The Moore Family: Henry, Lindsay, Dean and Michael. Not pictured: Olive.
Both 402 East Highway Street and 603 South Davis Street in Vicksburg, will take you to the same spot. It’s a corner with a great deal of history, and all of it related to food. It’s been host to Fink’s Butcher Shop, Snow’s IGA, Fowler’s Grocery, and The Dawg House. The Super IGA Market sign still hangs facing the Davis Street entrance and keeps company with a large metal chicken that keeps its eye on the Highway Street side of the building. But as you approach the front door, the new logo placed prominently on the window makes clear that you are entering Lou’s Market & Deli, which was established when the property changed hands in October 2023.
New owner Lindsay Moore and her husband, Michael, have a long and happy connection to the food industry. Michael’s grandfather owned a restaurant in Ludington, and Lindsay’s grandmother provided the recipe that their unforgettable cinnamon rolls are made from. Grandma unknowingly also had a hand in the naming of the store with her nickname of “Lindsay Lou,” for the very young version of Lindsay. Since taking over the store, Lindsay has built on the successful lunch crowd that the former owners had established with subtle changes for some items, like marinating the steak tips for the popular Steak Tip Tuesday special, to adding new items like the Saturday Pot Pie special. Lindsay says, “We looked at everything being done, and in everything, we are using fresher items, less canned ingredients. We focus on healthier items and carry more gluten-free foods and foods made with fresher ingredients.”
The store no longer sells cigarettes, has expanded its candy items to please the after-school customers with a high school directly across the street. It’s added more local and regional specialty food related items. Mooville ice cream, a Michigan brand, is available, and a large assortment of cupcakes and pie slices that will test your sweet tooth to the max. The store also has beer and wine available for takeout. Lindsay keeps busy with Lou’s catering menu and is an artist in charcuterie and grazing tables. Michael says, “The fresh soups and daily specials are available at 10:30 a.m. daily, and we’re open for breakfast at 6 a.m.”
Lindsay says, “When I took over, we wanted to change everything at once. But that’s not always easy, or smart. So, we focused on keeping most of the employees (there are currently seven), keeping them busy and improving what we do while we expand our customer base. Cooking and making people happy are what we do. We’ll be making some cosmetic changes to the store to include new flooring and perhaps moving some things around in the near future.”
I thought it necessary to drop in for lunch on a couple of occasions. I found the selections to be amazing, the food was delicious, and the service was fast and very friendly. For more information and menus, check out Lou’s Market and Deli on Facebook or see them on the web at lousmarketanddeli.com.
