The Varsity

The Varsity is a restaurant chain, iconic in the modern culture of Atlanta, Georgia.[2] The main branch of the chain is the largest drive-in fast food restaurant in the world[3] taking up two city blocks and can accommodate 800 diners.[4] There are now six other branches across metropolitan Atlanta, including one near the University of Georgia in Athens.[5]

This article is about the Atlanta restaurant. For the University of Toronto's student newspaper, see The Varsity (newspaper). For the University of Cambridge student newspaper, see Varsity (Cambridge). For other uses, see Varsity (disambiguation).
The Varsity
The front exterior of The Varsity.
Restaurant information
SloganWhat'll ya have?
Established1928
Food typeFast food
Street address61 North Avenue NW (original)
CityAtlanta
StateGeorgia
Postal/ZIP Code30308
CountryUnited States
Seating capacity800+ inside and 600 cars (Downtown location)[1]
Other locationsAthens, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport (Atlanta), Kennesaw, Norcross, Dawsonville (Varsity Jr)--all in Georgia
WebsiteOfficial website
The famous Varsity 'V' sign as seen from the Downtown Connector.

The main items on The Varsity menu include standard fast food fare: hot dogs, burgers and fries. But there are variations setting The Varsity apart from other fast food restaurants. Hot dogs are often topped with both chili and mustard. Another option is to top hot dogs with store-made cole slaw and nothing else. Three types of grilled cheese sandwiches are served as well as a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Side items include the expected french fries and fried onion rings. But there are 16 types of ice cream and a frosted orange shake. In addition to a fried apple pie, The Varsity also serves a fried peach pie, which might be expected in "The Peachtree State."

History

Originally named "The Yellow Jacket", The Varsity was established in 1928 at the corner of Luckie Street and Hemphill Avenue in Midtown Atlanta.[6] Its founder, Frank Gordy[7] of Thomaston, Georgia, a Reinhardt University graduate, briefly attended The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) but dropped out in 1925. As the business grew, Gordy was forced to move the restaurant to 61 North Avenue (on the northwest corner of Spring Street). To accommodate the crowds, the present structure now covers two city blocks. It was here that the name was changed to "The Varsity," reflecting his desire to expand to other college campuses. During the drive-in era, The Varsity began its curbside service, which continues to this day.

The current location in Atlanta is now adjacent to the Downtown Connector's interchange with North Avenue. When that freeway (now I-75/85) was built by GDOT, it took out several blocks of Williams Street and much of The Varsity's western parking lot, forcing a parking garage to be erected as a replacement. The restaurant and the Georgia Tech campus sit on opposite sides of the Connector, linked by the North Avenue bridge.[8] The first Athens location opened in 1932.

The enterprise has since expanded to Athens, Kennesaw, Gwinnett County, Alpharetta, and Dawsonville.[9] The Alpharetta location closed on February 1, 2016, and the building has since been demolished. The Varsity, Jr., located in northeast Atlanta, was the only other location of the chain to offer curbside service. The Varsity, Jr. closed in August 2010 after more than 40 years at that location, after the city of Atlanta failed to approve the chain's plans to replace that building. The plans for the new Varsity, Jr. were instead used for the new location in Dawsonville. The restaurant offers catering services to the metro Atlanta region for both corporate and non-corporate functions, going as far east as Conyers and Stone Mountain, Georgia.

There is also a mini-Varsity on the campus of Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia. Frank Gordy met his wife, Evelyn, at Reinhardt in 1924 and went on to Georgia Tech to finish his education. Their custom-designed home was later moved from Atlanta to the Reinhardt University campus. The Gordy family gave part of their land to Cobb County for what is now the Mountain View campus of Chattahoochee Technical College and the Mountain View Aquatics Center, the rest was sold in the 1990s for upscale tract housing and strip malls. Gordy Parkway, a loop named for Frank Gordy, serves all of these.

Culture

One of the best-known employees at the Varsity was Erby Walker, who worked there for 45 years until he died in 2008. He started at the Varsity at the age of 15 sweeping floors, and was nearly fired on the first day, but soon graduated to the kitchen. Mr. Walker was noted for his ability to move the service line quickly, especially during the rush period right before a Georgia Tech football game. His signature catchphrase was, "Have your money out and your food on your mind, and I'll getcha to the game on time!" He retired in 2003, but came back three weeks later. That year Walker was inducted into the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau Hospitality Hall of Fame.[10]

The Varsity on North Ave. on a Saturday night.

Comedian Nipsey Russell began his entertainment career at The Varsity in the 1940s as a carhop. The creative and resourceful Russell would dress in a flamboyant style and pepper his order-taking duties with jokes and amusing songs, thereby earning him extra tips.[11] U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all visited The Varsity during their terms in office. Mad artist Jack Davis has done advertising for The Varsity.

The Varsity was featured in the PBS documentary A Hot Dog Program by Rick Sebak.[12] It also appeared in the movie We Are Marshall while the coaches are recruiting players.

A meal at The Varsity
Varsity catering at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers during the Celebrate Freedom 2007 concert on September 1, 2007
Varsity catering at the House of Cheatham facility in Stone Mountain, Georgia on March 6, 2008

See also
  • Junior's Grill - another Georgia Tech dining tradition; closed in 2011.

Books
  • What'll Ya Have: A History of the Varsity. Dick Parker. Looking Glass Books, 2003. ISBN 978-1-929619-18-4
  • Images of America: The Varsity. Janice McDonald. Arcadia Publishing, 2011. ISBN 978-0-7385-8797-4

References
  1. "The Varsity Downtown". thevarsity.com. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  2. Conroy, Pat (November 14, 2004). "Cheese Dogs, My Father And Me". Parade. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  3. "World's Largest Drive-In". Free Enterprise Land. Archived from the original on August 23, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  4. Palmer, Tamara (September 10, 2019). "The Best Atlanta Airport Restaurants to Try on Your Next Layover". Reader's Digest. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  5. "Atlanta Icons: The Varsity". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  6. "Tech Timeline: 1920s". Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  7. McKibben, Beth (April 30, 2020). "The Varsity Reopens for Drive-In Service Only in Midtown". Eater Atlanta. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  8. "Georgia Tech Living History Program: The Varsity". Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  9. Woods, Walter (June 7, 2002). "What'll ya have, Alpharetta?". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  10. "Erby Walker, Varsity counterman". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 16, 2016. Erby Walker was inducted into the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau Hospitality Hall of Fame in 2003. This photo was taken at The Varsity in the 1970s.
  11. Holley, Joe (October 3, 2005). "Rhyming Funnyman Nipsey Russell Dies". Washington Post. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  12. "A Hot Dog Program". WQED Multimedia: Television. WQED. Retrieved June 6, 2012.

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