Steve Pokin

SPOKIN@NEWS-LEADER.COM

Answer Man: Is it true that Doe's Eat Place is returning to Springfield in the vacant restaurant located just south of Evangel University on Glenstone Avenue? I'd like to know now so I can adjust my cholesterol medications accordingly. — Kris

Kris, it appears you are correct.

I moved here in 2012, so I initially had no idea what Doe's Eat Place was. It's a small steakhouse chain based in Greeneville, Mississippi. One of the owners is Charles Doe.

Newsroom colleagues Amos Bridges and Gregory Holman tell me people loved the place, which specialized in tasty steaks the size of carry-on luggage that you ordered by the pound, or maybe it was the half-pound, carnivore Bridges recalls.

In searching our archives, I found a 2007 News-Leader restaurant review of the restaurant. It was tucked into what looked like an industrial area just east of National Avenue, off Trafficway. A small sign remains near the site.

The most recent News-Leader reference to the restaurant I could find was in a March 2012 "restaurant inspections" story. It closed at some point after that.

The reason I'm pretty sure Doe's Eat Place is returning to Springfield is because it says that on the company's website: Springfield, Mo., is listed as one of four "Coming Soon!" locations.

When it opens, it would again be the company's most northerly location. The others are in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Kentucky.

Another reason I believe it's returning is based on what someone told me after I went out to the vacant former restaurant at 935 N. Glenstone Ave. that you mentioned, Kris. It's between Jose Loco's and Gene's Gallery.

Robert Ross, who works at Gene's Gallery, which sells motorcycles, tells me that several restaurants in recent years have tried to make a go of it. The most recent, he says, was a Mexican restaurant. He says that those owners told him they had sold to a "steakhouse" place. Ross didn't know which one.

On the door of the building is a freshly minted "Stop Work" order from the city of Springfield dated Nov. 22.

I called Chris Straw, director of building development services, who told me he had no permits on file for any type of work at 935 N. Glenstone Ave.

"There has been nothing submitted for review — as a result I have no idea who is working on the building," he says. "In all probability it required some type of a permit that apparently someone failed to acquire."

I was unable to contact either of the two owners of Doe's Eat Place in Mississippi on Wednesday afternoon.

Nevertheless, Kris, it sounds to me like you should start adjusting your cholesterol meds.

Keep those questions coming. Send them to The Answer Man at 836-1253, spokin@gannett.com, on Twitter @stevepokinNL or by mail at 651 N. Boonville, Springfield, MO 65806.