Story Behind Dubois Grocery

Dubois Grocery & BBQ originated as Dubois Grocery in the 1950’s. The grocery store was originally owned by Oscar Eugene “O.E.” and Lillodis Dubois. Dubois built their one room grocery store in a building twenty-eight feet by eighteen feet. Once the grocery store was built they decided to attach a house onto the store. In 1958, a tornado came through the area and moved both buildings, the store and the house, twenty feet from its original location. Fearful that the store might collapse, they made the difficult decision to close the store and start over. The Dubois’ built a second store from scratch, bigger and better than the original grocery store. This time they added a gas station and an area to serve lunch plates to their customers.

Dubois Grocery, located behind the Jackson Airport, took off once pilots and stewardesses learned of its existence. It was also frequented by the work crews who were building the city of Flowood. The growth of Flowood helped the store thrive throughout the years, surviving segregation and thieves. Dubois Grocery was known for helping workers when they did not have any money.  The store would issue credit and the workers would come in the following week to pay off their debt in increments. After almost forty years of running Dubois Grocery Store, O.E. and Lillodis closed the store in 1989.  That same year they celebrated their 50^th Wedding Anniversary in September.

The store is now a BBQ restaurant owned by Tim Bennett and Ed Cummins. They renovated Dubois Grocery & BBQ to honor the homey, 1950’s feel that invites you to pull up chair, drink a glass of sweet tea and visit awhile. Ed and Tim are often asked by their customers the history behind Dubois Grocery and happily they share the story of O.E. and Lillodis.