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The Varsity
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The Varsity is also the name of the oldest student newspaper at the University of Toronto.
The Varsity is a restaurant chain, iconic in the modern culture of Atlanta, Georgia. The main branch of the chain is the largest drive-in fast food restaurant in the world.
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In 1928, it was established as The Yellow Jacket at the corner of Lucky Street and Hemphill Avenue.[1] Its founder was Frank Gordy, who dropped out of Georgia Tech in 1925. Then, as now, the restaurant catered to Georgia Tech students. The business grew rapidly and Gordy had to move to 61 North Avenue (the corner of North Avenue and Spring Street) to accommodate the crowds (the restaurant now covers two entire city blocks). At the same time, he changed the name to "The Varsity," reflecting his desire to expand to other college campuses. During the drive-in era, The Varsity began curbside service, which continues to this day.
The location at 61 North Avenue in Atlanta is now adjacent to the Downtown Connector's interchange with North Avenue. Directly across the Connector is Georgia Tech. The restaurant is connected to the Tech campus not only by the North Avenue bridge but also by a tunnel under the Connector.
The Varsity has since expanded to Athens, Kennesaw, Gwinnett County, and Alpharetta. The Varsity also has a smaller restaurant called The Varsity, Jr., which, besides the downtown Atlanta location, is the only location to offer curbside service.
The downtown Atlanta location is responsible for more retail sales of Coca-Cola on an annual basis than any other single location in the world, a record which has stood for many years running.[citation needed]
Comedian Nipsey Russell got his start at The Varsity in the 1940s working as a car hop by making his customers laugh for tips.[2]
Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton all visited The Varsity during their terms in office.
The Varsity was featured in a scene of the movie We Are Marshall.[citation needed] It also briefly appeared in K. Thor Jensen's 2007 graphic novel, Red Eye, Black Eye.
The Varsity is known for the cashiers shouting "What'll ya have?" and for their special terminology:
| Hot Dog [3] | a hot dog with chili and mustard |
| Chili Dog | same as a hot dog |
| Naked Dog | a plain hot dog in a bun |
| M.K. Dog | a naked dog with mustard and ketchup |
| Regular C Dog | a chili dog with ketchup only |
| Red Dog | a naked dog with ketchup only |
| Yellow Dog | a naked dog with mustard only |
| Yankee Dog | same as a yellow dog |
| Heavy Weight | a hot dog with extra chili |
| Walk a Dog (or Steak) | a hot dog (or hamburger) to go |
| Steak | a hamburger with mustard, ketchup, and pickle |
| Chili Steak | a hamburger with chili |
| Glorified Steak | a hamburger with mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato |
| Mary Brown Steak (or Dog) | a plain hamburger (or hot dog) without a bun |
| Naked Steak | a plain steak |
| Sally Rand | a naked steak |
| Sally Rand Through the Garden | a naked steak with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise |
| N.I. Orange | a Varsity Orange without ice |
| F.O. | a frosted orange shake |
| Joe-ree | coffee with cream |
| P.C. | plain chocolate milk (always served with ice) |
| N.I.P.C. | a P.C. without ice |
| All The Way | with onions (on a hot dog, hamburger, etc.) |
| Bag of Rags | a bag of chips |
| Ring One | order of onion rings |
| Strings | french fries |
| Sideways | onions on the side |
| The Jared Blackwood | A double bacon cheeseburger with fries and a Coke Float |
| V.O. | Varsity Orange, the original carbonated orange soda drink |
- Junior's Grill - another Georgia Tech dining tradition.
- ^ Tech Timeline: 1920s
- ^ Rhyming Funnyman Nipsey Russell Dies
- ^ Parker, D.: "What'll Ya Have: A History of the Varsity," page 68. Looking Glass Books, 2003.
- "Conroy, Pat. Chili Cheese Dogs, My Father And Me." Parade. November 14, 2004.
- TheVarsity.com, official website
- World's Largest Drive-In article
- Then (1953) / Now (2004) photo of The Varsity
- Then (1963) / Now (2003) photo of The Varsity
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- Satellite image from WikiMapia, Google Maps or Windows Live Local
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
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Former: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium • Coca-Cola Olympic City • Loew's Grand Theatre • Omni Coliseum • SciTrek • Rich's
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Landmarks in Atlanta | Regional restaurant chains | Georgia Institute of Technology | Hot dog restaurants | 1928 establishments | Fast-food chains of the United States | Restaurants in Georgia (U.S. state)