Lauderdale County officials joined other community leaders Tuesday in celebrating a milestone in the life of one of Meridian’s most well-known restaurants. Cater’s Market marked 20 years in business with the unveiling of a carousel horse named “Handy.”
Kathy Parrish, community outreach coordinator for Hope Village for Children, a shelter for abused and neglected children, said Cater’s Market owner Jamie Cater is not only responsible for building a successful restaurant but is also the brainchild, along with Debbie Martin, behind Meridian’s carousel horse program.
Founded in 2000, the Around Town Carousels About program encouraged local businesses and organizations to purchase a carousel horse and have it decorated. In addition to being a community-wide art piece of more than 80 horses, some of the money from the horses goes to benefit Hope Village.
“Our records weren’t great 26 years ago, but we have done a little estimating,” Parrish said. “So over 26 years, 89 horses have been sold, and over the years the prices have gone up for those. But Hope Village, we do think, has probably made upwards of $100,000 on those horses.”
Adding in sales from a book Hope Village published and merchandising miniature replicas of carousel horses and the organization has likely raised more in line with $150,000 to $200,000 from the program, Parrish said.
When the carousel horse program first launched, Cater said, she couldn’t get a horse because she hadn’t started her restaurant yet. Two decades later, both the carousel horses and her business are thriving. Cater’s Market, originally opened on Highway 493 near North Hills Street, has since opened locations in Starkville and in downtown Meridian near the Mississippi Children’s Museum-Meridian.
Cater said she chose to put her carousel horse at the Cater’s at the Museum location so children could see the brightly colored sculpture. Handy is decorated with handprints from local children, she said, which serves as a reminder of all the different people who put time and effort into making her business a success.
“Lots of neighborhood children put their handprints on there, and I thought that would entice children from the museum to come over,” she said. “But the other thing I see when I look at this horse, it reminds me of al the hands that have been a part of my business in 20 years.”
Lauderdale County Supervisor Josh Todd said the past 20 years have seen the Cater family repeatedly invest in their community. Just two years ago, they took a rundown building on 22nd Avenue into a small eatery in downtown.
“Three years ago, this was pretty much a blight. It was rundown, but look what they’ve done to it,” he said. “For 20 years y’all have invested in Meridian and Lauderdale County. In 20 years, everyone is invested in y’all.”