Dreams do come true
In 2001, Tom Pharr and former business partner Chris Brinkley decided to purchase Anchuca, a once thriving B&B in Vicksburg, Miss. They worked with previous owner Loveta Byrne for a few months as she shared her wealth of knowledge and experience about running a B&B.
During the past 18 years, Anchuca has expanded its offerings to include a restaurant, additional opportunities for special events and newly updated suites and bathrooms. With the motto — “The difference is in the details.” — our gracious staff works hard to keep our guests happy and historically informed about the home.
Recently, co-owner Chris Brinkley decided to retire his interest in Anchuca and return to Atlanta to start a new chapter in his life and reconnect with family and friends. Chris’ contribution to the promotion and preservation of Anchuca are greatly appreciated and recognized by the community and all who know him. Everyone at Anchuca wishes him only the best in the future.
We are excited to announce that in 2016, Anchuca once again took a giant step forward with the release of this new mobile friendly web site, as well as more healthy solutions for Café Anchuca which includes local farm to table ingredients for our menu items and exciting plans for expansions of the B&B.
Tom Pharr
Purchasing Anchuca was a full-circle moment for Tom Pharr. As a teenager, Tom worked at Anchuca as a concierge and tour guide for extra cash. Tom knew at an early age that architecture would play a vital role in his life. His love for history definitely complemented his passion for architecture, and it undeniably all came together with his purchase of Anchuca.
Tom Pharr
“I was in the parlor playing the piano one night and thought, “As a kid, I dreamed of being the owner of a house like this one day. Now I am! I worked at Anchuca in high school and remember the days of lugging guests’ bags up the steep front stairs. I absolutely loved guiding them through the house, offering all the marvelous details of its history with full descriptions of its furnishings, paintings, draperies…everything down to the original hardwood pine floors. I’ve always known Vicksburg was ‘home’ so I decided it was time to settle down and be closer to family. I wanted a business for when I semi-retired. Something I could sink my teeth into, feel passionate about, and call my home”.
Full-circle moments don’t end with daydreams for this Vicksburg native. Thirty-one years later, the house lured him back to his hometown. Although he didn’t expect to leave his architectural design business in Atlanta quite so soon, he said he couldn’t pass on the opportunity when he learned the mansion and inn were on the market.
The Plantation Breakfast
Since 2001, we strived to enhance each visit to Anchuca with good food, worthy of remembering. Our approach to breakfast has remained the same – provide a nice sampling of our dishes and try not to serve any guests the same breakfast twice during their stay. Starting out conservatively with dishes like the Anchuca House Scramble with fresh herbs and cheese, country bacon, biscuits, fresh fruit, maybe a slice of poppy seed cake, and our cheese grits (a must!). It’s always a good sign when guests are taking pictures of their breakfast plates and even more so when the plates came back clean.
The Plantation Breakfast
We referred to these meals as “plantation breakfasts” with servings of a gracious plenty. In the beginning, breakfast was the only meal served at Anchuca and one of the last experiences of a guest’s stay. As they enjoyed their “plantation breakfasts,” Tom would sit down with them to share the history of Anchuca, along with his thoughts about Vicksburg’s past and a little about his vision for the future. A compelling storyteller, he would often engage the guests in lengthy discussions that continued throughout their tour of the home.
To fully appreciate this “full-circle” story, the historic home, our incredible staff and the heavenly breakfast (and now dinners), you’ll just have to come for a visit and experience it yourself.
