Joe “Dixie” Fuller, owner of Zarzour’s Café, figures that within a matter of weeks, maybe a month or so, he will close the doors of his restaurant for the last time — marking the end of his family’s 106-year legacy and four generations as owners of Chattanooga’s oldest eatery.
Fuller publicly announced this decision earlier this week. And after hearing the news, Chattanooga reacted, filling the old-school diner in a way the waitstaff hadn’t seen in ages.
“I never dreamed it would be like this,” Fuller said during an interview at the Rossville Avenue cafe. “It feels like I’ve been shot out of a cannon. And as a matter of fact, when I think about it — that might not be so bad right about now.”
(READ MORE: Restaurant Scene: After 106 years in business, Zarzour’s Cafe is up for sale)
Zarzour’s has been serving the community since 1918, when Fuller’s great-grandfather, Charles Abraham Zarzour, purchased the building at the corner of Wilhoit Street and Rossville Avenue for $1,000. For generations, the building pulled double duty as both a home for his five children and the restaurant itself.