Paula Creech was cruising into retirement when she heard that TJ’s Roadhouse in Mexico was up for sale.

The space, located at 112 S. Jefferson St. didn’t stay empty for long and the Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated a new business in town, The Drunken Pig, with a ribbon cutting on Jan. 13.

Creech, who owns The Drunken Pig, had only just retired in October but found herself back in business before she could fully enjoy it. She and her boyfriend, Timmy Furlong, were driving to New Orleans to embark on a cruise when she first heard the news that Terry Littrell, former owner of TJ’s Roadhouse, was ready to sell, and the deal was too good to pass up.

“We were making the deal while we were on a cruise,” Creech said.

Creech is a Lincoln County native who has ties to Mexico through her family, which owns a farm on the north side of town and she is no stranger to the restaurant business. She formerly owned TD’s on Main in Auxvasse, which she ran for about six months with Furlong before she received a good offer and sold the bar.

According to Creech, The Drunken Pig is going to be different from TD’s on Main.

The highlight of the menu, Creech said, is the Drunken Pig burger — a pork burger that’s been piled high with grilled onions and house-made bacon and smothered in a homemade bourbon barbecue sauce.

Jerry Jenkins is the main brain behind the menu. He is a manager who also leads the kitchen and many of the items he and his team prepare are made from scratch, which Creech said is very important. The tenderloins and chicken are hand-cut, the breading is made from scratch and even the sauces are crafted in-house.

“What I just want to do is make sure everybody’s got a good place to come out and get some good, we like to say, better-than-average bar food,” Jenkins said.

Every Tuesday at The Drunken Pig is Taco Tuesday where patrons can grab $2 tacos. Creech said Wednesdays and Thursdays are still being decided as far as specials, but Fridays will feature alternating fish and meatloaf specials and there will be steak specials every other Saturday.

Even Creech gets her hands dirty, filling in wherever she can and preparing dessert specials for the upcoming holidays.

The Drunken Pig really hit the ground running, officially opening its doors within a month of closing on the location, but they have yet to really break in the entire space.

With winter weather keeping everyone inside, Creech is getting excited for the warm, summer days ahead when she hopes the patio will be filled with customers who are there to enjoy the food, atmosphere and live bands.

“We just want to make it welcoming and a place for everyone to have a good time,” Jenkins said.

The Drunken Pig is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. as well as Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

“We landed here on a good deal and we’re hoping to make the best of the community,” Creech said.