About Us History
The Tater Box Café is a family owned business with family recipes located in the Hoodoo Community in Coffee County. The Tater Box Café business was started in March of 2007 by Kenneth (Dad), June (Mom), Kenny (Brother), and Jenny (daughter). Kenneth is the resident handy man and he keeps everyone up on all the gossip in the area. June is the heart of the business and works harder than anyone to make sure everyone is happy. Kenny helped start the business with his background in the food and service industry and Jenny is the resident sauce inventor that has the creative art and interior design skills. This family is multi-talented and pride themselves on the history of the quaint restaurant and the good food they serve. Their family was raised on Hoodoo Road and they honor their heritage with the names of different menus items, such as our Hoodoo Homerun and their Oneida Special, a sandwich that was named in the memory of Oneida Phelps, the owner of Phelps Grocery. June and Jenny work hard to provide a good, home cooked meal for everyone to enjoy.
In the early 1900’s this old store was owned by Tome Lewis and his wife. Lewis Grocery also operated a peddler route from their store where they made deliveries to local farms. In the 1930’s the Lewis’ where killed in a car accident on Highway 41. The grocery sold in an estate sale to Jesse James Phelps and Lucy Vaughn Phelps and they owned and operated Phelps Grocery in the early 1940’s until 1962.
“Mr. and Mrs. Phelps were the parents of eight children. Jesse was very interested in modern mechanical conveniences for the farm and the home. He was the first to have a radio, truck and television in his community. He transported children to school in a covered truck of his own design and also carried many to the Grand Ole Opry several times in the 1940’s. Phelps Grocery was then purchased by a son, Hoyt Phelps and his wife, Oneida Parker Phelps, who operated it until 2000.” (The Heritage of Coffee County Tennessee 1836-2004, p. 497)
Phelps Grocery was the place for the local farmers in the community to get caught up on their gossip for the day. This store was the place to go for food, groceries, health and beauty products, and nuts and bolts. As a child you could stop in after school, get the best lemonade or a cold drink and bologna sandwich that Oneida herself would slice and make right there on the counter and don’t forget the ice cream. After the Phelps sold the store in 200, James Teal purchased it and called it Teal’s Grocery. The Teal’s sold snacks and had a small restaurant located in the front and lived in the back.
Now, Kenneth and June Duke, and Jenny Cothran are the proud owners of The Tater Box Café. June and Jenny are the resident chefs and bakery chefs in the restaurant. Kenny Duke helped the business get started with his food service and hotel industry experience and Kenneth is the resident handy man who makes sure everyone is caught up on the gossip of the day. Their family has been cooking all of their lives and now they want to share our joy of cooking with you.
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