The Varsity

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The Varsity
The front exterior of The Varsity.
Restaurant Information
Slogan	What'll ya have??
Established	1929
Food type	Fast food
Street address	61 North Avenue (original)
City	Atlanta
State	Georgia
Postal code/ZIP	30308
Country	United States
Other locations	Alpharetta, Athens, Kennesaw, Norcross; Atlanta (Varsity Jr.)
Website	Official website

The famous Varsity 'V' sign as seen from the Downtown Connector.

The Varsity is a restaurant chain, iconic in the modern culture of Atlanta, Georgia.^[1] The main branch of the chain is the largest drive-in fast food restaurant in the world^[2], despite mediocre assessment of the quality of its food in comparison to other chains^[3][4]. There are now six branches across metro Atlanta and Athens, Georgia.^[5]

[edit] History

The Varsity on North Ave. on a Saturday night.

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 had attended The Georgia Institute of Technology, but dropped out in 1925. Then, as now, the restaurant catered heavily to Georgia Tech students. As the business grew, Gordy was forced to move the restaurant to 61 North Avenue (the corner of North Avenue and 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 location at 61 North Avenue in Atlanta is now adjacent to the Downtown Connector's interchange with North Avenue. Directly across the Connector is Georgia Tech. The restaurant is connected to the Tech campus by the North Avenue bridge.

The enterprise has since expanded to Athens, Kennesaw, Gwinnett County, and Alpharetta.^[7] The Varsity, Jr., located in northeast Atlanta, is the only other of the chain to offer curbside service. In addition, it is responsible for more retail sales of Coca-Cola, on an annual basis, than any other single location in the world, a record which has stood for many years.^{[citation needed]} The restaurant also 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 College 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 College campus.

One of the best known employees at the Varsity was Erby Walker, who worked there for fifty-five years until he died in 2008. He started at the Varsity at the age of fifteen sweeping floors, and was nearly fired on the first day, but soon graduated to the kitchen. 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.^{[citation needed]}

Comedian Nipsey Russell began his entertainment career at The Varsity in the 1940s as a car hop. 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.^[8] Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton all visited The Varsity during their terms in office. Mad Magazine artist Jack Davis has done advertising for The Varsity.

The Varsity was featured in the movie We Are Marshall while the coaches are recruiting players.

[edit] Jargon

This article needs reorganization to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. There is good information here, but it is poorly organized; editors are encouraged to be bold and make changes to the overall structure to improve this article. (August 2008)

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

Over the years The Varsity has become synonymous in Atlanta's folklore with a clever and unorthodox catchphrase. Originated by frazzled cashiers as a way to keep the lines moving the blunt and abbreviated greeting "What'll ya have?" caught on with both staff and public and eventually became the restaurant's unofficial slogan. Today it appears on takeout boxes and cups as well as Varsity memorabilia and is the required greeting to all customers.

Along with 'What'll ya have?" the Varsity staff, as was common practice, developed their own jargon when calling out orders. Being a restaurant with an open grill, the customers could overhear the staff's slang and eventually began adopting it as their own when placing orders. Recognizing that the customers enjoyed being 'in on the joke' the Varsity eventually began listing its items with both their conventional and jargon references on both their overhead and printed menus.

[edit] See also

• Junior's Grill - another Georgia Tech dining tradition.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: The Varsity

• Official website
• Then (1953) / Now (2004) photo of The Varsity
• Then (1963) / Now (2003) photo of The Varsity

Coordinates: 33°46′18″N 84°23′21″W / 33.771592°N 84.389284°W / 33.771592; -84.389284