30 Day Challenge / Food

#Closed August 28th

by Coach4aday · August 28, 2021

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Today’s 30 Day Daily #Coach4adayChallenge prompt is to discuss a CLOSED business. It can be a retail store, restaurant, or any type of service related business. Just share your thoughts about a CLOSED establishment.

Many businesses have CLOSED since March of 2020 due to COVID. When I talk with people many lament about businesses that is no longer part of their community. Personally I have a long list of places but am going to focus on just one.

John’s Restaurant – Lumberton NC

There is a lot of back stories to tell about John and Ruth Ann McLellan who owned John’s Restaurant.

First, Ruth Ann was the daughter of legendary Lumberton physician Dr. Horace Baker. John McLellan grew up in Barnesville NC got a scholarship to Pfeiffer College stayed two years and joined the Navy. Eventually, John returned to Robeson County and worked for Allen Shaffer at South of the Border while finishing his business degree at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. It was during this period in his life that he met Ruth Ann.

They got married in 1970 and eventually had 3 children Stephanie McLellan Bass, John McLellan, Jr., and Carol McLellan. John after he graduated got a job with Marriott in the hotel and restaurant industry. He got assigned to Atlanta and eventually New Orleans.

During Christmas 1977 John and his father-in-law started driving around Lumberton NC and an idea about a upscale dining establishment was born. They decided to purchase a pink restaurant building on the service road of I-95 called Blanchard’s.

Blanchard’s which eventually became John’s Restaurant

Don’t know much about Blanchard’s but did find a July 10, 1950 Issue of The Robesonian that had these print ads.

John’s Restaurant opened its doors on May 8, 1978.

Once it opened it was a fixture in Lumberton until it closed in January 2007. John McLellan passed away in 2012 and his wife Ruth Ann died in August of 2019.

Dining at John’s with its linen table cloths was a special treat but one I always enjoyed. My wife and I celebrated a number of special occasions there and Ruth Ann always made us feel special. I miss it.

What place has CLOSED that you miss?

Tags: 1950 Newspaper Ad Barnesville NC Blanchard's Restaurant Dr Horace Baker I-95 Service Road John McLellan John's Restaurant Lumberton NC Ruth Ann Baker McLellan The Robesonian

Coach4aday

My purpose in life is to coach. I am a former collegiate basketball coach, director of athletics, and chief of staff. I worked at four NCAA Division I & II universities during my career. At each campus I learned timeless lessons on teamwork and leadership. Today my passion is coaching others on what it takes to lead, serve, and succeed.