NATCHEZ — The mouse-click convenience of the Internet has made its way to the Natchez restaurant scene. With one e-mail, a rented kitchen and big dreams, Wayne Bryant started a restaurant that takes a unique approach on taking orders — they do it online.

Bryant’s restaurant, Natchez Gourmet and Events, is a full-service, Internet-based restaurant and catering service that delivers home-cooked gourmet meals to clients across the Miss-Lou every weekend.

The idea is simple — people need food, people use the Internet. Bryant has combined the two into a successful business venture.

“It’s basically a cyber restaurant,” he said.

The Natchez native e-mails out a menu every week. He then takes the orders, cooks the food, and makes the deliveries — all with a two-day turnaround. Orders are due by noon Thursday and the food is delivered the next day.

Each item comes with detailed instructions on how to reheat or freeze.

Bryant may be fairly new to the cyber-restaurant business, but he is no stranger to good food.

“I learned to cook at my grandmother’s in the Delta,” he said. “I’ve also watched a lot of professional chefs as well.”

After working as an events coordinator in Washington, D.C., Bryant decided to move back home. He worked as a private chef in Natchez, but soon caught the be-your-own boss bug and developed the idea for his restaurant.

“I have a huge entrepreneurial spirit,” he said. “What really got me interested in this is that people don’t eat at home anymore. So I developed a gourmet food, weekly delivery service.”

Bryant sent out a single e-mail with a menu and hoped for the best.

“I started out with 20 names in my address book,” he said. “I had a good response that first week.”

In just two months, Bryant’s client database has grown to more than 500 and he has no plans of slowing down.

“I’m thinking of going to two delivery days per week,” he said. “I really want to grow this business.”

Natchez Gourmet’s menu includes foods such as tomato florentine soup and chicken curry on saffron rice.

The restaurant offers a large selection of soups, salads, casseroles, entrées and desserts, most of which are cooked from old family recipes.

Bryant said he uses only fresh, never-frozen ingredients.

He drives to Baton Rouge every week to purchase fresh, organic foods that can’t be found locally.

Natchez Gourmet also offers floral arrangement and event planning services.

“We’re basically a one-stop shop for a party,” he said.

Bryant said he is looking forward to delivering home-cooked meals for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons.

“People can enjoy the holidays and I can worry about the food,” he said. “One simple call and the food is taken care of.”

Locals can also order enough food to last several days or through the weekend.

Natchez resident Stephanie Punches was on Bryant’s delivery list Friday for tomato Florentine soup, gazpacho, broccoli soup, shrimp salad and homemade banana foster ice cream.

“It’s very convenient to have gourmet food delivered to your door for the weekend,” Punches said.

The restaurant owner said he sees his business as “comfort food with a twist.”

“I’m not a professional chef, all I know to do is cook good food,” he said. “It’s a great thing to see the smile on the customer’s face when I show up at their door.”

Annette Holder is one of Bryant’s regular customers. Friday she received chicken pasta salad and crab cakes.

“I think it’s fabulous because people enjoy good food and don’t always have time to make it,” she said.