Pokey’s in West Point is doing well, looking to grow

Published 9:00 am Friday, March 9, 2018

WEST POINT — Downtown West Point has an abundance of eateries. From New York-style pizza to Japanese cuisine, there is a lot to choose from and one of the most popular is Pokey’s.

The restaurant was opened by the Norman family and current owners, husband and wife team John Carter and Georgia Norman, officially took over the business in January of this year.

“Business has been great,” Georgia said. “So far it keeps us busy. Our catfish tacos were recently named one of the top plates in Georgia.”

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The transition to owner was simple, she said, noting they already handled many of the day-to-day operations.

They haven’t made many changes, adding a few food items, and looking forward they might even be extending their hours.

“We are currently only open Thursday and Friday night,” she said. “We’re talking about possibly adding a few more nights.”

The reason for this boils down to consistency, Georgia added.

“We’ve been open over two years now,” she said, “and it took people awhile to figure out our hours. The only thing we have extra is private parties and catering.”

The newer food items, a catfish po’boy and a catfish basket, have proven popular.

“The catfish basket is a big seller for us,” she said. “We’re thinking about adding whole catfish.”

Customer suggestions of catfish have also been one of the major pushers for the additions.

The end goal is to increase catering and business sales.

“We really want to emphasis our patio as well,” she said, noting they plan to add more picnic tables and umbrellas to the outdoor venue. “It’s huge and open and we’ve a couple of ideas in mind.”

In the end, the Norman’s are happy to be in the business as owners.

“Opening your own business with your own menu is an experience,” she said. “Everything is kind of up in the air until you figure it out.”

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