere as
the original, a place where people could come and relax and enjoy
a delicious meal.”
The Beagles took that family concept to heart, hiring a staff
and explaining to them that they were, first and foremost, family.
“No one leaves here without telling ‘Mama Lisa’ goodbye,” asserts
Lisa. “We have a grounded foundation of family here, both among
our staff and among our customers. We are learning their names
and we strive to make them feel welcomed when they come to
dine with us.”
The menu at Doe’s in Ridgeland is the closest to the original as
any of the other locations. “We have added a few items to the menu,
but our core is still steaks and tamales,” explained Steve. “We cut
our own meat for service here, as the steaks are ordered. All steaks
are cut two inches thick and we cook them like no other place does.”
The steaks are broiled at a very high temperature which gives the
meat a great charring for a very unique flavor. “You simply can’t
62 • July/August 2017