Main Street Market owners Sally Bullard and Chris Fink thought it would be fun to open their restaurant up once a month in the evening for patrons who would like to enjoy a night out.

“The vision was for it to be like a supper club, only not the same people every month,” Sally said.

With that idea in mind, the first Main Street Market supper club was held Jan. 17.

“I had a blast,” Sally said. “It was the community vibe I wanted. People visited with new folks and shared wine. It was perfect.”

Before Covid, Sally and Chris were open every Monday night, but now Sally said they just don’t need that big of a commitment.

“We’re just too old to do every Monday night, four times a month,” Sally laughed. So she and Chris decided to model their once-a-month idea around what The Flora Butcher offers in Flora, Mississippi.

“I had seen where The Flora Butcher does something similar, and they call it The Flora Supper Club,” she said, “And I said to Chris, ‘We could do something like this,’ and it would be fun, because we are always like, ‘Let’s have people to dinner to get a different mix of people.’ So why not do it at the restaurant?”

And like when entertaining in their home, Sally said she and Chris wanted the evenings at Main Street Market to be “interactive.”

“You know, like when you have people to your house,” she said, where friends can enjoy each other’s company along with having the opportunity to meet new folks.

But with a crowd to prepare for, Sally and Chris will be deferring their roles as host and hostess to other couples.

“Chris and I will be cooking, so I need somebody else to make sure all these people visit with each other,” she said. So each month, Sally and Chris will choose from couples who are regulars at the Main Street Market, ask if they can host and if they choose to do so, they will dine free of charge.

“This will be our way of paying them back (for their patronage),” Sally said.

Paul and Donna Ingram served as Sally’s and Chris’ first host couple.

Scheduled to meet every third Saturday of the month, Sally said appetizers will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m., which will allow folks to mingle before being seated at 7.

And for the supper club gatherings, each will have its own unique nuances.

“At some of the dinners we’re gonna probably like pass the salad bowl around instead of doing individual salads, you know, or just something to make it more family-ish style,” she said.

On supper club nights only one entree will be offered, Sally said, and most will be new recipes the couple has been perfecting, like their homemade meatballs over polenta.

“I think this will be really fun to do where you have the whole plate on the table and everybody kind of serves themselves,” she said.

There was also talk of flank steak with homemade flatbread and chimichurri.

Dessert will be served after the main course. At the first gathering, everyone enjoyed the pavlova bar that was set up, Sally said.

“Food is such a great connector,” she added. “And Chris and I love sharing and making memories with people.”

The next Main Street Market supper club is scheduled for Feb. 15, and Sally said they will begin taking reservations, which are required, on the first of the month.

“And we will fill up fast,” she added.

The cost is $75 per person, and it is a BYOB gathering.

For more information, or to make a reservation, call 601-634-8088.