The Township at Colony Park Restaurants: What's Changing This Fall

"After more than 15 years of taco nights, margarita meetings, and Friday Fiestas, we've cleared our last table." That was Sombra Mexican Kitchen's goodbye on social media, as WLBT reported. The restaurant served its last customers on Sunday, July 26, 2026.

The new restaurant going into that space was built with different goals. A close look at what The Township and its tenants have announced since July points to one clear trend. The restaurants arriving at Colony Park this fall are adding private rooms, event space, and bookable seating for gatherings. That matters if you live nearby and have ever tried to find a place for twelve people on a Friday in December.

The Space Sombra Leaves Behind

Sombra opened in 2011 as one of the original tenants of the mixed-use development. When it closed, it had been part of The Township for close to its whole life as a dining destination. Kelly Aycock, The Township's director of marketing, told WLBT that Sombra "has been part of countless meals, celebrations, and memories."

The Township didn't leave the space empty for long. In that same July report, it said plans for a new restaurant were nearly complete, construction would start soon, and the tenant would be named within weeks. The name came out on August 25.

What The Oxbow Is Built For

The Township's announcement says The Oxbow American Grill will bring wood-fired American cooking to the former Sombra space. The meats will be cooked over Mississippi red oak, and the menu will include bright salads, classic and creative sides, and carefully sourced seafood and vegetables. The Clarion Ledger's September 1 report adds that the restaurant plans to serve lunch, brunch, and dinner. It also says Gulf seafood will be part of the menu and the name was inspired by the oxbow lakes of the Mississippi Delta.

The layout is where the new restaurant departs most from the old one. The Oxbow plans two private dining rooms and a patio. The Township's announcement names the events those spaces are meant for: business gatherings, rehearsal dinners, and family celebrations. The Clarion Ledger calls the outdoor space an expanded patio. The Township says the restaurant is meant "for both everyday meals and meaningful occasions."

The people behind it have backgrounds that match those goals:

• Jason Brumm, Director of Culinary, has led kitchens at Café Thirty-A and WaterColor Inn on Florida's Panhandle. He has also held roles with Strategic Hospitality in Nashville and Gravity Haus in Colorado's mountain towns.
• Jud Heubach, Director of Operations, has 25 years in restaurant operations, including leadership roles at Char, Amerigo, Babalu, and Table 100.

Brumm described what he wants the menu to feel like in an interview with the Clarion Ledger: "I wanted Oxbow to be a place I could come back to and not order the same thing every time, somewhere I could choose something completely different depending on my mood or the occasion, but a place that always feels comfortable and meets me where I am."

According to The Township, construction is underway and the restaurant is expected to open in late fall 2026. The announcement doesn't give a specific opening date.

Lou's Full-Serv and the Event Room

The same trend shows up next door, though the details are less clear. Explore Ridgeland reports that Lou's Full-Serv has expanded with a new event room and more lounge seating, "creating more space for private dinners, celebrations, casual drinks, and gatherings of all kinds."

Lou's own website hasn't caught up yet. Its private parties page still says the restaurant handles "whole restaurant buy-outs only" and does "not have a dedicated private event room." More likely the website lags behind the build-out than the report is wrong, but neither source says how big the new room is or when it opened. If you're planning a holiday dinner or a group gathering, call Lou's at 601.487.6359 before assuming anything about the room. Lou's is at 1067 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite B, and The Township's directory describes it as "Southern Sandwiches + Fine Dining."

Put these together and Colony Park could have three private spaces at two restaurants by the end of the year. That's The Oxbow's two private dining rooms plus whatever Lou's has added. When Sombra closed, Lou's was still telling groups to buy out the whole restaurant.

Up Thai, Still Under Wraps

The third change is the hardest to pin down. Explore Ridgeland says Up Thai is "under construction and opening soon at The Township, bringing another cuisine and fresh dining experience to the property's growing lineup." The Township's dining directory lists it as "Coming Soon" with no address, suite, phone number, or website.

Neither source gives an opening date, a location within The Township, or the owners' names. With Sombra gone and Up Thai on the way, The Township will still have one restaurant focused on a single cuisine from abroad. Wasabi Sushi and Grill continues to fill that role, and Anjou is the French bistro.

What's Open at The Township Right Now

While construction continues, these are the places The Township's dining directory lists as operating, with The Oxbow and Up Thai shown separately as coming soon.

All addresses are in Ridgeland, MS 39157. The 1111 Highland Colony Parkway building alone holds Fusion Coffeehouse, Soulshine, and Wasabi. Anjou is the one listing on Township Avenue.

The Rebrand Around It

These openings come as The Township updates its look. Explore Ridgeland describes "a refreshed brand identity, wave of new restaurants," and a recent "Live Like a Local" campaign. The campaign focuses on being able to "work, play, dine, shop, stay, and live within one community," from morning coffee and shopping to an afternoon walk around the lake or a match on the court. The same article says The Township "has been part of everyday life in Ridgeland" for more than 20 years and that its name and values stay the same.

The restaurant changes fit that message closely. Private dining rooms, a bigger patio, an event room, and lounge seating all give people more reasons to stay longer or bring a group. Explore Ridgeland also says "other announcements" are coming and points readers to The Township's Instagram for updates on openings.

Planning Around a Late-Fall Opening

For anyone planning a gathering in the next few months, the timing matters more than the menu. The Oxbow is designed for rehearsal dinners and business dinners, but "late fall 2026" is a target, not a date. Holiday parties, year-end client dinners, and family celebrations around Thanksgiving fall in that same window. A date with real stakes is safer at a restaurant that is already open, such as Lou's or Anjou. The Oxbow's private rooms make more sense for gatherings later in the season, once the restaurant has opened. The Oxbow's website is live and is the most direct place to watch for an opening date.

Last year, The Township's Christmas Open House was held on Thursday, December 4. That was the 2025 listing, so check The Township's own channels for this year's plans. The Township Jazz Festival took place on April 11 this year with Grammy winner Nestor Torres.

A place where people gather says something about the neighborhood around it, and that kind of detail rarely shows up in a listing. If The Township's dining is part of why you value living near Colony Park, or part of how you'd describe the area to a buyer someday, Walt Bowie is glad to talk through what these changes mean for your corner of Ridgeland. Schedule a consultation whenever it suits you.