Broken Chain: Danver's Restaurant, Olive Branch, MS

Today's post highlights DeSoto County, MS, retail, as well as that of Shelby County, TN. And a lot of other places, too, technically speaking.

Broken Chain: A business which, at some point in its history, had multiple, similarly-functioning, physical locations where a customer could purchase goods and/or services, and which presently has a significantly diminished presence and/or value as a brand compared to the same brand in its heyday. - Zap Actionsdower

For today's "Lost Histories - Broken Chains Edition" post, we'll be investigating what remains of a regional outfit known as Danver's. I'll start up front by saying that, for a history post, this entry is unfortunately going to be rather light on information regarding the origins of the chain and its heyday - there's just very little to be found about either of those online. (Of course, the hope is always that you readers may have some memories to share, which I invite you to do in the comments below!) But Grant from the blog Marie, Let's Eat! offers up a pretty accurate condensed summary of Danver's in a roadfood.com forum topic asking for some help identifying former locations: "I'd forgotten completely about this restaurant chain from the seventies, which offered burgers, roast beef, hot ham sandwiches, a salad bar, and Tiffany lampshades."

Danver's Restaurant logo. Image source unknown

Indeed, the Tiffany lampshades are an integral part of Danver's branding identity, acting as a permanent icon in the chain's longtime logo, depicted above. The other identifying facet of that logo is the unique log-built DANVER'S text. Grant's query yielded a picture that paints Danver's as having been located in several states throughout the south, including Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Georgia; the full list of scattered former locations can be found at his post from 2017, accessible at this link.

Modern take on the longtime Danver's logo, from a 2010s brand refresh. I like the direction in which this refresh was headed, but sadly, it appears to have been all but abandoned. Courtesy The Other Timberlake

Unfortunately I have no idea what would constitute a good estimate for the number of Danver's restaurants in operation at the chain's peak, but the evidence does at least point to a healthy spread of said locations across the region. Danver's was co-founded by Vernon Bell of Memphis (a commenter on Grant's post suggests another founder was named Dan, hence "Dan-ver's"), and owned by Shoney's South (Shoney's South owned or franchised many restaurants, including Captain D's and The Hungry Fisherman in addition to Shoney's and Danver's), which later was acquired by TPI Restaurants. Over time, just as it had expanded outward, Danver's ultimately shrunk back inward, leaving the remainder of its locations clustered around its birthplace of Memphis. A 2009 archive of the Danver's website on the Wayback Machine includes the following information on the chain's "about" page:

For over 40 years, Danver's has been serving delicious food to the citizens of Memphis. Danver's is truly one of the traditional great dining experiences in a city known for wonderful Southern food. Our first two locations continue operations on South Perkins near Knight-Arnold and Union Avenue near Methodist Medical Center. These two restaurants, along with our five other locations, offer our customers the delicious food they have enjoyed and appreciated over the years. We're best known for our roast beef sandwiches, flame-grilled hamburgers, (what appears to be the first) all-you-can-eat salad bar, and arguably the best chicken fingers in Memphis.

Those other five locations mentioned in that excerpt are Poplar/Kirby in Memphis; Bartlett, TN; Cordova, TN; Southaven, MS; and Olive Branch, MS. Shortly after the date that that webpage was archived, however, the remaining Danver's locations in the Memphis metro would slowly dwindle, one by one. Let's take a look at each of those seven Danver's Restaurants in turn.

The location that the post claims is its first, along South Perkins in Memphis, was the first to go, closing up shop sometime between September 2009 and February 2010 based on Google Street View imagery. The restaurant in Southaven was next in line, closing in June 2010, but not necessarily because the chain had fallen on hard times: instead, Danver's chose to take a hefty payout for the prime Goodman Road property on which the Southaven restaurant was located. As a result, the restaurant was quickly converted into a brand new AT&T store. Per old Commercial Appeal reports, the sale was apparently "three years in the making," and as expected, "It would have taken...well over 10 years to earn from the restaurant what the AT&T store users offered...for that location." The AT&T store has remodeled a few times since taking over the space, but the exterior of the building for the most part still remains remarkably intact. Here are a few images from just this week of that former Danver's.

