Page 20 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2024

COAST NOTE
Best of the
Coast Observer’s Covey Award for the last two years so we’ve got the hardware to prove it.”
The lounge also serves steak, chicken and tuna as sandwiches or
salads. “We have good food, great staff and free hot dogs and cheese dip and a free bar tab give away each quarter during Saints games, plus happy hour
every day from 2 to 6 p.m.,” Peterson says to explain the business’s longevity. To be clear, he doesn’t know why the
Best
The Project Lounge
place was named The Project Lounge. His mother purchased it from Martha O’Keefe who had purchased it from the original owner, Johnnie Parkinson. He describes the décor as “dark and stuck in the ‘70s.” There’s also an internet jukebox with thousands of songs.
The Project Lounge is open almost round the clock – from 11 a.m. until 4 a.m. “Lots of service industry workers come in when they get off their shifts. They want to wind down and get a burger,” Peterson said. “We’ve gotten busier with this recognition but nothing is changing.”
story by Lynn Lofton
The Project Lounge is a relaxing and happening place. It has been since 1976 but even more so now that it’s been voted the number one sports lounge in the country by BetUS, an online gambling company offering sports and esports betting, casino games and horse racing.
“I was surprised; I never considered us a sports bar even though we have five
208 Iberville Dr., Biloxi | 228.435.3030
TVs,” says owner Steve Peterson. “I knew nothing about it but WLOX let me know.”
Peterson’s family has owned the bar for 30 years and he’s been involved 29 years. He says the honor was awarded based on reviews and the price of their beer and burgers. “We’ve got the best burger on the Coast,” he unabashedly says. “We won
Studio of Dance & Gymnastics Celebrates Milestone
Studio of Dance & Gymnastics
2206 Chicot St., Pascagoula 228.217.9643 | www.studio-of-dance.com
The Studio of Dance & Gymnastics
is celebrating a milestone of 65 years. That’s a lot of dancing, but fourth owner Ann Fallo is up to the task. The original dance studio was owned by Marguerite Benson in Moss Point and moved to Pascagoula in 1984.
In the beginning, ballet, tap, jazz, baton, and gymnastics were taught. “Dance
has evolved tremendously,” Fallo says. “There are now many types of genres offered in the dance community and the Studio. The Melange Dance Company performs The Nutcracker annually and
Aspire Dance Company performs at several community events every year.”
Fallo says consistency is the secret to the studio’s longevity. “All the owners prided themselves in evolving and keeping up with the latest trends, but I truly believe they wanted to continue the legacy
that the previous owner ingrained in educating our youth through dance,” she said.
The studio has 325 students and will present Studio Takes Flight on May 4 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Pascagoula Performing Arts Center.
20 | May 2024
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
story by Lynn Lofton
photo courtesy of Studio of Dance & Gymnastics