Patrick Reeves

Julie Lumpkins

October 26, 2000

English 101

Betty’s Parkway

Betty’s Parkway is a well known restaurant in Columbia, Tennessee. It has been family owned since it was started in 1987 by Betty herself. It’s just a small building on Riverside Drive. For thirteen years it has been a place to bring a family for dinner or to come relax, watch the "big game," while sipping on a cold one. Betty’s Parkway is a family restaurant for any race, age, and gender to come have a good meal.

When the restaurant first opened, Betty wanted to do something to bring in a crowd, and give the diner a trademark. She introduced the first twenty-ounce steak that weighed a pound with the fat trimmed off. Well, she knew how to make the best steaks in town by using her homemade marinade. Betty didn’t know that her marinade was good on all meats. Now the marinade is being bottled and sold as "Betty’s Best".

A few years ago Betty passed away, and her son, Tim Duncan decided to take over the business. Her death did not change the usual crowd. At this establishment, about twenty percent of the customers eat there a couple of times a week, and about twenty percent are the usual weekend crowd {Duncan}. The rest of the customers are comprised of new faces. The crowds vary during the day. While at lunchtime, "We get a lot of lawyers, doctors, suit and tie business type people," Tim says. The evening has more families that come in for dinner. The night and weekend crew has a lot of familiar faces that hang around. This restaurant is most busy on the weekends. On "Mule Day" there is hardly a vacant chair in the whole building.

On "Mothers Day" in the year 2000, Betty’s burned to the ground in an electrical fire. September 10, 2000, just a few months later, it was reopened with a totally different design. The kitchen was on the south of the building before the fire. Now it is located on the east side. The old kitchen became a dining area, with a view of the Duck River. The whole building has a new glow to it. The inside itself even seems brighter. Tim Duncan said, "Since we have reopened, different varieties and more people have started to come."

Betty’s has a "country, everybody is welcome" attitude. The waitresses have a great southern charm to them, while the cooks are well experienced at their job. One cook has been working there three to four years, and has the whole menu perfected. Beers on draft makes Betty’s the perfect place to relax and watch Monday night football, and it never gets roudy like some bar. The serve alcohol, but it’s not the type of place to and have fifteen drinks. So drink considerately, and have a good time.

Betty’s Parkway is considered a family steakhouse, which is exactly what it is. It has a "home town" hangout atmosphere, and a variety of food that keeps the regular crowd coming back every week. Of course, it also has the most tender, flavorful steaks in Maury County. Betty’s is the place to go with your family or friends for wonderful food in a "laid back" environment. With this restaurant you can’t go wrong.

Work Cited

Duncan, Tim. Personal Interview. October 12, 2000.