Po Folks tops list of diners we wish were here in Anderson and the Upstate

Jeff Pittman remembers long, hard work days at the Po Folks kitchen and dining room in the 1970s and '80s. Anderson diners recall the farmhouse motif and homespun atmosphere.

More vividly, they all remember good food.

Those ingredients made Po Folks the most frequent choice among the Independent Mail's "Our Town Memories" readers when asked to name the area's former restaurants they missed most.

The No. 1 status came as no surprise to Pittman, who in 1977 began working at Po Folks on Concord Road — the first of what became a regional chain of franchises.He later managed several Po Folks diners in south Florida, and continues the Southern-food traditions at his Chicken Basket restaurant on State 24 in Anderson.

"People tell me that every day when they come in," said Pittman, who continues to use many of the recipes he learned during his Po Folks days. The checkered tablecloths, country-style dishes and Southern desserts are vivid reminders of Pittman's restaurant heritage.

"One of the secrets to the success was always having a manager in the dining room. It made a big difference with customers," Pittman said. "And the fried chicken was always done right. We've tried to carry on some of those traditions here."

The original Po Folks began at 206 Concord St. in Anderson, at the present site of the Concord Market. Anderson residents Malcom Hare and Betty Trowbridge, who had transformed the Life Savers Chicken diner into the first Po Folks, were so successful that franchises were sold and developed throughout the South.

Rick Pratt, who joined the staff in 1976, hired Pittman a year later, and eventually opened seven Po Folks in Georgia. After the corporation went bankrupt in the 1990s, he maintained his stores under the "Folks" banner, and continues to operate them today.

He remembers rapid success in Anderson.

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"The food was good. That's the first thing you need," said Pratt.  "The name gained such a good reputation in just a few years, all you had to do was put the 'Po Folks' shingle and then try to figure out how to deal with all the business.

"In those days, it was easy to draw a crowd if you had the 'Po Folks' sign out front," said Pratt.

The diner opened in 1975. It had grown to 170 stores when Hare sold the company in 1985 to the Krystal Co. of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its popularity was never quite the same under the new owners, who filed for bankruptcy in 1988.

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The Anderson store moved to Clemson Boulevard in February 1991, making a new home in the Italian-style diner now occupied by Carlee's and Tony's.  But despite a major renovation in August 1993, owner Clint Wittner cited slumping business and high debt as he closed the doors for the last time on Dec. 2, 1994.

Seven Po Folks diners remain in operation, all in the Florida panhandle. Peter Sosthiem purchased them after the corporation liquidated, and they continue to prosper in the Panama City/Pensacola region.

"It seems like every day that we have someone come in from out of town who tell us they miss the old ones in their hometown," said Kerstin Vaughn, a manager at the Panama City Po Folks.

Nearly 25 years after its close, Independent Mail readers long for those prime years, when the fried chicken, the steak sandwiches, and the red-beans-and-rice were the talk of many Southern towns. More than 100 listed Po Folks as the diner they'd love to see return. 

The ongoing website thread includes more than 570 responses and more than 100 former restaurants.

Susan Walker listed "Po Folks, Po Folks, and Po Folks" as her top three.

Marilyn Brown Eskew recalled a fabulous four, noting that she "loved the steak sandwich plate at Po Folks, the squash casserole at Mennonite Maid, the variety at Morrison’s, and the ham biscuits at Katherine’s Kitchen .... we lost some good ones."

Among others frequently mentioned:

► Katherine's Kitchen — Biscuits from the diner near the Six and Twenty Creek are recalled fondly by many fans, including some who visited the diner by boat. The steps leading to the restaurant, and a pavilion overlooking the creek, remain in place near Interstate 85.

► Shining Tower — The locally owned  diner, which operated at 2810 North Main, near the corner of North Main and Concord streets, was extremely popular from 1954 through the mid-'70s and was among the first to thrive in a location then considered a bit remote from downtown Anderson.  "We ate there every Sunday because it was my grandparents' favorite," Lani Anderson recalled.  According to "Our Town Memories" contributor Steve Chapman, the diner was operated by Vic Wilson (1903-1982), who spent most of his early career as a waiter, then manager, at Sam's Luncheonette.

Dan Lacobie, who grew up two blocks from the Shining Tower, said, "I used to go outside just to smell the food, especially the onion rings."

► Pete's No. 5 — Pete Stathakis opened the Greek restaurant on Shockley Ferry Road shortly after World War II and sold it to Pete Mentis in the 1960s. It was among the first popular burger-and-fries locations in the city. Mentis also operated Murph's Grill on South Main for many years.

► Capri's — Part of a family-operated Upstate chain, Capri's was a popular eatery at 2407 North Main throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and remains in high regard among "Our Town Memories" contributors."I miss the real Capri's more than anything!" said Jane Cothran.

► Big John's Luncheonette — John Raftkis, who operated the popular Greasy Spoon in downtown Anderson from 1953 to 1966, opened the luncheonette at 219 South Main in 1969 and served a loyal and eclectic crowd daily until his retirement in January 1990.

► Daddy Rabbitts — Located on  Greenville Street, where Schlotsky's now operates, the restaurant was known for its salads. "I loved that restaurant. My heart hurt when it closed," said Donna Vaughn Donald. "Best salads ever."

► Mennonite Maid — "I loved that restaurant," Carolyn Kelly Segers said of the cafeteria at 114 North Main that operated in the 1970s and '80s.

► Ryan's Steak House — Another Upstate eatery that became a fast-growing franchise in the 1980s, Ryan's operated all-you-can-eat locations on Clemson Boulevard and South Main. Founded in Greenville by Alvin McCall, Ryan's was the pioneer in the elaborate salad/cold/hot food bars and was once a thriving  regional chain. The South Main location closed its doors last year.

► El Dorado — J.R. Ellison opened the steak house in the Pruitt Shopping Center (where QuikTrip is now) and it quickly became one of the area's most popular eateries and location of special dinner dates. At least one "Our Town Memories" reader reports getting engaged there in 1967. It closed in the early 1970s.

► The Town House — Bill and Georgie Konduras operated an upscale restaurant at 125 North Main that was very popular in the 1970s and '80s. "A great place to eat back in the day," said Dan Long.

► Del Taco — Operating at the Clemson Boulevard location that later became Fazoli's and now Cook-Out, the small regional chain was quite popular in Anderson at a time when fast-food Mexican was in its infancy. 

► Fazoli's — Another small chain, the fast-food Italian diner thrived during the 1990s on Clemson Boulevard,  about a decade after Del Taco had success there.

Follow Abe Hardesty on Twitter@abe_hardesty or email abe.hardesty@independentmail.com