With U.S. Highway 64 reopening Friday in Polk County, Tenn., business leaders in Ocoee hope to be on the road to recovery after the “devastating” economic effects of a November rock slide.
“We can see the end in sight and are guardedly optimistic, but we’re afraid to breathe that sigh of relief until it really happens,” said Jan Beck, president of the Polk County Chamber of Commerce. “Between now and then, anything can happen.”
Highway 64 connects eastern Polk County and the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains to Cleveland, Chattanooga and other western points. The 3,000 dump-truck loads of rock that have blocked the route more than doubled the commute — from 50 minutes between Ducktown and Cleveland on Highway 64 to an hour and 45 minutes on the two best alternate routes.
Conditions have created hardships not just for residents of Polk County who commute west to work but for tourists east of the area who have postponed meals and whitewater rafting adventures while the highway was restored.
The climate for business has been devastating, Ms. Beck said, adding that three popular restaurants affected by the slide — Blackwell’s on Lake Ocoee, Dam Deli & Diner and Gondolier — “have had to suffer tremendously.”
Owners of the restaurants, all located on Highway 64 between the Cleveland bypass (Highway 74/APD 40) and Parksville Lake, said they are hoping that an influx of visitors starting Friday will help with their own recovery from the rock slide.
Dam Deli & Diner
This restaurant, a favorite of paddlers and others tourists, has some of the best deli food to be found near the river, but people come for the home-style cooking too, said John Gorman, who, with wife Michelle, opened the eatery in 2005.
“Business during the winter has always fluctuated,” he said. “And we know we didn’t get the road people like we usually did during the winter this year, but locals supported us.”
As a result, business remained average, he said.
“We’d rather not know what we lost had the road been open. It’s hard to put a number on it.”
Mrs. Gorman said the deli fare is different from others’. For example, Buffalo chicken, Reuben, fried fish and Philly cheesesteak can be ordered as wraps.
“We get recognized a lot for our burgers, too,” Mr. Gorman added.
As the months progress, the deli/diner will begin offering customers a taste of locally grown meats and foods in an effort to follow the trend toward supporting the local harvest. The Gormans will begin raising their own cows and growing their own food with the help of others in the area involved in agriculture. Meats, including grass-fed beef, will become standards on the menu, along with the current offerings.
“We’re transitioning toward that,” Mr. Gorman explained. “Nutrition doesn’t have to be learned by concussion. We’re giving people an opportunity to choose and be educated. We’ll be growing our own food and customers.”
Gondolier
Italian specialties hit the rapids at Gondolier, filling ravenous appetites with lasagna, spaghetti and pizza.
Emanuel Makrinakis has operated a Gondolier in nearby Cleveland, Tenn., for 38 years. In 2003, he opened his Ocoee location, and this is the worst winter he’s seen since. Business has been down 50 percent, he said. He’s been forced to close the restaurant on Mondays, in addition to the regular Tuesdays the eatery is always closed.
“Once the road opens, we’ll be back open on Mondays for sure,” he said. Hours will be extended, too.
Everything on the menu is made from scratch, from the spaghetti sauce that simmers for hours to the crust on the pizzas.
Mr. Makrinakis’ Greek heritage comes into play in a few areas, such as the baklava and tremendous Greek salads he presents.
The Greek pizza, with its signature thin crust, feta cheese, tomato, gyro meat, mushrooms, onions and pepperoncini is so good “someone from New York came in and tried it and told me I needed to come and cook up there,” Mr. Makrinakis said.
Blackwell’s on Lake Ocoee
After it sat empty for several years, Pete Blackwell reopened the former Ocoee Inn in March and now has it filled with folks every Friday through Sunday. Starting in June, he’ll open the restaurant for breakfast through dinner six days a week (closed Tuesdays).
Mr. Blackwell said he’s been pleased with the local response in his first few weeks of business, including many visitors from Chattanooga and North Georgia, who have come back to a restaurant they’ve known from the past.
“Business has been good, and I’ve had no complaints, but it could be better. And I know it will be once the road opens,” he said. “I’ve talked to some workers, and they said there’s no doubt that the road will open on (Friday).”
Brenda Lewis, who cooked for Ocoee Inn in its previous life, prepares most everything from scratch, including the ever-popular buttermilk pie and roasted chicken served daily. Steaks and fresh seafood are menu highlights. Friday night is all-you-can-eat catfish night, and Sundays are devoted to home-style meals with four meats and a dozen or so vegetables offered.
Morning hours, which will start Friday, add a full Southern breakfast.
“We’ll have everything you could want,” Mr. Blackwell said.
If you go
Where: Dam Deli & Diner, 1223 Highway 64.
Phone: 423-338-8184.
Hours: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday (closed Wednesdays).
Where: The Ocoee Gondolier, 1603 Highway 64.
Phone: 423-338-7299.
Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday (beginning Friday the restaurant will be open later and also on Mondays).
Where: Blackwell’s on Lake Ocoee, 2496 Highway 64.
Phone: 423-338-1044.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Sunday (beginning Friday will be open at 8 a.m. On June 1, restaurant will be open six days a week, closed on Tuesdays.).