For fun, here's a shot of Southaven's original Danver's, located on Stateline Road. The Goodman Road location shown above (now AT&T) opened circa 1999/2000, presumably relocating from Stateline. Courtesy l_dawg2000

Those two closures left the other five Danver's operating, and that was how things remained until 2017. By this time, John Golon was the owner of the last vestiges of Danver's Restaurant in the Memphis area (and had been since at least 2004). News on Danver's was quiet, as is usually the case with a stalwart restaurant chain with few remaining locations. But then some buzz ignited all of a sudden in April 2017, when the Memphis Business Journal discovered that a permit had been "filed for a Union Avenue location for Cook Out to 'alter restaurant to new restaurant tenant.'" The address on the permit was 1463 Union, which does not exist; the only existing restaurant facility in that vicinity was 1468 Union... home to Danver's.

You're a smart reader. The MBJ asked the same question that just popped into your head, and here's what they wrote: "When asked if a Cook Out location would be replacing a location of the Memphis-based chain, Danver's managing owner John Golon said, 'Not that I'm aware of, probably a typo [on the permit].'"

...sure.

Still, things were allowed to remain in that state of mild confusion for a few months longer, until finally in June 2017 when the truth became known. The MBJ broke the news that Cook Out had officially purchased not only the Union Avenue Danver's property, but also three other Danver's locations - the restaurants in Bartlett, at Poplar/Kirby, and in Olive Branch. There was seemingly no way Mr. Golon could evade the Cook Out connection this time. And indeed, he did admit to selling the locations to Cook Out, but also insisted things weren't quite as they appeared. His explanation, as recounted in the MBJ with the headline "Danver's isn't dead just yet":

On May 24 [2017], Danver's managing owner John Golon sold all the Danver's property he owned to corporations tied to Cook Out, the popular North Carolina-based fast food chain. 

But on Wednesday [June 7, 2017], Golon said the sale of the four properties - located at 1468 Union Ave., 1831 Kirby Parkway, 7979 Hwy. 64 and Olive Branch's 7406 Hacks Cross Road - does not indicate they will be converted to Cook Out locations. Instead, he said, the plan is for the North Carolina company to help draw Danver's toward profitability with its deeper pockets and better-negotiated supply costs. 

"Danver's isn't really going anywhere," Golon said. "There's just another company that's come and gotten involved and has the financial strength to do what needs to happen." 

However, Golon added, if things don't go well for Danver's, "the second option would be to turn them into a Cook Out. ... That's always the eventuality if things don't go well." 

Golon said this plan B - in which the Danver's locations would become Cook Out restaurants - was originally the North Carolina company's plan A. He said the plans changed after company representatives saw how busy his restaurants were and realized they could probably bring the restaurants to profitability if they lowered food expenses.

An interesting story for sure, and not one you hear fairly often. Elsewhere in this article, the MBJ was able to confirm that the Cordova Danver's location is leased and therefore was not sold to Cook Out, meaning if all else fails and all the other, Cook Out-owned locations do convert, at least Cordova will be able to remain a Danver's (so long as Golon chooses to keep it operational, anyway). The Cook Out deal also protected the existing 125 Danver's employees across the area.

That's all fine and dandy, but it still leaves the fate of the Union Avenue Danver's up in the air. On this, Golon maintained his stance that "he wasn't aware the Union Avenue location would be converted to a Cook Out, but [added] that 'everything is a possibility when somebody else owns the site.'"

A very true statement, that. Cook Out would indeed take over the Union Avenue site, opening sometime in late fall 2017. In addition, the company chose to convert the Bartlett Danver's into a Cook Out restaurant around the same time. Photos from both of those restaurants prior to and during the conversions are included below. (If you're interested in seeing photos of the new Cook Outs post-conversion, check out Google Maps or something. It just didn't feel right to me to feature such images in a post on the broken chain they manipulated for their own profit!)

