DAPHNE — Moe's BBQ in Daphne is undergoing major upgrades and moving into a new two-story building this year.

The new building will be a massive expansion of the original establishment in Daphne. There will be a patio area to protect patrons from weather elements, and the new building will also have enough room both indoors and outdoors to not only increase capacity but also host live band performances and other crowd-drawing events. The new structure will also feature a drive-through.

Owner Mark White said that with the recent growth in the area, especially on Bayfront Park Drive where the restaurant resides, it became time for Moe's BBQ to get with the times and expand. They also wanted to provide the city with a place that can be a community gathering space where events could be held, such as birthday parties and corporate and local events.

"I just felt that it was time to grow with the town since they're investing millions and millions of dollars into the street that I'm on," White said. "I felt the need to invest some money as well and continue to grow."

White said the old building in which they reside in until the completion of the new building will be given another life, with plans to refurbish and turn it into something else.

While nothing is set in stone, White said he hopes that the new building will be open for business later this spring, stating that it could open sometime after the Mardi Gras season is over once they have transitioned from the old building to the new one.

"[We] really just tried to perfect everything that had been an issue for me over the last 25 years or so, whether it was a storage issue or a space issue or not enough parking or not enough places for people to sit," White said. "We tried to rectify that whole situation, so the store really is a dream come true."