MCCOOLE — The Chat & Chew restaurant has served chip beef gravy with pride for decades since the restaurant opened in 1957.
Chipped beef, along with the Super Burger, are staples of the restaurant that sits along U.S. Route 220 at McCoole. “Seems Like Millions Sold,” reads a sign in front of the business that describes the popular sandwich.
It’s always packed in the mornings, where faithful customers prepare for a hard day’s work using the fuel provided by the Chat & Chew’s kitchen.
After a couple of different owners, the late Tom Marsh bought the business on Oct. 17, 1974, from Don Harmon, according to a 1974 article from the Piedmont Herald.
After being denied a loan from First National Bank that same year in August to purchase the property, Marsh successfully secured the restaurant and began a 50-year ownership with his wife, Jacqueline.
The restaurant has undergone changes over the years, but the main thing keeping it going has been the support of the community and their loyalty to the local spot.
Marsh died in November, and it has only solidified the importance of recognizing the Chat & Chew’s 50th year of ownership by the Marsh family.
“It’s sad that Tom can’t be here to see this,” said Jacqueline Marsh. “But, my daughter and I pray every day that he’s watching over us.”
Tom Marsh was the face of the Chat & Chew, Jacqueline Marsh said, the guy that everyone in the community knew. He worked countless hours to make sure that the restaurant would be OK in the toughest of times.
When the Marshes bought the restaurant, Jacqueline quit her other job to work with her husband, and she hasn’t looked back.
Marsh said that the main reason the restaurant has been chugging along consistently for the last 50 years is her “fantastic crew.”
“The employees take care of our good customers,” she said. “If it weren’t for them, we couldn’t have this place running.”
The biggest changes that Marsh has seen over the years are the prices and the customer base. But, the restaurant is still booming — thanks to consistency.
“I’d never dreamt that I’d have this place so long,” said Marsh.
Marsh’s daughter, Maria Quinn, is a partial owner of the Chat & Chew and has worked at the family-owned restaurant since she was a dishwasher at age 16.
“I attribute my work ethic today to when I worked here as a kid,” Quinn said.
According to Quinn, the Chat & Chew has been very fortunate to have such a loyal customer and employee base over the years.
“So many restaurants that go out of business can’t sustain through the hard times,” Quinn said, referencing the struggles that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to businesses all over the country.
During the pandemic, the Chat & Chew’s employees dropped dramatically — from 38 to 7 — but the restaurant still saw a lot of business. Today, business has bounced back, all thanks to the community.
“It’s incredible,” Quinn said.
The number one priority for the Chat & Chew is to “take care of the guest,” Quinn said.
“They don’t have to come here, they can go anywhere else,” Quinn said. “We can’t take the customer for granted.”
Over the years, the menu has remained “eerily similar.” It’s large and eclectic, but Quinn said that this may be the reason that customers keep coming back.
Karen Wilt, the longest tenured employee, said working at the restaurant has been an honor.
“They’re just my family,” she said. “They have been like my family since I started working here.”
Wilt said that she’s always felt at home since she started working at the restaurant, attributing the positive work environment to her superiors and coworkers alike.
Another employee, Nicky Portillo, said much of the same. She has worked at the Chat & Chew for 16 years.
“It’s been great, I would not work anywhere else,” she said. “Best job, best bosses. It’s like family.”
The Chat & Chew looks ahead to a future of serving the community, continued success, and, of course, remembering the hard work and dedication of Tom Marsh.