We'll begin with the lone picture of the Bartlett store to make it into this post. This particular location was done up in a newer-build style for Danver's, seen also at Southaven. Courtesy Parasol Awnings on Twitter

The Union Avenue restaurant, on the other hand, was much older, and in fact appears to be a converted Wendy's, according to Grant, who kindly let me include his photos in this post. Courtesy Marie, Let's Eat!

The menu looks to have been left unchanged for years. Note that Danver's isn't the cheapest place in the world. A sharp contrast from Cook Out. Courtesy Marie, Let's Eat!

A meal consisting of a hot ham sandwich, fries, and cookies. Looks yummy! Be sure to pay attention to the Danver's branded packaging, too. Courtesy Marie, Let's Eat!

Union Avenue interior. Now this is a Danver's! The carpeting and Tiffany lampshades are hallmarks of the chain - at least in their glory days, that is - and I assume they were found at many Danver's restaurants throughout the south. Courtesy Marie, Let's Eat!

Roadside sign, actually featuring the custom Danver's logo shape, which likely wasn't terribly common. Courtesy Marie, Let's Eat!

Building under construction to convert to Cook Out, 2017. Courtesy Xclusive Memphis

And finally, a shot from close to Cook Out's opening - note the almost-complete facade and "now hiring" sign. The shell of the former Danver's roadside sign looks on (in sadness, no doubt). Courtesy Memphis Business Journal

The Danver's website, mydanvers.com, to its credit was actually quickly updated to reflect the conversion of the Union Avenue and Bartlett locations, showing its final three outposts on a bare-bones homepage: Cordova, Poplar/Kirby, and Olive Branch. Since that time, though, it would seem that whoever paid the bills on the website forgot to do so, and per the Internet Archive, it was "parked" in December 2018, briefly removing its content from the public. The site has since returned, but only in its 2014 form, meaning it erroneously indicates that the Union Avenue and Bartlett locations are still operational as Danver's. Unless it's been changed since the time of publication, it should still be active at that link at the top of this paragraph.

--------------------------------------------------

As a longtime DeSoto County resident, I'd known about Danver's, but never really looked too much into the chain until I started doing research for this post. Still, though, I knew that while the Southaven location had closed many years prior, DeSoto County still had one remaining Danver's Restaurant, located over in Olive Branch. I rarely get out that far into Olive Branch, but knew it would definitely be worth it to experience one of the final three Danver's restaurants, especially now that it was owned and operated by Cook Out! So, I made the special trip out to the Olive Branch Danver's last month. Details and photos from my visit follow.

We begin with the restaurant's exterior. I noted in one photo caption above that the now-former Southaven and Bartlett locations shared a modern-era exterior design. Given the Olive Branch Danver's 2006 build date, its exterior design style is even newer - and also quite likely Danver's last. The Cordova location features the same style as Olive Branch.

Heading indoors, here's a view of the very roomy lobby area, followed by a shot of the ordering counter and menu board. Cook Out appears to have made zero changes to the Danver's menu, to the point that this menu actually looks identical to the same one Grant of Marie, Let's Eat! saw at the Union Avenue restaurant back while it was still owned by Danver's proper.

I don't have any of them pictured, but I was surprised to see the employees here wearing uniform materials (shirts, hats) with the Danver's logo. Food wrappers still retain the Danver's logo, too.

A shot of the famous endless salad bar, followed by some views of the dining area. As usual, I try to keep my shots people free, but there were a handful of customers in here eating at the time of my visit (with more coming in the later we stayed). Still, though, the dining room was large enough that the empty feeling was noticeable. I believe Danver's has its largest crowds at breakfast, these days.

Couldn't resist a shot of the Tiffany lamps! Cook Out unceremoniously trashed these in the two Memphis locations they converted, I'm sure :(

Note that while these lamps aren't exactly the same style as those seen at the Union Avenue restaurant, it's cool that this newer-build Danver's does at least still feature them. Likewise, there is carpeting on the floor, even though it's nowhere near as 70s as the stuff Union Avenue had!

A couple of photos of my soda cup, as well as a portion of the foil my order came wrapped in. Again, these retain the Danver's logo. As a matter of fact, they do not appear to have been altered for a good many years - something else Cook Out has left entirely alone. If not for what I'm about to show you, I'd be inclined to believe Cook Out has done nothing at all at the remaining Danver's restaurants they now "operate."

