Thursday, November 27, 2014

Stuckey's Restaurants

As a kid, I seem to remember seeing these restaurants all over the place.  It seemed like they were always along the freeways.  I don't think I ate at one when I was a kid though but I did eat at one on a business trip a few years ago.  It wasn't very good.
 Anyway, the chain got its start in the 1930's, when its founder W.S. Stuckey Sr. decided to sell candies made from his pecans along US-23 in Eastman, Georgia.  I think his specialty product was the pecan roll.
 Until World War II began, with its sugar rationing, he was starting to expand his stores into Florida at a pretty steady pace.
 After the war and with the creation of the interstate, his business took off.  At the peak, there were 350 Stuckey's and they spanned from coast to coast.  But like many things, it underwent a serious decline and there were 75 stores in the late 70's.
 In 1985, the business was bought back by W.S. Stuckey Jr. and there are currently 200 stores but I think they are mostly in the south.
 This particular one served as a winery for a while but it is now out of business.
I would like to see one of these again because I would like to see what all the fuss was about.

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