TIFTON — With the opening of their new restaurant, owners Laquandra and Gary Outler are eager to bring a different flavor to Tifton, as well as honor the legacy of the people close to them.

Mary O’s opened near the end of last month. The Tift-Tift County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan. 5. In the time between, the business has already gained a good deal of traffic, the residents of Tifton coming to savor the blend of soul food and traditional fast food served fresh and cooked to order, the owners said.

The Outlers have had a previous foray in running a restaurant about six years ago, but due to various issues, among them a poor location, they said, they closed the business. Their reason for starting up this business goes deeper than a second try. Gary and Laquandra Outler said they hope to honor someone they’ve lost.

“Last year, my mom passed – ALS – so that’s where the name Mary O’s comes from,” Gary Outler said. “Her name was Mary Outler. We decided to open it back up as a tribute to her.”

The Outlers opened Mary O’s in the Fulwood Place business complex, having been recommended the location by their new neighbors for its steady traffic. 

Their first order of business once they get going is to bolster their work force, but once things get moving, the Outlers aren’t opposed to the idea of other locations.

“We’re going to try to see if this one goes good,” Gary Outler said. “And if business keeps picking up and we can get staff trained like we’d like to, I’m hoping we can open up another one in Valdosta somewhere.”

Mary O’s is located at 214 Magnolia Drive in Fulwood Place, and is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Wednesday; closed Sundays. For more information, call (229) 396-4178.