BY JOHN BRICE
LAFAYETTE SUN
VALLEY — Loyal customers, family and friends joined the staff of Daniel’s Drive Inn for a 75th anniversary celebration at their restaurant on U.S. Highway 29 in Valley, Friday, Apr. 18. This iconic local landmark has been servicing the Valley area with scrambled dogs, chili burgers and a variety of signature dishes for decades after moving from its original location in Lanett. Prizes given throughout business hours, included a drawing for $75, cake, cookies, glass bottles of Coca Cola and specially priced hamburgers.
Owner Becky Nelson spoke about the family owned and operated restaurant. Nelson’s grandmother, originally from Roanoke, had been left widowed with four young children after the passing of her husband from cancer. With the help of her family, her grandmother started the restaurant in Lanett in 1950 and eventually moved it to Valley. Born into the business, Nelson spent time at the restaurant from when she was an infant all the way through working there as a teenager. Nelson’s mother Harriet Wadkins later took over before handing it down to Nelson in 1999, making her the third generation owner.
Reflecting on the success of the day’s event, Nelson took stock of the celebration.
“We celebrated 75 years of being in business today. We had the first two burgers for .75 cents each and then after that was just regular price,” Nelson said. “Had a great turnout — probably more people than we have ever had in my life. It’s been a good day. Had a lot of family that came in from out of town that I was not expecting. We have the best customers in the world. The customers, they are the ones that keep us in business. They keep us going day after day, year after year.”
Nelson said that they have served a lot of people over the past 75 years.
“I would say that we have served five to six generations of families from 1950 on up to now,” she said. “It is just very humbling for us to be able to keep doing what we do but we couldn’t do it without the customers. We couldn’t do it without my staff; we are all family. It’s just a good time.”
Looking back at some of the challenges the business has faced over the years, Nelson expressed gratitude.
“I think the secret recipe is just churning out good food. Good customers that just are repeat customers that just keep coming back to us. That is basically the only way we can explain it. We were very fortunate to live through losing the mills and all that. You never know when something like that happens, if you can survive. Because that was most of our clientele, the mill workers and all. So we were in a little bit of a panic when the mills shut down. I have to give glory to God too because he is the one who has kept us going.”
