Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 23
Each day, The Varsity in Atlanta serves about
2,000 pounds of onions (as onion rings), 300
gallons of chili, 5,000 fried pies and 1 ton of
potatoes (as french fries).
Left: A vintage photo shows customers preparing
to pay prices such as 20 cents. Above: From left, Alton Frazier, Louis
Frank Jones and Robert Thomas are car hops at The Varsity in Atlanta.
Jones has worked there since 1940.
replied: "Oh, that's the owner's daughter. She won't last
installed two cash registers without his boss's approval
two weeks."
and made sure a few employees knew how to operate
"But I fell in love with it, and here I am, 35 years
them well.
later,"
Simms says with a laugh. "I love The Varsity as
"When my dad came back to work after vacation,
much
as my father did."
he paused and watched an employee using one of the
When
her father died, The Varsity closed its doors
cash registers for a while, walked up to Joe and said,
for
the
fi
rst
time in 55 years to allow its employees to
'I think this is going to work,' and walked away,"
attend the funeral.
Simms says.
"[Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gordy was also reluctant to
columnist]
Lewis Grizzard decided
change from bottled Cokes to
to
swing
by
The Varsity that day
fountain drinks, fearing that Cocaand
eat
a
hot
dog in my father's
Cola would fire the bottle deliverymemory,
but
we
were closed,"
man, who was a friend of Gordy's.
Simms
says.
The Varsity switched to fountain
Through its 90 years, The
drinks after Gordy's friend retired.
Varsity
has served a host of lumiBy 1983, Gordy was losing a
naries,
including
actors Clark Gabattle with emphysema, and his
ble
and
Matthew
McConaughey,
wife, Evelyn, felt that the end was
comedian
Minnie
Pearl and politicoming.
cal
leaders
Maynard
Jackson, Zell
"My mother said, 'You need
Miller,
George
H.W.
Bush,
Bill
to go and decide what we need
Clinton
and
Barack
Obama.
to do with the business,'" Simms
The movers and shakers, like
remembers. "I really thought we'd
The
Varsity's regular customers,
sell it, but that's not what hapare
drawn
to The Varsity experipened."
ence-one
that mixes good food,
Simms met with The Varsity
fast
service
and a heaping helpGeneral Manager Ed Minix, who
ing
of
showmanship.
gave her a hair net and an apron
"My dad was a natural showand showed her how to do everyman,"
Simms says. "Even to this
thing from slicing onions to makday,
just
before the lunchtime
ing pies to processing payroll.
rush,
I
say
under my breath, 'It's
During that first week, a
showtime.'"
Fred Stewart, sporting a stack of The Varsity's
business associate pointed to
Amber Lanier Nagle is a freeiconic paper hats, delivers an order in Midtown
Simms and asked Minix, "Who's
lance
writer in Adairsville.
Atlanta. He has worked there for 18 years.
the blonde in the kitchen?" Minix
August 2018
More online at www.georgiamagazine.org
23
http://www.georgiamagazine.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - August 2018
Contents
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - Intro
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - Cover1
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - Cover2
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 3
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - Contents
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 5
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 6
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 7
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 8
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 9
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 10
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 11
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 12
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 13
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 14
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 15
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 16
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 17
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 18
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 19
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 20
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 21
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 22
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 23
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 24
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 25
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 26
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 27
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 28
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 29
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 30
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 31
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 32
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 33
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - 34
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - Cover3
Georgia Magazine - August 2018 - Cover4
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