1930's
1928
The Varsity Opens
With a $1,860 nest egg Frank Gordy leased a house at 55 North Avenue, and constructed a small brick building in its front yard. Gordy felt he could take advantage of the foot traffic from the trolley stop at Peachtree Street and North Avenue. The 14-by-35 foot building had a six stool counter inside and a walk up window. With his eye on the future, Gordy named his restaurant "The Varsity", theorizing that he would eventually expand to every college campus. The Day The Varsity opened its doors, it served about 300 customers.
1929
An Instant Success
This ledger of accounts from the first four months of The Varsity's operation is a testament to the immediate success of the restaurant. On the first day of business, the restaurant made $47.30. Keep in mind that at that time, hot dogs were just 5 cents each. The most expensive items on the menu cost only 10 cents. Even on October 28, 1929, the day of the stock market crash that began the Great Depression, The Varsity posted $68.30 in receipts.
1930's
1932
The Varsity Athens Opens
Gordy opened his second Varsity restaurant at 101 College Avenue in Athens, Georgia, directly across the street from the Arch at the University of Georgia.
1937
Flossie Mae
John Wesley Raiford began working at The Varsity in 1937, learning quickly that to earn good tips, a carhop had to stand out. His flamboyant mannerisms prompted a customer to call him "Flossie". He began calling himself "Flossie Mae". Hat-wearing Grand Ole Opry star Minnie Pearl bestowed Flossie with a hat, and he soon started decorating them. He also entertained his customers by singing the entire menu.
1939
Clark Gable Visits
Clark Gable visits The Varsity and is served by Flossie Mae.
1940's
1940
First Major Renovation
In the 1940's, The Varsity underwent a major makeover. To give the old brick structure a more modern look, white stucco siding was added that created a curve where two of the early brick building were joined. The concept, by architect Jules Grey, was designed to make the building look as streamlined as the cars now pulling up for service. The original buildings remain beneath the present day Varsity's exterior.
1948
Nipsey Russell
Carhop Number 46 gained his fame not because of his delivery expertise, but because of his comedy. Entertainer Julius "Nipsey" Russell attended Booker T Washington High School in Atlanta and took a job at The Varsity after he returned from World War II. Russell worked at The Varsity for four years, successfully using his comedy skills to increase his tips. He later credited his days at The Varsity with helping him develop his timing.
1948
The Varsity Expands
In 1948, Gordy made the decision that his restaurant was more important than The Varsity's Q Room and Barbershop. He closed them down to expand the restaurant and to create two TV viewing rooms. Television broadcasts were still in their infancy. WSB-TV went on air September 1948, in Atlanta, and Gordy felt his customers should be able to watch it as it grew.
1950's
1950
Excited Pregame Fans
Merita Bread ran this photograph in their 1950 feature on The Varsity. The cheering men are Auburn students celebrating before a Georgia Tech game.
1950
"The World's Largest Drive In"
By 1950, The Varsity had claimed the title of the World's Largest Drive-In. "Meet me at The Varsity" was catching on. Being a carhop at The Varsity was a coveted job, and by the 1950's nearly 130 of them were employed. One carhop boasted earning nearly $12,000 in tips in a year.
1952
Erby Walker
Next to Flossie Mae, perhaps The Varsity's best known employee was Erby Walker. Walker came to work at The Varsity in 1952 at the age of 15 and stayed for 55 years. He would later say that he did not ask Gordy how much money he would be making, but how many hot dogs he would be able to eat.
1960's
1960
The Lunching Pad
After the state had taken much of The Varsity's parking lot for highway construction, Gordy had "The Lunching Pad" built behind The Varsity with 100 parking spaces. After its opening Gordy said his lot could handle 630 cars.
1961
Meet Me at The Varsity
In the 1950s and 1960s, The Varsity parking lot was not just a place to come get food, it was somewhere to hang out and socialize and take dates. There are countless stories about the encounters that took place.
1962
New Athens Location Opens
The world was changing, and the new Athens restaurant was Gordy's response. Students at UGA had cars and were venturing beyond downtown Athens for food; The Varsity Drive-In would be there waiting for them.
1965
The Varsity Jr. Opens
Frank Gordy Jr. opens The Varsity Jr. on Lindbergh Ave. This building was one of John Portman's first designs.
1970's
1970
Changing Times
By the 1970's there were fewer than 50 car hops on the lot. Traffic had moved inside, with only 20 percent of business on the curb. "It's just a change in the way people live," Gordy said. He responded by expanding the dining room which could already seat between 450 and 470 customers. The 3,500 square-foot addition raised the inside dining capacity to nearly 650.
1979
Salesman of the Year
The Atlanta Chapter of Sales and Marketing Executives International honored Frank Gordy with its Salesman of the Year Award in 1979, and at a formal gathering of several hundred people, the previous year's award recipient, Ted Turner, presented a plaque to Gordy. "I built my business around quality and fairness," he said "We never change the quality or the taste of Varsity food; our food must be the same every day. And we greet our customers with courtesy and serve them quickly. We let them know we appreciate their business. So there's no secret to our success. Anyone will be successful if they will build their business around quality and fairness."
