A Figgy's sandwichTo an outsider, Figgy's Sandwich Shop on Chestnut Street won't seem like a place for power lunches.
The tables are draped in green and white checked oilcloth instead of linen. The glasses aren't glass at all, but merely Styrofoam cups. Napkins are of the paper variety. Yet it's safe to assume more deals have been done over a Figgy's "Special" than any other sandwich in the city.
"I end up doing business in line sometimes," says longtime customer David Ward, an attorney at Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, located less than a block away. "I've seen lawyers who haven't returned my calls, but I find them here."
Kenny Dyer, Chattanooga city executive at Capital Mark Bank & Trust, says he and his associates have been accused of holding impromptu board meetings while dining at the popular sandwich shop just across the street. The financier has been lunching there since the late '80s.
Figgy's owner Larry Jackson will sometimes start Dyer's order even before Dyer enters the door: a chicken salad plate with lettuce, tomato, no pickle and extra fruit. "My motto is to know your customers like family," explains the 49-year-old sandwich chef.
Whatever he's doing, it's working. Figgy's lunchtime clientele is a virtual Who's Who of Chattanooga, with judges, lawyers, bankers and businessmen all gathering at the tables in mismatched folding chairs. Signature dishes including tuna salad and the "Special" have remained unchanged since Figgy's opened in the late '70s. Jackson purchased the shop in 1996, retaining its status as a community fixture.
Beginning in his parent's bakery as a teen, the Chattanooga native has worked in food service for as long as he can remember, including a stint as chef at the Lookout Mountain Fairyland Club.
Like his 15-item menu, Jackson's recipe for success is as straightforward - delicious, high-quality food that's affordable and fast...really fast. With quick, deliberate movements, Jackson single-handedly makes each plate, whittling down the long line by memorizing the orders of regular patrons who often rush from Figgy's to business meetings or the courtroom. The reigning king of quick food service says he can make a good sandwich in about a minute. Because of Jackson's efficiency, only one other employee is necessary to run his well-oiled operation; his assistant, Nikki, has worked the front counter for seven years.
To keep things moving, Jackson keeps it simple. Instead of a cumbersome selection of toppings, customers choose from the basics: lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayo and mustard. Options include wraps or what he calls "plates," including homemade tuna, chicken or pasta salad served on a bed of lettuce with a side of fruit. All are around five dollars and come with chips or pretzels and a pickle.
A homemade soup of the day is also available: on Wednesdays it's chicken and rice, and on Thursdays it's chili. Both usually sell out. Newcomers usually begin with the "Special," a popular sandwich consisting of baked ham and tender slices of turkey on a sesame seed bun topped with Figgy's famous special sauce. Another bestseller is the chicken salad, made fresh each morning with hand-pulled chicken, mayo, salt and a little pepper. The dishes aren't elaborate or fancy, but they're delicious and attract a devoted following, with many patrons eating there several times a week.