Taylor Grocery Catering has long shared a close relationship with Oxford, Ole Miss and North Mississippi.
And the owners of the company continue to find meaningful ways to give back to the University of Mississippi community.
The company recently made a $200,000 gift to the new Triplett Alumni Center, securing naming recognition for a kitchen within the proposed new building, expected to be completed in 2029.
Supporting the university is nothing new for the company. Since John Shannon Gillentine and Butch Scott purchased the catering business from Taylor Grocery’s original owner in 2021, it has grown into one of the area’s leading catering brands while maintaining a strong presence at university events.
“This gift came about from our love of Ole Miss and wanting to give back to what has given us so much,” Gillentine said. “I chose the alumni center due to the connection I have from being an alumnus myself. In fact, most of my family members are alumni. I thought giving to the alumni center would help to ensure those coming back to make memories would have a space to do so.”
A 2019 UM graduate, Gillentine’s connection to Ole Miss stretches back to his childhood. Members of his mother’s family attended the university, and although his father graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi, he became a Rebel supporter years ago.
“Growing up an Ole Miss Rebel and continuing that trend with my own children is something that cannot be replaced,” Gillentine said.
Mary Kate Skelton, director of fundraising for the Ole Miss Alumni Association, said the gift reflects a strong and enduring partnership between the university and Taylor Grocery.
“Butch, John Shannon and the entire Taylor Grocery team work incredibly hard and embody the very best of Oxford’s legendary Southern hospitality,” she said. “When we began thinking about the future of the Triplett Alumni Center, we knew they would be the perfect partner to help bring that vision to life.”
Designed to better serve alumni, prospective students, university guests and visitors, the new Triplett Alumni Center will provide expanded and modernized gathering spaces. The $51 million project includes a ballroom, an alumni records office, a large event space and the new catering kitchen that will bear the Taylor Grocery name.
Skelton said the company’s contribution will leave a lasting mark on the facility and the experiences it will help create.
“Their partnership will allow us to bring a true taste of Oxford and that unmistakable Southern flair to many of the experiences we create at the Triplett Alumni Center,” she said. “The Taylor Grocery name will have a lasting presence in our building and will be among those who help serve hundreds of thousands of alumni, students, families and visitors throughout the years.”
For Gillentine, the gift is ultimately about creating opportunities for future generations to build their own connections to the university.
“Our hope for this gift,” he said, “is that it will help other families have a space to make those same memories that I was able to make with my own.”
To make a gift to the Triplett Alumni Center Building Fund, click here, or for information, contact Mary Kate Skelton at marykate@olemissalumni.com or 662-915-2377.
By Andy Belt/UM Foundation
