Page 29 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2016

ABOVE: Shaggy’s Co-Owners Rimmer Covington, Jr., and Ron Ladner.
And colorful it is! Shaggy’s locations are known not only for their colorful and creative food options, but also for the bright
red hue of their restaurants. Ron Ladner still owns and operates Shaggy’s with fellow local, Rimmer Covington, Jr. Today, Shaggy’s has expanded from the original Pass Christian restaurant to Mississippi locations in Biloxi and Gulfport,
as well as a property in Pensacola Beach, Fla.
For the Coast, Shaggy’s has become so much more than just a restaurant. “We’ve developed a unique culture with a strong emphasis on employee care, to produce a positive, fun- loving, festive environment for all
of our customers to enjoy and feel at home,” said Ladner.
Shaggy’s also heavily focuses on philanthropic efforts as their way of giving back to the community. “Our Shaggy’s Kids Foundation focuses on introducing children to fishing and marine life. We were awarded the Governor’s Cup for our community service; were recognized as the ‘Top Company Giver’ by Beach Boulevard magazine; and most recently won the ‘GIVE’ award for the top company in Mississippi displaying community excellence and volunteer work.”
Katrina slammed Pass Christian. The Bait Shop was completely gone... Nothing! We lost our homes, we lost our town, we lost friends, and we lost our spirit. All our dreams were on hold,” said Ladner.
After several months of recovery, Ladner decided to continue to pursue his dreams and purchased the Bait Shop’s former location anyway. Construction began in April of 2007, and Shaggy’s opened its doors just three months later.
“I got the idea for the Shaggy’s name from a popular place that thrived in 1940s downtown Pass Christian — Shaggy’s Tavern. The original Shaggy’s had a colorful story that is part of Pass Christian lore, so I thought it would be fun to bring back the Shaggy’s name in another ‘colorful’ establishment,” he said.
Arguably one of Shaggy’s greatest gifts to the Coast
has been its partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.
This three-year, $15,000 corporate sponsorship from the Mississippi Shaggy’s locations has been dedicated to Gulf Coast Research Lab Marine Education Center’s summer camps, and set the bar as the first corporate sponsorship
for the program. “Our partnership with Shaggy’s increases the number of scholarships we are able to offer and enables us to enhance the camp this year by adding an offshore fishing component to the five-day camp,” said Chris Snyder, director of the Marine Education Center. “It is refreshing to see Shaggy’s commitment throughout their organization to introduce kids to fishing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and for their appreciation and concern for the resource.” >>
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net July 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 29