Time now for the food images. I ate here with my mom. She's the one who went for the endless salad bar. Me, I decided to see what the Danver's "legendary" roast beef sandwich was all about. I will say this - the sandwich was quite pricey ($7.69 for the combo), but it was really good! It had no sauce of any kind on it, which I was almost about to worry about, but then I bit into it and found it so juicy that it didn't even need any sauce. It was literally just the roast beef and the bun, but it didn't need anything else. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

For as delicious as my roast beef sandwich was, though, my side item was just as equally disappointing. I wasn't really in the mood for french fries, and didn't think I was hungry enough for a baked potato, so I opted to go with the green beans. Our server at the ordering counter, who had just recited the list of side items a moment earlier, had actually left out green beans, but then I saw them while looking up at the menu board and decided on those. She looked surprised for a second when I said that, as if she was remembering, "oh yeah, we actually do serve green beans!" That should've been my first clue that perhaps that wasn't my best choice. The flavor was a little strange for my liking, but that's just a personal issue; the main problem was just that they tasted forgotten and unloved. That, coupled with the tiny size of the dish, made me wish I had gotten the potato instead. Obviously the potato is pretty much the only option designed to justify the high price of the combo meal. In effect, I ripped myself off by getting the green beans instead!

I took some bites from my mom's haul from the salad bar, just to say I had sampled that as well. It wasn't anything particularly special, but it wasn't bad either, so it's good to know that Danver's (or Cook Out, or whoever!) was successfully managing to keep from messing that up. The pair of chicken fingers that accompanied the salad bar combo (not pictured) were dry, and couldn't be wholly saved even when dipped in "Danver's Sauce" (an apparently proprietary concoction similar in taste to the better-known Arby's Sauce), although it admittedly did help some.

I wasn't sure what to expect food-wise, so the end result is that I was pleasantly surprised with the tastiness of my roast beef sandwich, thoroughly disappointed with my green beans, and given a neutral impression of the salad bar. Taking price into account, I probably won't be back anytime soon. This just isn't viable as a regular fast food option for me, at those prices. Which brings me to my next point: Danver's seems to face a big problem in regards to its identification as a fast food restaurant versus the actual appearance of its buildings. With the Tiffany lamps and large dining rooms with plentiful seating (including relatively nice booths), I absolutely was not expecting the cheap, flimsy Styrofoam dishes and plastic silverware with which our meals were served. Even stranger, we were given trays on which to place these items, when it felt like it would almost have been more appropriate simply to have had our meals handed to us in a paper bag! This, I think, may well be an implementation of Cook Out: while I've yet to eat at one, I do know that they, too, use Styrofoam and plasticware for all of their meals. Unless someone knows for sure whether Danver's used real plates and silverware before the buyout, that's going to be my explanation for the strange serving conditions.

    

With our visit now complete, here are some final exterior shots of the restaurant, taking a look at its front side, left and back sides, and right side, respectively. Note that the building is laid out rather oddly for a fast food place, with the longer sides being parallel to the street rather than perpendicular to it (making the property wider than it is narrow). And yes, that is a secondary entrance door you see in the second photo of this group, just past the drive-thru window. Not that I can imagine anyone ever entering from the back of the property, but hey...

Finally from Olive Branch, a shot of the roadside monument sign, which features a changeable letter board as well as the chain's full logo, lampshade and all. I don't know what's keeping Cook Out from converting the other two Danver's buildings it owns, as I do have doubts in accepting the narrative that they're happy to keep them operating as-is, with simply a few behind-the-scenes changes in order to bring them to profitability. But at the same time, I'm happy to see the remaining locations still hanging in there, keeping Danver's alive for the short-term (even if the future of the chain is less clear).

--------------------------------------------------

Of the two remaining locations besides Olive Branch, I only have one picture of my own of Cordova, and none from Poplar/Kirby. But thankfully, l_dawg2000 does have some of the latter, and both locations can be quickly glimpsed in the images below.

