HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Three prominent women from in and around Christian County have joined forces to expand the footprint of downtown Hopkinsville with The Crusty Pig, a new pizza restaurant. Mallory Lawrence, Margaret Prim, and Mindy Hargrove are deep into renovations, hoping to open their doors in October.
If these names ring a bell, you man recognize Prim as the face of the Alhambra Theater, operating as the executive director of the Pennyroyal Arts Council. Hargrove owns several local Bar-B-Que Shack locations, while Lawrence is behind Hancock’s Neighborhood Market in Cadiz. They have combined their years of experience, various skills, and passion for food to form Triple M Hospitality and tackle the restaurant together.
“My love affair with life is with food,” said Lawrence, “and who doesn’t like pizza?” While a menu is not set, the partners are excited for brick oven Neapolitan and New York style pizza along with other signature items.
“We have been working hard, all of us travelled a little bit and have been collecting ideas and working with a pizza chef to come up with how to make our dough,” Prim added. “We are really excited about getting the oven in here so we can start playing.”
Building on historical site, contributing to downtown scene
Located next door to Kleen Right Cleaners on the corner of East Seventh and South Virgina Street, months of construction have transformed the building. The Crusty Pig lot has a historical marker placed on the corner in honor of Hotel Latham which was built in 1894. At its prime, the hotel was a well-known tourist stop, and social and civic center.
The hotel burned down in 1940 and was redeveloped into separate buildings over the years. They are planning on potentially integrating this history into The Crusty Pig menu items and have collaborated with the Pennyroyal Area Museum to gain more information about the hotel.
“We think the sky is kind of the limit.” said Prim when describing their vision for the interior. They are planning on having community tables along with cozy booths, a bar, and plenty of outdoor seating on the new open-air patio.
On Aug. 12, construction began turning a corner as the partners walked the restaurant, discussing final details like outlet placement, pizza oven layout, and bathroom lighting. But there is still a long way to go before opening. Having already established relationships with other downtown businesses, and receiving so much support from the community, they are optimistic.
“We definitely don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, we want to be us,” Mallory told Christian County Now. “We’ve worked hard to try and figure out a menu that is unique to us.” If all goes according to plan, the community will get to experience their cuisine this fall at 202 East Seventh Street. Find more updates about their progress on The Crusty Pig Facebook page.
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