Lumberton city leaders have finalized regulations for liquor sales, and local entrepreneurs are already moving forward with plans to open new restaurants and bars.
During the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers designated Lumberton as a qualified resort area, effective July 1. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Jansen Owen, R-Poplarville, whose House District 106 includes portions of Lamar and Pearl River counties and who also serves as Lumberton’s city attorney. The new law gave the city authority to regulate on-premises liquor sales through a local ordinance but did not immediately allow businesses to begin selling alcohol.
Six days later, on July 7, the Lumberton Board of Aldermen adopted Ordinance No. 310, establishing the city’s local rules for alcohol sales, including licensing requirements, operating hours and zoning restrictions. Businesses can now begin the licensing process under those regulations.
Owen said the timeline was not caused by a delay but by the legal process required before the city could adopt its own regulations.
“The city became a qualified resort area on that date, but it could not pass its local ordinance until after that authority existed,” Owen said.
One of the first prospective business owners planning to take advantage of the ordinance is Kristi Fernandez.
Fernandez and her husband moved to Lumberton in October 2025 after purchasing land and building a home in the city.
After learning the city was moving toward allowing alcohol sales, Fernandez said the opportunity gave the couple a chance to pursue a business in their new community.
“A while back, my husband and I had discussed that it would be a great place to open a pub of some kind, and at the time, the city was dry,” Fernandez said. “A couple of months ago, we went back to them, and they said, ‘Hey, we’re going to be a wet city,’ and that really got us moving on everything.”
The couple plans to open the New Englander Tavern at 202 W. Main Ave. Fernandez said the business will offer a New England-style pub inspired by her husband’s Boston background.
The couple has the property under contract, with renovations scheduled to begin Aug. 1 and a projected opening in November.
Fernandez said the licensing process requires patience as the business moves through state requirements. The couple has already applied for a beer and wine permit through the Mississippi Department of Revenue and has begun the application process for a liquor permit.
Owen said businesses must first obtain the required Mississippi Department of Revenue alcohol permit before receiving a city special-use license. The department reviews each application and inspects businesses before issuing permits.
“When we went through this process in Poplarville, it took them a couple of weeks to get these licenses out because they have to come down and inspect the building,” Owen said. “They have to measure and make sure the buildings are not too close to schools or churches.”
Under Ordinance No. 310, alcohol sales are limited to commercially zoned areas. Licensed establishments may sell alcoholic beverages from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Businesses must renew their licenses annually, and the Board of Aldermen may suspend or revoke licenses for ordinance violations.
The ordinance also allows bars to operate as licensed establishments. It defines a bar as a business whose primary purpose is serving alcoholic beverages or one that derives less than 50% of its revenue from preparing and serving food. Licensed establishments generally may not locate within 100 feet of a church, school, kindergarten, hospital or funeral home, although churches and funeral homes may waive that requirement. The ordinance also prohibits adult entertainment establishments from operating as qualified resort areas and prohibits licensed businesses from operatingsexually oriented businesses on the licensed premises.
Although obtaining the required licenses is part of the process, Fernandez said the tavern’s goal extends beyond serving alcohol. She hopes it will become a gathering place that supports local schools, sports teams and other community organizations while helping attract visitors and encouraging additional business growth in Lumberton.
“We’re taking it one step at a time,” Fernandez said. “It’s something our community wants and needs. We hope to provide something to help our community grow.”
This report was produced by the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center at the University of Southern Mississippi.