Owner James Lochard with his mom Kim and daughter Alexis.
DOWN HOME
COOKIN’ Southern Comfort Café Moves to Former Elementary School Cafeteria
“The broker asked what I’d do with all this space, and I told him I’d move my family in,” says Lochard, who also began to envision Last fall James Lochard, owner and head He was still processing the idea when the real a space that could accommodate concerts, chef at Southern Comfort Café, was running estate broker called him back to offer to take weddings and other gatherings. “At the other an errand in downtown Trafalgar when he him on a walk-through. The beautiful kitchen restaurant location we did live music, but spotted a for-sale sign outside the old Indian and huge cafeteria excited him. we could never do it to the scale we wanted Creek Elementary School. He suspected to because we were limited on space and a portion of the building was for sale, so When Lochard saw the massive library space, parking. Here, I’d love to get with a promoter out of curiosity he dialed the number and a second thought struck him - he could and do something like in Brown County or at learned that the entire structure, which had remove the bookshelves, creating the perfect the Morgan County Fairgrounds.” been vacant for three years, was for sale or open-concept living space for himself, his lease. Immediately the wheels in his head wife Jennifer, and their children, Brayden The owner was thrilled to sell to someone started spinning, and when he got back to his (14), Jordan (12), Landon (9) and Ruby (3). who wanted to use the building to serve the restaurant on State Road 135, his mom Kim Their fifth child, Alexis, is grown. Lochard community. asked what was on his mind. felt the four upstairs classrooms would make great bedrooms, along with a fifth room that When Lochard first told his family the plan, Lochard told his mother that the building could be converted into a playroom. they thought he was joking. was for sale, and mentioned the idea of moving his restaurant into the space, which Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Amy Payne
provided more square footage than his location at the time provided.
20 / GREENWOOD MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2020 / atGreenwood.com
