This week in 417 foodie news, a restaurant moves on from its buffet, a new restaurant opens with a focus on Southern comfort food, and a new coffee shop has its soft opening downtown. Plus, Andy's Frozen Custard finishes up its anniversary tour in the Ozarks.
Indian restaurant ends buffet
Nawab's Indian Cuisine, 3654 S. Campbell Ave., will no longer offer its traditional buffet, opting instead for a "new Indian fast-casual experience" Tuesday through Sunday.
"Like many restaurants, we continue to face rising food and operating costs along with ongoing staffing challenges. Instead of compromising on the food and service we want to provide, we’ve decided to adapt, simplify and upgrade the Nawab’s experience," the business wrote in a Sept. 18 Facebook post.
In place of the buffet,
new offerings include customizable Indian bowls, Indian-inspired wraps, traditional curries, tandoori favorites, Indo-Chinese dishes, biryani and rice dishes, fresh naan, desserts and drinks like lassi, chai and others.
Nawab's opened in 2022 at the Campbell Avenue location, according to previous News-Leader reporting.
New restaurant opens in Sam's Southern Eatery location on Glenstone
A new restaurant with a similar concept is opening where Sam's Southern Eatery was on 1631 N. Glenstone Ave.: Anchor Point Seafood and Grill. The restaurant is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
"From the soulful flavors of Louisiana to the sandy shores of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, our journey inspired Anchor Point," Anchor Point's Facebook page reads. "We brought home the flavors, warmth and coastal spirit we loved along the way, so you can sit back, relax and enjoy every bite."
Salima Chaudhry is listed as the registered agent for Anchor Point, according to an Aug. 4, 2026, filing with the Missouri Secretary of State.
It is unclear if Anchor Point ownership is associated with the previous ownership of Sam's Southern Eatery. Anchor Point lists the same phone number as Sam's Southern Eatery and a reverse image search indicated that photos Anchor Point posted on Sept. 17, 2026, were also posted by Sam's Southern Eatery locations in Illinois, Texas, Louisiana, California and Oklahoma.
Sam's Southern Eatery, a Louisiana-based company, opened on north Glenstone Avenue in 2018, according to previous News-Leader reporting.
Anime, gaming themed coffee shop opens downtown
Waypoint Coffee & Cream, 431 S. Jefferson Ave. Suite 109, had its soft opening week recently. The cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
It serves specialty coffees and sodas as well as hand-whisked matcha, themed after anime and video games.
Andy's Frozen Custard ends Roadshow Tour in southwest Missouri
Andy's Frozen Custard, which is celebrating 40 years in business, is ending its "Sweet Since '86" Roadshow Tour where the brand started in southwest Missouri.
Guests can celebrate 3 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 28 at Republic and Branson locations and from 3 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 29 at 2119 N. Glenstone Ave. and 2726 S. Campbell Ave. locations. During that time, guests can purchase $2 regular one-topping sundaes at those locations, purchase roadshow tour merch, win prizes, and participate in giveaways.
For more information or the full tour schedule, visit EatAndys.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield Indian restaurant ends buffet, pivots to 'fast casual'
