At 2 p.m. Fridays, our Kathy Reiser answers restaurant questions. Put her to the test by clicking here or email kreiser@news-gazette.com.
Grabbing a bite with Joey Wright
Each week, we chop it up with the folks responsible for dishing up food around the area. What restaurant should we try next? Let Joey Wright know at jwright@news-gazette.com.
One of the benefits of opening Southpaw Billiards and Southpaw Social was that Cory Garcia got to keep much of the staff she’s worked with for years intact.
She credits Jodi Seymour — one of her best friends dating back to her time in her native Naples, Fla. — among those who have helped make the Mahomet establishments a success in the few years they’ve been open.
“That’s kind of why I did this,” Garcia said. “All of us stayed together. My whole crew has been with me either at my job at J.T. Walker’s, where I was manager for five years, or from my time at Billy Barooz. I have all the same staff, we’re pretty close-knit. I have a dream team.”
Giving back to the community was a big reason the Southpaw establishments were opened in the first place. Its pool hall opened in 2022, followed by the restaurant in 2023.
“The people are just wonderful,” Garcia said. “I live in Mahomet, the community has been amazing in showing support for my small businesses.”
As for Garcia’s favorite items on Southpaw Social’s small, American-style menu?
“I would definitely say our burgers,” Garcia said. “I bring in the burgers fresh three times a week, so they’re never frozen, no hormones, no additives, nothing crazy … this business is my life, so I have really tried to hand-select the best things I could for each item on the menu.”