As you can see, the Cordova Danver's is identical to the Olive Branch location. Remember, this location is leased, so Cook Out actually has no ties to this property. However, John Golon may still have an agreement whereby Cook Out operates this location as well, although they would have no freedom to convert it into a Cook Out on a whim as they could the other two.

Poplar/Kirby, on the other hand, is a little older, and reportedly occupies a former Pizza Hut. Courtesy l_dawg2000

The sign out by the street actually looks more Burger King-y to me, but hey, property records don't lie :P  Courtesy l_dawg2000

One more close-up of the front of the Poplar/Kirby location. Of the three remaining Danver's, I think this one may be the busiest. But don't quote me on that. Courtesy l_dawg2000

--------------------------------------------------

Obviously, the Cook Out website is silent on the fact that it operates a completely unrelated chain featuring an entirely different menu from its own (!), and the company is privately held so there are no public SEC filings that disclose that information, either. But one interesting tidbit that scored an ever-so-brief mention in the Memphis Business Journal's initial report confirming Cook Out's purchase of the four Memphis-area properties was John Golon's suggestion that under Cook Out's ownership, there are "potential plans for new Danver's locations." A revival of Danver's, with Cook Out at the helm?! What an awesome thing to think about!

Alas, as of right now it doesn't seem like that idea will be going anywhere. But... for a brief moment in 2018, the year after Cook Out purchased Danver's, it almost came to fruition. Check out this July 2018 report from WNWS Radio in Jackson, Tennessee:

When Cook Out opens at 4 Stonebridge Place, they will offer more than grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and North Carolina barbecue. 

According to a company spokesperson, a dual operation will be created when a 'modified' Danver's Restaurant joins Cook Out in the facility. 

Cook Out bought three [this should be "four" - ed.] of the five Memphis-area Danver's in 2017. The most recognizable menu item at Danver's is its roast beef sandwich. 

An opening date has not been announced.

Sadly, this "dual operation" was ultimately too good to be true, as by the time of opening in mid-August 2018, the only update was a note that "if you are looking to try the Danver's side of things, the wait will be a little longer," followed by radio silence after that. It would stand to reason that the experiment, for unknown reasons, was simply dropped. But regardless, it's still cool to know that it was ever in consideration at all... and even cooler that that same website managed to capture a photo of the roadside sign for the dual operation before the idea was scrapped, offering irrefutable proof of the connection between the two otherwise very different restaurant chains!

Cook Out/Danver's "dual operation" roadside sign, Jackson, TN. Taken during construction of the restaurant (a former Coyote Blues location) in summer 2018. Courtesy WNWS Radio

Adjustment made to the Cook Out sign upon elimination of the "modified" Danver's concept. Courtesy WNWS Radio

--------------------------------------------------

Finally, I'll wrap up this post with a special treat. Over at the Broken Chains Blog (the inspiration for my series of "Lost Histories - Broken Chains Edition" posts), author Zap Actionsdower often speaks of such a chain's "core" and "vestigial" operating areas. For example, in his post on Cici's Pizza, he points out that "more than half of [Cici's] locations are in just two states, Texas and Florida, while ten states are home to three or fewer Cici’s locations. In the past nine years, Cici’s has gone from being the fastest growing pizza chain in the US with a near-national footprint to a regional chain with a few vestigial outposts scattered around the country, ruins of their fleeting empire." Naturally, these vestigial locations are of more interest, especially when it comes to a chain that's considerably more "broken" than Cici's is. And as it turns out, Danver's has a vestigial location of its own.

It's not terribly far from Memphis, but the Tupelo, MS, Danver's is isolated from its onetime siblings nonetheless. Like the Memphis-area stores, the Tupelo location looks to be content continuing to operate with minimal changes to its longtime formula for success. Also like its Memphis counterparts, it was a little hard to dig up much information on the Tupelo Danver's online, but I did finally happen across a profile of the restaurant, written by Dennis Seid for the Daily Journal, commemorating its 30th anniversary back in late 2007:

Gene Box didn’t have much experience with the restaurant industry 30 years ago, but his Danver’s restaurant is now a Tupelo institution, where generations of families continue to work and eat. 

