|
|
The
Busy Bee
Restaurant was
located on
North Howard
Street, between
Cecil's and the
water
department. The
library is
there now. The
Busy Bee, as it
was known in
the 50's, has
had several
names and
several
proprietors. In
the 1930's, it
was
Cherryholmes'
Restaurant and
Louis Goodman
Goodman's in
the early
40's.
In
1946, it was
purchased by
Lee and Lena
Menefee. The
building was
owned by Leota
and Harry
Griffith. Lee
worked the cash
register and
Marjorie
Robinson opened
in the morning
and did the
cooking. The
lunch special
was $.65 , for
that sixty-five
cents you were
served a meat,
two vegetables,
dessert and
coffee. Lena
was the short
order cook in
the evenings.
Their daughter,
Virginia
Menefee
Anderson
remembers her
parents keeping
the restaurant
open late on
basketball game
night, for
cokes and
shakes. In
those days,
establishments
needed a
license for
dancing, so
they would
close the
restaurant so
the kids could
dance.The juke
box played one
song for a
nickel. After
tournament
games, the
restaurant
would serve
victory
dinners.
Everyone was
treated to a
steak dinner.
Gus Bock's
baseball teams
and the Sabina
Golden Eagles
enjoyed victory
dinners!
|
Fred
Hudson, Terry
Moore, &
Sam
Wilson
|
Lloyd
McNutt purchased the
restaurant in 1949, he
called the restaurant
the Eden Restaurant. On
April 2, 1953, the Busy
Bee announced its
opening. The new
proprietor was Opal
Pinion. She served
homemade pies and good
meals. Among the
wonderful group of
employees were Lornee
Arasmith, head cook and
known for her homemade
pies, Faye Slagle, Viola
Pratt, Mae McDaniel,
Dorothy Dennis, Ora
Houseman and Evelyn
Renderle. Opal's
children, Marilyn, Libby
and Deanie Merriman
worked after school and
on Saturdays.
|
Emma
Morgan Rider
(lifelong
friend) in
front of
restaurant
|
Opal
Merriman,
owner, behind
restaurant; Can
see old
firehouse in
background
|
There
were "regulars" who
would come in for the
freshly brewed coffee
and homemade pie,
usually six or seven
different kinds of pie a
day, and to solve the
"problems of the world,
the county and the
town". The Merriman
girls remember some of
the regulars, Dean
Carnahan, Terry Moore,
Bob Stewart, Max Miller,
Ike Soales, Landy Hunt,
Ralph and Dick Gibbs,
Sheryl Smith, Harold
Sparks, Wendell Briggs,
Kenneth Stone, Walter
Stackhouse and many
others with great
fondness.
They
featured three different
specials each day as
well as a variety of
pies. The specials
featured a meat, real
potatoes, a side, and
coffee or tea, soda was
extra and a piece of pie
was $.65.
They
wore uniforms but no
hair nets. The pies sat
in the open air, the
restaurant was not air
conditioned. Faye Slagle
washed the dishes by
hand, all of them, a
little bit of bleach was
added to the rinse
water. No automatic
dishwashers at the Busy
Bee!
One
gentleman refused to pay
sales tax. His meal
would be $.75 and $.03
tax, he would put down
$.75. They came to the
conclusion that he was
not going to pay the
tax. This same gentleman
always complained that
his toast was not brown
enough. One morning he
threw his breakfast out
the front door. The next
day his toast was
prepared and served
black! He said it was
"the best toast he ever
had".
A
salesman, named Bob
Evans, sold the Busy Bee
sausage in a bucket.
They scooped it out with
an ice cream scoop and
served it in patty form.
It was a new and
delicious menu item.
The
first day of hunting
season was a big deal
for Sabina and the Busy
Bee. The Merriman girls
stayed home from school
that day, everybody was
needed at the restaurant
that day. The "Big Farm"
attracted a lot of
hunters, and they ate
breakfast at the Busy
Bee. Tennessee Ernie
Ford was among the
customers. On this busy
day, the grill was full
of steaks and eggs. It
caught on fire! The fire
department came. All the
customers were told
their meals were ruined.
It was a very
embarrassing day for the
restaurant. An
embarrassing moment for
Marilyn involved a man
dressed in his suit and
tie. He sat at the
counter and ordered
pumpkin pie with whipped
cream. When Marilyn
shook the can of whipped
cream to top of his pie,
it covered the man! At
night they would store
the bread in the
stainless steel coffee
urns. One morning they
ran water through the
urns (and the bread) and
served it. Customers did
comment that something
was not quite right with
their coffee.
Hugh
Zimmerman came in every
morning with his pad and
pencil to take orders
for meat and other need
groceries. He was paid
at the end of each week.
Of
all the great stories
and memories, the
Merriman girls enjoyed
having all their friends
come in. After hours,
the high school gang
would come in for food
and to play the juke
box, lots of great
times!
When
Libby was 16, she was
removing a large roast
from the pan; it fell on
the floor and rolled out
by the bar. She remarked
to the man at the
counter, "I will have to
throw this away". 'Well,
if you are throwing it
away, I'll take it home
to my dog," he said. I
bet that was the best
meal that dog ever had!
In
1960, the Busy Bee was
sold and became the
Colony and in 1962 it
was called Sanderson's.
In 1976 the Sabina
Library Board purchased
the Beverly Building,
which housed Cecil's and
the restaurant. In 1978
the buildings were torn
down and the Sabina
Public Library's new
home was built.
Thank
you to Libby, Deannie,
Marilyn, Harriett,
Virginia, Terry, Bonnie
and the library archives
for this story. It was
fun gathering stories
and pictures and
reminiscing. If you have
facts and stories to add
to this restaurant's
rich history, please
contact the Sabina
Historical Society, help
us preserve the rich
history of . Sabina and
the community.
|
