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Highlands Today

Grandmas Offer Diners A Taste Of Home

Bill Rettew Jr./Highlands Today

Tammy Teeter, grandmother of 10 and kitchen manager at A Creative Chef, works at the Lake Placid restaurant run almost exclusively by grannies.

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By Bill Rettew Jr. | Highlands Today

Published: January 19, 2008

LAKE PLACID — Those aren't typical grandmothers at the local restaurant, A Creative Chef.

Although these five grannies throw baby showers in the restaurant where they work and fawn over a pregnant mother who will soon account for the group's 32nd grandchild, these ladies aren't retired at home, but hustling in a busy eatery.

These grandmothers usually know which regular customers take their coffee black, with poached eggs, and often they know the local news before it hits the newspapers.

They're not alone. Many senior Highlands County residents continue to work, with almost a third of about 100,000 county residents aged 65 and older.

U.S. Census figures from 2006 show that 31.1 percent of county residents are 65 and older, while 16.8 percent of Florida residents and 12.4 percent of all Americans are 65 and older.

But these grandmothers are younger than most grandmothers from Highlands County, with an average age of 58.

Janice Parnell, manager and waitress, is a mother of one and grandmother of two.

"We're all friends," said Parnell. "It's like family."

Tammy Teeter, kitchen manager, at 43, is the youngest granny, but shares the title for the most grandkids with 10.

"It's like coming into a family,"said Teeter. "It's not like anybody is an outsider. Everybody helps everybody. Everybody does a little bit of everything."

Parnell talked about working in a small town restaurant.

"Repeat customers are friends and they like to come in and talk to us," said Parnell. "If someone forgets their wallet, they know they can come in the next day and pay. Some have come back two days later because they forgot to tip."

Assistant Manager Nancy Pence, 61, has three children and seven grandkids and enjoys working at the busy eatery on DeVane Park.

"You can talk to them," said Pence about her regular customers, many of whom ask for a particular waitress by name. "You know how they're feeling day to day. They're your friends."

"We don't listen to gossip, but we listen to news," said Sandy Dopler, who like Teeter has 10 grandchildren. She continues to work because of the attitude of staff who willingly pitch in to refill coffee for another waitress.

"I work because I want to work," said Dopler. "We all want to do it together."

Teeter listed the customers and friendly atmosphere as reasons to continue working. Popier has worked in the restaurant business for 40 years.

"I love working with people, love talking with people. I love the people."

Judy Collier has two grandchildren and has owned the 125-seat, A Creative Chef for a year. She tries to be both a boss and friend. One of the best ways to keep well-fed employees and customers happy is the meals which she said are "made from scratch," said Collier.

"People can taste the difference," said Collier. "We don't catch the fish or kill the cows, but the food isn't frozen and microwaved. It's the old-fashioned way — like Granny did."

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