Not only does Campus serve great food, but the small-town diner atmosphere remains. Next time, you are passing through Gate City, stop in at the Campus Drive-In.
You might have thought today was just another typical Tuesday. But according to the U.S. Census Bureau, March 29 is National Mom-and-Pop Business Owners Day.
A mom-and-pop business is a small, independent business that is usually run by a family. And Kingsport is full of them. In honor of the day, the ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ posed a question to its online readers: What is your favorite mom-and- pop business in Kingsport or around the Tri-Cities?
The answers ranged from retailers to local seed and feed stores and beyond — but mostly, restaurants reigned supreme among KTN readers.
Now, it could be because it’s in the name (though with so many votes, I doubt it), but Pop’s Restaurant in the Bloomingdale community was the overwhelming favorite among commenters. The home-style restaurant offers country breakfast items like biscuits and gravy and lunch and dinner items such as burgers, meatloaf, cubed steak, chicken and dumplings and more.
One reader commented on a vote for Pop’s saying, “My mamaw and papaw always had date night there every Friday when I was a kid.â€
Many commenters specified that they prefer Pop’s for breakfast and offered up different options to lunch and dinner.
Behind the numerous votes for Pop’s was Kay’s Restaurant located on Highway 11-W in Kingsport.
One reader commented, “Kay’s restaurant in Kingsport is by far the best!! Great food and great service!!â€
Another commented, “Home Cooking. Not Frozen Food.â€
Kay’s is also a home-style restaurant with numerous favorable comments on the eatery’s burgers. The restaurant also offers breakfast, roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy, soup beans and cornbread and other daily specials.
Devonne Thacker serves up a Monster Cone.
Other favorites among readers were two Gate City spots, the Campus Drive-In and The Hob Nob Drive-In. One commenter described the Hob Nob as a place with the “best hamburgers anywhere … and the soft serve ice cream cones are every child’s dream.â€
Not only does Campus serve great food, but the small-town diner atmosphere remains. Next time, you are passing through Gate City, stop in at the Campus Drive-In.
Nick’s Restaurant in Kingsport, Lynn Garden Restaurant in Kingsport and Randall’s Restaurant in Church Hill also received a noticeable amount of votes. Betty’s Stockyard Cafe, Sloopy’s and Highway 93 were also honorable mentions.
When I stopped to consider what my idea of a mom-and-pop business truly is, in my mind, it’s not just a small, family-owned business loved by all the locals.
You won’t find this definition in a dictionary or online, but to me, what makes a place a “mom-and-pop business†is mostly based on the feeling you get when you’re there. And that most often revolves around friendly, attentive owners and employees.
So many of the comments on the KTN’s post revolve around the service you get at these restaurants and stores. Even if your favorite local store isn’t family owned, it seems what really matters is that you receive quality care — and that you’re treated a little more like family.
Do you have a mom-and-pop restaurant you’d like to tell the KTN about? Send your notes, business anniversaries ending in a five or zero and other thoughts to mwaters@timesnews.net.
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