The
history of Sablich Enterprises can simply be
described as Entrepreneurial. All of its
subsidiaries are the result of hard work and
dedication by their founder,
Jamie, as he is better known, first went into
business for himself in 1984 when he formed Data
Management Consultants (DMC). He then purchased
Newman’s Restaurant Supply, a local restaurant
supply company in 1986. When the gaming industry
was introduced to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 1992
Jamie was determined to get involved on the ground
floor and was fortunate enough to meet the owner of
the first casino and offered his services in any
capacity.
It
was two weeks later that the food and beverage
director contacted Jamie and asked him to become his
new distributor for a product they were currently
using, Juice Tyme. This was the first product
distributed by the newly formed Mississippi Beverage
Systems (MBS), bag-in-box juice. That initial
product has enabled MBS to become one of the
largest, if not the largest, independent beverage
distributor on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. From a
start of bag-in-box juice, MBS has grown into
distributing frozen cocktails, bottled water,
soft-serve ice cream, cocktail mixes and many other
beverage items. MBS has also developed the ability
to install and maintain computerized liquor systems
and draft beer systems. MBS prides itself on being
a strong partner with the gaming industry and has
subsequently grown as Mississippi’s Gaming Industry
has grown. The introduction of the gaming industry
also persuaded Jamie to form Coast Gaming Supply in
1995 and obtain his Manufacturer/Distributor License
from the Mississippi Gaming Commission. He is one
of the few native Mississippians to hold such a
license. Coast Gaming’s function was and still is
to provide a service to the gaming industry on the
gaming side. This function includes, but is not
limited to, buying and selling used slot machines,
manufacturing slot bases, supplying table game and
slot machine accessories, and providing whatever
services that may require a licensed and controlled
company.
The
final piece of Sablich Enterprises, currently, is
its restaurant division. Jamie opened Burger
Burger, a Biloxi tradition, in 2001 with a partner
in attempts to utilize a piece of real estate that
was no longer being used and to help a friend. This
venture then led Jamie to open an Italian Restaurant
in 2001 in downtown Ocean Springs named Al Fresco
Italian Bistro. Al Fresco is solely owned by Jamie
and is the result of Jamie seeing an opportunity and
moving into the space where a successful Italian
restaurant had just vacated. Al Fresco has become
an Ocean Springs icon with its’ beautiful courtyard
and two more locations are planned for the near
future. Sablich Enterprises has benefited greatly
from the leadership of Jamie, who credits most of
his success to the quality people he has been able
to surround himself with. Jamie is in the process
of turning Sablich Enterprises over to his children,
of which he has four, and since Hurricane Katrina
has given the responsibilities of the day-to-day
operations to his son, John with the
hopes that the rest of his children will one day
become an integral part of what he has built, which
was his ultimate vision.
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