“This was my first time I ever got in the business,” said Box, who opened the store on Nov. 1, 1977, at the corner of Industrial and West Main. “This was nothing more than a vacant and a big hole before we opened it.” 

Location is everything, and the restaurant is on prime property. 

So successful was his foray into the food world, Box later opened Danver’s locations in Starkville, Oxford and Chattanooga. He later sold them to concentrate on his pride and joy in Tupelo. 

Danver’s interior is a throwback to the 70s with its dark wood, barrel seats and decorative lighting. But two things that haven’t changed is the quality of the food and exemplary customer service that Box wouldn’t have any other way. 

... 

“We’re the only original Danver’s restaurant left, and only one of a handful remaining,” [general manager Larry] Wade said. “But we’ve been local for 30 years. This is our base. We’ve been offering good food in a good, clean place with good service the whole time and will continue to do so.”

That last quote is the only admission I've seen that connects the Tupelo Danver's to the Memphis operation, and also seems to suggest that perhaps none of the final seven Memphis locations are original, despite the quote I pulled from the Wayback Machine earlier on in this post. Either way, it is very neat to know that Danver's is a quintessential broken chain, complete with a long-lost separated location! I haven't visited the Tupelo Danver's yet (although I'm open to doing so in the future!), so to substitute, here are some other photos of the place that I managed to find online.

Tupelo, MS, Danver's exterior. This one looks like it could have been converted from another fast food chain, but given that it opened back in 1977 and is an "original" Danver's, I may be wrong on that. If so, they certainly matched the design of the time quite well! Courtesy l_dawg2000

Interior. Definitely that 70s throwback described in the article excerpt! Courtesy atucker2976 on flickr

I included this one to show the cup... note that it's virtually identical to the cups offered at the Memphis locations, except where the Memphis cups say "mydanvers.com," the Tupelo cup instead has its own physical address. Makes me wonder whether these restaurants were/are served by the same supplier and, if so, whether Cook Out has anything to do with this location now, too. Courtesy atucker2976 on flickr

I didn't include it in the excerpt quoted above, but the article also mentions how certain employees have been with the Tupelo Danver's for a very long time, including a server at the front counter and a general manager who had both been with the restaurant since its opening day. If you'll recall, we encountered a similar story with employees at the Tupelo Bonanza. What is it with Tupelo, broken chains, and long-term loyalty?! Courtesy atucker2976 on flickr

--------------------------------------------------

So that will wrap up this post on Danver's. I know the actual "history" part leaves a lot to be desired, but I also believe the more recent history of the chain, and its wild ownership tale, more than make up for that! The aborted dual operation concept and the vestigial location also add some welcome tangents to this already interesting story. I hope you enjoyed this post, and as always, if you have any memories, stories, photos, or information you'd like to share regarding Danver's, please feel free to do so in the comments below or by emailing me at midsouthretailblog [at] gmail [dot] com. Until next time, have fun exploring the retail world wherever you are!

EDIT, 2020: Due to, well, the events of this year, Cook Out -- smartly, if unfortunately for the Danver's brand -- has taken action to eliminate the dine-in-heavy format of the two remaining Memphis-area Danver's restaurants that it owns. For Olive Branch, that involved a conversion into a newly-minted Cook Out, which for now is operating as drive-thru only. For Poplar/Kirby, that involved simply closing the place outright (it is soon to become a Zaxby's). As noted (perhaps even predicted?) earlier in the post, at the Cordova Danver's -- which is leased, and therefore not owned by Cook Out -- everything remains status quo, unaffected by the Cook Out buyout. If nothing else, the eradication of Danver's presence to just one location has seemed to reinvigorate operator John Golon's involvement with the brand, as he now responds personally to every single Google review for the lone Cordova Danver's, and in one of those responses even noted that the restaurant is currently undergoing a renovation, removing the old carpet inside the dining room and replacing it with more modern stained concrete. Here's to hoping for Danver's continued success and survival, even if the chain is more broken now than ever before. Please see my post from this May for more info.

Retail Retell