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usiness news
Momma's Country Kitchen To Feature Home Cookin'
By MARGARET A. 8TUDENC
Staff Reporter
"Whatever happened to places with
the old-fashioned soda fountain,
home-cooked food, and friendly ser
vice," folks will say quite often after
an overdose of fast food or expensive
restaurants which charge for every
little service.
While most of those old places are
gone, a victim of changing times, now
there is a new place in Madison Coun
ty which plans to go back to that old
style service ? Momma's Country Kit
chen.
This new restaurant, owned by
Latrelle and James K. Robinson, will
be opening Sunday and is located on
U.S. 25-70 between Marshall and Hot
Springs on the site of an old service
station.
The restaurant may seem familiar
to a few local folks. Much of the wood
used for the building is from various
barns around the county. The rest of
the lumber came from the Robinson's
own land.
"My son did all the building with
the help of many friends," said Mrs.
Robinson.
"He tore down four old barns that
people gave us," she said.
Mrs. Robinson said that the
building of the place took about two
years and during this time many peo
ple from out of state would stop by
and ask for samples of the wood used
to build the place.
At first glance, the restaurant does
not look like the typical place at
which to eat.
"I wanted it to be different and in
teresting," said Mrs. Robinson.
The bottom level, where the en
trance is located, features a counter
and soda fountain which was former
ly located in Roberts Pharmacy on
Main Street, Marshall.
"It (the fountain) has got to be
about 100 years old," said Mrs.
Robinson.
"We plan to have antiques in the
glass cabinet at the cash register and
on the walls," she said.
There is also a wood stove which,
along with the pine tables and natural
Walls, complete the homey effect.
"Someone asked me if I were going
to stain these walls," said Mrs.
Robinson with a roll of her eyes,
"Everybody thinks differently.
"We'll have a private dining room
upstairs," she said as she led this
reporter up the narrow flight of steps.
"We'll have a rope (alongside the
steps) for older folks to climb the
stairs."
The upstairs of the restaurant con
tinues on the theme of natural decor,
with more of the pine tables, booths
from the old pharmacy and natural
finished walls.
"Eventually we will have a country
store which is connected to the
restaurant, "said Mrs. Robinson.
Another set of steps leads down into
what will be the store.
The Robinsons also plan to have
gas tanks for gas service at the front
of the store.
"The restaurant will be able to seat
72 people," said Mrs. Robinson, "We
do plan to expand."
As for the food, Mrs. Robinson said
that Momma's Country Kitchen will
feature home-cooked food.
"We'll buy vegetables from local
people and we plan next summer to
freeze and can our own," she said.
"At night we will have steaks and
baked potatoes, and shrimp and fish
as well as country-style meals and
burgers," she said.
Mrs. Robinson, a former home
economics teacher and nutritionist,
said, "I love people and food!"
Mrs. Robinson said she wants the
restaurant to be a place for everyone.
"We'll have a place for the kids
after ball games with burgers, shakes
and fries or ice cream," she said.
Momma's Country Kitchen will be
open daily from 5 a.m. - 11 p.m.
"We have really been lucky with all
the help and materials donated from
mapy people," said Mrs. Robinson.
"We are excited about the
opening," she said.
Latrelle Robinson sits at the center at
Mamma's Country Kitchen, located on U.S.
25-70 between Marshall and Hot Springs. "I
MARGARET STUDENC PHOTO
used to sit at this counter when I was young
so the boys could see my legs," she said.
BILL STUDENC PHOTO
Face To Face
Sieve Feingold comes face to face with Big Brudis, a
200-pound python that visited Madison General Store during
its grand opening last week. Helping hold the snake is
Edward Brown, a store employee.
2 Brothers Keep
Barbering Business
All In The Family
By MARGARET A. STUDENC
Staff Reporter
Why would two men who have lived
the city life up north want to come
down south to Weaverville, N.C.?
To open a barber-beauty shop in the
Weaverville Plaza next to Food lion
of course.
Buster "Buck "and Mitch Mitchell
have been barbers for 25 years. Both
own barber shops - Buck Mitchell's is
in Detroit, Mich., and Mitch
Mitchell's is in Ontario, Canada.
When asked why they chose to open
a business and live in Weaverville,
Buck Mitchell replied, "I've been liv
ing in the rat race too long. I wanted
to get to a small town."
"We have a sister here," said Mitch
Mitchell.
The shop, Mitchell's Hair, is
located on the far side of the plaza to
the right of Food Lion. Inside there
are three barber chairs facing a line
of seats in which customers may wait
their turns for a haircut.
Through another doorway in the
back is the beauty shop portion of the
business.
"We are looking for two beauti
cians to work in the shop," said Buck
Mitchell.
"We'd love to find someone who is
really motivated and willing to help
build a business," said Mitch Mit
chell.
Both brothers graduated in 1962
from Lamar Barber School in
Detroit.
"We also do men's hair styling,"
said Buck Mitchell.
Monday was the first day of
business for Mitchell's Hair, but was
not the grand opening. That will be
held at a later date.
"We still are waiting for our phone
and the signs to be put up before we
have a grand opening," Buck Mit
chell said.
Mitchell's Hair is open Monday
Friday 8 a.m. -8 p.m. and Saturday 8
a.m. -6 p.m.
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MARGARET STUDENC PHOTO
Buster Mitchell gives Mitch Mitchell a trim at Mitchell's
Hair located at the Weaverville Plaza.