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History of The Dinner Bell

The round table tradition began over 80 years ago in Mendenhall, Mississippi, and was fostered
by boarding houses which implemented the Lazy Susan tables to expedite serving large numbers
of people. Soon, similar independently owned operations opened in Columbia, Mississippi, and
then McComb. Though The Dinner Bell was never a boarding house, it was so close to the railroad
and bus station; many travelers would stop and eat lunch – and still do.
The Dinner Bell’s first owners, the Jack Corbetts, had the original eighteen-seat table fashioned
by Loubat Restaurant Supply in New Orleans, Louisiana, and assembled in the room. Their modest
beginning in a white frame building, across the street on Louisiana Avenue near Third Street, was
an immediate success and more than the “hobby” they bargained for. Eventually, their employee,
Mrs. Grace Whittington, bought the business and moved it to its present location in 1959. There,
several more tables were added to accommodate the crowd – one identical to the first and two
smaller, seating twelve to fourteen each, similar to those found in other round table restaurants.
The building, originally a home, was built between 1921 and 1923 by John White, owner of
the first McComb Laundry and member of the prestigious White family, which included Hugh
White, twice Governor of Mississippi.
The Dinner Bell was the last of several homes built by the Whites in the area and is the only
one of brick. One of the White brothers made his fortune in the lumber business and supplied
only the best of materials for the home’s interior.
The downstairs features molded ceilings, board and bat ceilings, ceramic tile flooring, birch
trims and beautiful Belgian facecurtains. The Whites must have wanted a house with a view, for
the downstairs has 852 windowpanes; with the upstairs, the total reaches 1451.
Mrs. Whittington-Wales honed the idea and introduced the famous fried eggplant to the
more than grateful customers. As with the previous owner, continued successes found the newly
married Mrs. Whittington-Wales facing more than she imagined. She sold it to David Forrest
who operated it for over twenty years as The Dinner Bell Club, Inc. To the horror of its fans, The
Dinner Bell closed in 1978 due to Mr. Forrest’s failing health. It was a chance encounter two
years later that saved it from extinction.
In early 1980, while visiting family in McComb, John Lopinto and his family decided to check
up on an ad he had seen in a New Orleans newspaper announcing The Dinner Bell for sale. It still
was days from becoming a beauty and dress shop. John and wife Carolyn took their retirement to
reopen the restaurant. Extensive renovation followed. On February 17, 1981, Mrs. Whittington-
Wales cut the ribbon with Mr. Forrest and a host of dignitaries in attendance to what would
begin the truly amazing journey for the Lopintos.
A very familiar fixture in the restaurant was its hostess Mrs. Ellen (Granny) Bergold who greeted
guests until she was 94. She was the first applicant to resume the post she had held with the
Forrests for years when the Lopintos took over. Many patrons believed she owned the restaurant,
which she may have agreed to as her hearing failed in her later years. This post is now occupied
by Kathryn Wright, who used to own a gift shop across the street.
In 2003, the Lapintos retired. To their delight, Buddy Davis, longtime manager of the local
Jitney-Jungle grocery store, took the helm, promising to continue the tradition. After more than
thirty years of selling eggplant to both Mr. Forrest and Mr. Lopinto, Buddy was now serving the
same eggplant he used to sell. Buddy was joined in this venture by his son, André, who along with
his wife Ashley agreed to move back home to McComb from Atlanta to make sure The Dinner Bell
was to remain in good hands upon his own retirement. With the addition of their two daughters,
Lorelai and Isabella, the Dinner Bell looks to remain in the family for another generation.
Of course, the food is the focal point. The menu has remained very similar throughout the
restaurant’s history. Over the years, many items have become staples. Though most insist the
fried eggplant is their favorite, still others rave over the fried chicken, chicken and dumplings
and sweet potato casserole, which are regular fixtures of the table. Complement that with ever-
changing fresh seasonal vegetables and additional entrées and desserts, not to mention the
sweet, sweet tea, and even the table begins to groan. All eyes look towards Sunday when the
usual menu is enhanced by many additional items including an array of desserts to truly make
you feel like you’re at Grandma’s house.
McComb is Pike County’s largest municipality, population 13,500. It is a natural hub where
I-55, Highway 51, 98 and 24 meet linking Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Jackson, Hattiesburg We need your help!
and Natchez as well as dozens of other picturesque communities. Visitors can find a number Please let our local advertisers know you
of festivals, outlets and amazing golfing here along with great retirement opportunities and
a magnificent state park. Nestled downtown within the Depot District, The Dinner Bell has saw their ad on the
carved out an amazing guestbook. It includes the famous and infamous, friends and neighbors
and literally generations of patrons who came as children, returned as adults and brought their
children and grandchildren.
Furthermore, “if you build it, they will come” takes on added meaning as the guestbook pages
have representation from every US state, Canada, and Mexico as well as most every continent
on the globe. Menu!