1980's
1983
Frank Gordy Dies
Frank Gordy passes away after a battle with emphysema. The Varsity closes the day he is buried for the first time in 55 years.
1983
Nancy Gordy Simms Steps In
After her father's death, Nancy Gordy Simms stepped up to take over The Varsity and carry on his vision.
1989
The Third Generation
Nancy Simms son Gordon Muir joins the family business
1990's
1990
George H.W Bush Visits
President George H.W Bush came to The Varsity in 1990 and stayed long enough to enjoy a hot dog, peach pie, and a Coke. After ordering, he and vice president Gordon Muir headed to the dining room, where the president chose to sit with some customers who were already eating.
1990
Norcross Varsity Opens
The Varsity Norcross opens and quickly becomes a neighborhood favorite.
1990
Varsity Catering Starts
The Varsity received so many requests for large outside orders that in the 1990s, they began a full scale catering operation. To maintain the quality of the food with such large requests, the idea was developed to create a catering truck with a complete kitchen inside. This way, just as in the restaurant, food would be cooked only as needed, following founder Frank Gordy's promise that all food from The Varsity is as fresh as possible. By 2011, The Varsity had six food trucks that handle everything from small birthday parties to large corporate events. During the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, The Varsity catered a 27,000-person event for Delta.
1996
Erby Carries the Torch
Erby Walker was chosen to carry the torch on a leg of the Olympic Torch Relay prior to the Games. He would later say that it was his proudest moment. After his run, he brought his torch back to The Varsity so that his coworkers could all share in the moment.
1996
Olympics in Atlanta
The Olympics come to Atlanta, the Olympic Village is right across from The Varsity. Pin trading takes place at The Varsity. Of the pins that were created for The Varsity, one in particular created quite a furor. It showed a "walkin' box" of onion rings, but the International Olympic Committee thought the rings looked too much like their trademarked Olympic rings. Claiming an unauthorized use of the Olympic symbol, they stopped the sale of the pin and confiscated those on hand at The Varsity.
1999
The Varsity Kennesaw Opens
The Varsity Kennesaw opens in 1999.
2000's
2000
Iconic Varsity Sign Built
On December 18, 2000, a new, high-tech sign in the shape of "V" was erected outside The Varsity. Visible from the Interstate 75/85 connector, the 45-foot tall sign was created in partnership with Coca-Cola.
2001
Erby Walker Retires
After working at The Varsity for 50 years, Erby Walker retired in December 2001. Although he proclaimed "This is the day I worked so hard for," retirement did not stick. He returned a few months later, working until his death in 2008.
2002
Bill Clinton Visits
Former Georgia governor Zell Miller introduced former president Bill Clinton to The Varsity. Known for his love of hot dogs and burgers, the president went the hamburger route during his visit but also partook of onion rings and a Coke. Miller grew up three blocks from The Varsity and shared stories of how he used to skip school to hang out at the drive-in.
2004
The Varsity Alpharetta
The Varsity Alpharetta opened in 2004 and served the community for 12 years before closing its doors in 2016.
2005
Filming of We are Marshall
In 2005, the movie We Are Marshall, starring Matthew McConaughey, was shot in Atlanta and The Varsity was the perfect location to depict scenes from the 1970s. McConaughey is shown here with Nancy Gordy Simms in the bridge dining area.
2010's
2010
Varsity Jr. Closes
On August 22, 2010 after 45 years at the Lindbergh Drive location, The Varsity Jr. closed. The decision was a hard one, and loyalists turned out by the hundreds to have one last meal.
2011
The Varsity Jr. relocates to Dawsonville Ga
In 2011, the new Varsity Jr. opened in Dawson County, north of Atlanta. The new 4,550 square foot restaurant includes seating for 150.
2012
Airport Locations Open
In 2012 The Varsity opened in the international terminal at Hartsfield Jackson Airport. The next year, another storefront opened in terminal C. These locations are operated by HMS Host.
2016
Atlanta in 50 Objects
In 2016 The Atlanta History Center featured The Varsity's #1 Combo (2 chili dogs, onion rings and a Frosted Orange) as part of its exhibit, "Atlanta in 50 Objects".
2021
Nancy Gordy Simms inducted into the ACVB Hall of Fame
Congrats to our very own Nancy Gordy Simms! She was inducted into the Hospitality Hall of Fame on October 20th, 2021! "When circumstances put her in charge, she seized the opportunity to continue her father’s legacy while bringing the beloved restaurant to other communities. In honor of her work preserving The Varsity, an Atlanta landmark, Simms is being inducted into the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau Hospitality Hall of Fame." Randy Southerland - Atlanta Business Chronicle
