The Southern Grille brings hometown cooking to REO Town

The word is out. REO Town is the place to open a new business. When Tyson Guillen was helping his friend Michael Lewis open his new REO Town specialty pet shop, Trick Your Bully, an idea was born.
 
“He’s the one who mentioned it,” says Guillen of Lewis. “I never even thought about doing a restaurant before.”
 
But now he does. The Southern Grille in REO Town became a reality after Lewis’ suggestion combined with the right partner.
 
“My brother-in-law is a real good cook,” Guillen says. “It just came together.”
 
The 600-square foot restaurant opened last week with a menu that is a blend between southern cooking – barbeque, ribs and greens – and more traditional American dishes, such as omelets and burgers.
 
“Nothing is bland,” says Guillen. “Everything has a lot of seasoning.”
 
In it’s first week, flexibility was the name of the game for The Southern Grille. Guillen says his first customer on the first day walked in and unknowingly asked for a specialty order.
 
“He came in from the GM plant,” Guillen says. “He just took three steps in the door and said, ‘Let me get a BLT to go.’ We didn’t have a BLT on the menu, but my brother-in-law and I just looked at each other and said ‘OK.’
 
“Every day since he’s been in and has ordered a BLT. If we got it we’ll make it.”
 
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