Mugshots Grill & Bar

Having a Good Time

When you want a burger, you want a GOOD burger. With 22 burger varieties and even more toppings, Mugshots, located in Meridian at 5005 Hwy 493, knows a thing or two about burgers.  There are other items on the menu, but burgers are the unequivocal star at Mugshots, which has been creating, shaping, flipping, sizzling and spicing up its creative meaty offerings since 2004. First opened as a small burger restaurant on West Fourth Street in Hattiesburg near the Southern Miss campus, Mugshots has grown into a chain of nearly 20 restaurants in three states.

“My business partner and I went to the University of Southern Mississippi and the founders of Mugshots went there, too. The first Mugshots opened in Hattiesburg, in 2005, and we bartended there. In 2012, we were the first to open a franchise. I had always been in the industry and was working in Dallas. My partner, Jim Hicks, was talking with one of the founders who told him they were ready to franchise and wanted Jim to be the first franchisee. I was contacted about partnering and running the franchise, and our partnership was born. The original LLC is called Mama’s Boys! We are both mama’s boys and our parents helped us initially come up with the finances to start the business,” adds Tray Gamble, owner. “Our franchise now has stores in Meridian, Starkville and Columbus.”  

Each restaurant functions as a locally operated business. They all have the same menu and processes, but each has its own local feel. Every store has a different look. The face of the building is printed on tee-shirts and people like to collect the different ones.

“Although 59/20 meets here, Meridian still has that small city feel. Everyone knows everyone. We enjoy being involved in the community, through membership in the chamber. We support the city and the marketing value and networking value within the chamber. Downtown has progressed and grown, and NAS Meridian adds greatly to our area. The community is active in local charities, and this is a good way for restaurants to be involved.”

Tray advises that when you hire your staff, try to find the best people, train them well, spend time with them, and make them part of your team. “We have great employees who have stayed with us (45 on staff) for years. It’s been a trying, troubling year.  Our staff was out of work for over a month, but are now back and we are doing all we can to be safe and healthy while taking care of our customers.”

Still hungry for that burger? Mugshots has been voted the best hamburger in MS Magazine for the past 15 years. And, according to Tray, the wings aren’t bad either!!  In a state where restaurants regularly come and go, Mugshots is a true restaurant success story.

Mugshots Grill & Bar
5005 Hwy 493, Meridian, MS