It all started in the late 60s in a small town in the foothills of Virginia known as Gretna. Mom and dad — Jack and Shirley Shelton — were young, and both worked hard at their regular jobs during the week. My two older brothers and I were just kids, but helped out with the chores around the house. We bought a pull-behind concession stand in 1967, and on the weekends, when the weather was nice, we would hitch that trailer up, and away we’d go; to local auctions, flea markets, and most often — as I recall — to Arrowhead Campgrounds at Smith Mountain Lake. While my brothers and I explored the various venues, mom and dad slaved away, cooking up burgers and hotdogs for the shoppers, campers, fishermen, and boaters. We named our concession stand Jack’s Quick Snack, and it was here that mom and dad developed their locally-famous homemade hotdog chili and coleslaw recipes.
After a couple of years with the concession stand, mom and dad decided to build a small restaurant. I recall brainstorming with the family to come up with another name for the new place, but after all was said and done we all preferred the original name of Jack’s Quick Snack. It was a done deal. On March 4th, 1972, we opened the doors; or rather, the windows. This was a drive up restaurant with window service and outdoor picnic tables. By now, we had a new baby sister. The family, and family business was growing.
In 1978, we were ready to grow some more. Attached to the original structure, we built a brand new double kitchen, and added a dining room that would seat 150 guests. We moved the window service to the new kitchen area, and converted the original structure to an ice cream parlor. By this time, we had added another brother to our clan. All seven of us would spend many hours working in that restaurant.
To be continued…