Randall Swaney went through a lot of options before opening a Holly Springs steakhouse that has the reputation as one of, if not the, best in Mississippi.

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Swaney started out in July 2017 with a building where he planned to put a sawmill and cut lumber for a barn. He changed his mind when the building became an 80-foot-by-60-foot structure with 35-foot high ceilings. The idea moved from there to feed store (not profitable enough) before he started thinking about food.

“So, I decided to add a gun store to it along with hamburgers for lunch. I was going to call it Marshall Trading Post,” Swaney said. But after a friend suggested he add steaks to the mix, the idea for Marshall Steakhouse was born (and named for Marshall County).

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Swaney announced this week that he has decided to expand from Marshall County to Shelby County with plans for a new location at The Lake District in Lakeland by the end of the year. But that might be the first step. He also is considering locations in Birmingham, Alabama, Dallas, Charlotte, Atlanta and Nashville.

That is a long way from what he considered before opening his business four years ago.

“I never thought about being in the restaurant business,” Swaney said. “As a matter of fact, if I had put together a to-do list with 100 things on it, being in the restaurant business would not have been one of the 100 things.”

Swaney, who grew up in Holly Springs but has lived in Memphis the past 40 years, added: “I realized there was a void in Northern Mississippi for providing prime steaks.”

Swaney spent 30 years in the billboard business, experience with signage and visibility that will set the foundation for his business scheme. He will locate close to larger cities and near major highways or interstates. “When you get 65,000 people a day driving by your business, in short order everybody knows who you are and where you are,” he said.

But diners simply knowing about a location doesn’t translate into success. Marshall Steakhouse also has established a reputation for its menu. Marshall Steakhouse was named best steakhouse in Mississippi by The Food Network and voted “best steak” the last two years by the Mississippi Beef Council.

The steakhouse touts the fact that customers travel regularly from a 150-mile radius for its food and rustic ambiance. The menu includes USDA prime steaks, fresh seafood, salads, soups and desserts served in a dining area featuring 40-foot-wide tables cut from 300-year-old virgin timber that Swaney acquired from a piece of land in Collierville.

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The new Lakeland steakhouse will be identical to the original location in overall size and on the interior (the exterior will be different). In addition to the steakhouse, there will be a second 4,600-square-foot building that sits in front and includes a huge bar and retail store along with a 100-seat banquet hall on the second floor.

The steakhouse will hold 340 customers and occupy 7,800 square feet on two levels with a brewery onsite. On weekends after the steakhouse closes, the “Marshall Roadhouse” will open for late-night live music and drinks.

“I’m hoping to have everything ready to break ground in the next 90 to 120 days,” said Swaney, who wants to open the Lakeland location before the end of the year. He estimates the cost to open the new restaurant at roughly $4.5 million.

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The Lake District developer Yehuda Netanel sees the steakhouse addition as a game changer for Lakeland.

“Lakeland needs quality, locally owned and operated restaurants and retailers who understand the multi-location model and understand the dynamic growth happening in north Shelby County,” Netanel said in a prepared statement earlier this week. “Marshall Steakhouse will be a huge asset to the area.”

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He expects other pending leases and more announcements from The Lake District soon.

The $400 million Lake District mixed-use project is one of the largest developments in Shelby County and will be home to more 2,500 residents in a variety of housing types at buildout. Phase 1 retail is expected to begin opening later this year, with initial tenants including The Stock Market, Hollywood Feed, Olive House Mediterranean Restaurant, Lakeland Wine and Liquor, Chosen Lines Boutique, Gloss Nail Bar, Osaka Japanese Restaurant, Gould’s Salon, Brickhouse Fitness, Frida’s Express, Main Squeeze Juicery, Starbucks, Firehouse Subs and Boba Society.

Lakeland development projects move forward