Shopper Blog: Guss Good Times Deli celebrates 45 years of feeding UT students

HALLS

Gus’s Good Times Deli celebrates 45 years of feeding UT students

Al Lesar, Shopper News

When Peyton Manning walks in the door, you can count on him having a roast beef sandwich with smoked cheddar cheese on dark bread with no mayonnaise or a cheeseburger with smoked cheddar. That’s why Aaron Hale loves what he does. And he’s loved it since 1993.

Hale and his friend (now brother-in-law) Les McManus graduated from Halls High School in 1992. McManus got a job at a Knoxville fitness center owned by the son of Gus Captain.

“I got to shoot ball for free,” Hale said of the reason he hung out at the fitness center.

Captain owned Gus’s Good Times Deli (815 Melrose Place) near the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus. At the time, Gus was in need of a delivery driver. Hale, who had nothing going on, gave it a shot.

“I liked being around the restaurant, but I didn’t like delivery,” Hale said. “I had to get good at making food.”

Hale shortly found his way to the grill — and he loved it. Long hours. Late nights. Drunk college students. He loved it all.

“I loved the pressure,” Hale said. “It was like being on stage. If somebody didn’t like something, they can tell you right then.”

Has anyone ever told him that?

“No,” he said. “I got good at it.”

It was 2001 when Captain decided he was ready to retire. It was a foregone conclusion that Hale would take over. Gus wanted his deli to remain stable.

It’s that interaction with his customers that Hale thrives on. Thanks to their hours (9 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Wednesday, 9 a.m.-3 a.m. Thursday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-12:01 a.m. Sunday), Gus’s Good Times Deli is the late-night go-to place for anyone who’s hungry.

He said Manning was a regular while going to school and, even though he no longer lives in Knoxville, he makes sure to stop by whenever he’s in town.

Over the years, he’s served entertainers like Prince and Garth Brooks. When ESPN’s College GameDay was in town for a football game, TV personalities Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee came by. He was also interviewed for a segment on the show.

Late nights are interesting

The transition from do-everything worker to do-more-than-everything owner was relatively seamless. This year, Gus’s Good Times Deli celebrates its 45th anniversary. Actually, Hale has owned it longer than Gus had.

“If you’re the owner, you’re gonna have to be there,” Hale said. “I’m there over 70 hours a week.”

“There probably have been 5,000 things change since I took over. You just have to adapt.”

Hale said he’s seeing second-generation students as customers.

“I’ll see someone I knew when they were a student,” he said. “Now, they’re bringing in their kid, who’s just starting at UT. I’ll tell them what kind of a student their parent was.”

One thing that hasn’t changed are the steamed deli sandwiches that are specialty items.

“Steamed deli sandwiches are a Knoxville thing,” Hale said. “You used a special bread that doesn’t get soggy. I never realized nobody else does it.”

Current students might be more apt to go with the fried selections, but the old-timers swear by the steamed deli sandwiches.

When the Old College Inn closed, Hale added cheese bings (similar to fried cheese curds) to the menu. They were a tradition at the Old College Inn, so he kept it alive.

“There’s such a rush late at night when there’s a line of people out the door and down the street all wearing orange,” Hale said. “It’s like riding on top of a wave. I love it.”

FARRAGUT

Bark Place grooming stresses calm, care and natural products

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

At Bark Place grooming in Farragut (11410 Kingston Pike, suite 200) it’s not just about a fresh cut, it’s about earning a dog’s trust, one calm, careful grooming at a time.

Owned by Sherma Elliott, a former RN, and Butch Elliott, a former restaurateur, the shop that opened in January 2008 has provided 18 years of service longevity and client loyalty.

Services include haircuts and breed-specific styling, bathing and blow drying, nail trimming, ear cleaning and add-ons such as teeth cleaning and paw treatments.

What makes Bark Place different is the Elliotts’ emphasis on natural, non-toxic, organic grooming products, which is appealing for pets with sensitive skin.

While Bark Place has a clientele of about 25 to 35 dogs per day, Sherma and her team of five talented groomers focus on individualized attention rather than volume. Her focus is to have a well-groomed, happy, calm pet. Dogs are not crated all day. Dogs who are not crate friendly are placed on canine hitches, allowing the dog freedom to see what’s around them.

“I feel like having dogs running around the shop is not safe, because you have to do a lot of behavior analysis. We keep them in open crates. If they are not crate friendly then we have canine hitches where they are secured but not in a crate. They’re not fearful,” said Sherma.

The Elliotts offer a behavior-tolerant approach, which is a big difference compared to chain groomers. At Bark Place the environment is that of pet lovers, not just a service business.

“We do a meet and greet with each pet on their first visit. The dog is happy and will be familiar with us when it comes for the first groom. We talk extensively with the owner to know and meet if not exceed their expectations,” said Sherma.

Such is their “pet lover” approach, they are willing to accept difficult dogs and dogs that have been banned from other grooming facilities. They’ll even groom cats.

Sherma said her biggest challenge is finding and retaining groomers with great talent and patience.

She said she’s appreciative of the Farragut community.

“Farragut has been very welcoming and gracious to us. There’s a lot of competition, but we’re supported by local veterinarians who refer clients to us and are very loyal to us. We’re very thankful.

With an eye toward growth, Sherma said they are considering a concierge service where they will pick up and return dogs after grooming.

“We have an aging population, and having spent nine years of my nursing career with terminally ill patients, I know they need services. It’s different than a mobile groomer. We just want to keep the community happy as we have for 18 years.”

Shop hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The shop is closed Sunday and Monday.

Info: Phone 865-777-2275.