A beloved Petersburg restaurant has been revived.
About two weeks ago, Charlie Rawlings reopened Dixie Restaurant, a family-owned business that’s operated on North Sycamore Street in Petersburg for more than 70 years.
Dixie Restaurant, a Petersburg staple since about 1939, was started by Louis Plakas and his family as Dixie Quick Lunch, a Southern comfort food joint.
It was managed as a breakfast and lunch spot over the years by a number of different families. Petersburg local Geneva Ramsey took it over as Dixie Restaurant in 1986.
Rawlings, 60, was co-owner of McLean Toms Vending for 20 years and delivered to Ramsey.
“I used to sell potato chips for their takeout lunches to Geneva,” he said.
Ramsey sold the business in 2006 to a woman looking to turn it into a bar.
“She sold it to Andrea Matthews, a woman from California who turned it into a karaoke bar called Dixie Diner,” Rawlings said.
After a few unsuccessful years, Matthews closed in November 2010, Rawlings said.
“All the lifelong people that went there — it wasn’t what they were looking for,” he said. “It drew a different crowd.”
For the past three years, Rawlings has worked for Builders Supply of Petersburg, but in January he had the idea to take over the spot that had remained dormant for more than a year.
“I rode by and saw the lease sign and called my wife and said, ‘Why not take it back to the old Dixie?’” Rawlings said.
He leased the space in March and spent a few months renovating.
“Everybody was used to the Dixie family-style place, and that’s what we’re bringing back,” Rawlings said.
He said he put in a hefty investment before opening June 9 to redesign the inside, including a new counter, floors and tables.
Rawlings said that even though the restaurant might look a little different, they’re keeping the menu.
“Dixie was famous for its hotdog and a chili recipe that Louis Plakas passed down,” he said.
He said they have added a few new items to the menu, such as a bologna burger and a catfish sandwich.
Rawlings runs the restaurant with his wife, Frannie, and a staff of six, including three former employees of the old Dixie Restaurant.
“I have the cook and a waitress who have been here for 20 years,” he said.
He said that response from the local residents has been good and that he’s getting regulars who used to come in for breakfast and lunch.
“People are ecstatic about the way it looks, and it’s almost like a homecoming,” he said.
As for the chance it could be passed to another Petersburg family, Rawlings said he doesn’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.
“The restaurant business is a lot of demand on your time, but I like it. It’s fun to see people enjoy a good meal,” he said.
A beloved Petersburg restaurant has been revived.
About two weeks ago, Charlie Rawlings reopened Dixie Restaurant, a family-owned business that’s operated on North Sycamore Street in Petersburg for more than 70 years.
Dixie Restaurant, a Petersburg staple since about 1939, was started by Louis Plakas and his family as Dixie Quick Lunch, a Southern comfort food joint.
It was managed as a breakfast and lunch spot over the years by a number of different families. Petersburg local Geneva Ramsey took it over as Dixie Restaurant in 1986.
Rawlings, 60, was co-owner of McLean Toms Vending for 20 years and delivered to Ramsey.
“I used to sell potato chips for their takeout lunches to Geneva,” he said.
Ramsey sold the business in 2006 to a woman looking to turn it into a bar.
“She sold it to Andrea Matthews, a woman from California who turned it into a karaoke bar called Dixie Diner,” Rawlings said.
After a few unsuccessful years, Matthews closed in November 2010, Rawlings said.
“All the lifelong people that went there — it wasn’t what they were looking for,” he said. “It drew a different crowd.”
For the past three years, Rawlings has worked for Builders Supply of Petersburg, but in January he had the idea to take over the spot that had remained dormant for more than a year.
“I rode by and saw the lease sign and called my wife and said, ‘Why not take it back to the old Dixie?’” Rawlings said.
He leased the space in March and spent a few months renovating.
“Everybody was used to the Dixie family-style place, and that’s what we’re bringing back,” Rawlings said.
He said he put in a hefty investment before opening June 9 to redesign the inside, including a new counter, floors and tables.
Rawlings said that even though the restaurant might look a little different, they’re keeping the menu.
“Dixie was famous for its hotdog and a chili recipe that Louis Plakas passed down,” he said.
He said they have added a few new items to the menu, such as a bologna burger and a catfish sandwich.
Rawlings runs the restaurant with his wife, Frannie, and a staff of six, including three former employees of the old Dixie Restaurant.
“I have the cook and a waitress who have been here for 20 years,” he said.
He said that response from the local residents has been good and that he’s getting regulars who used to come in for breakfast and lunch.
“People are ecstatic about the way it looks, and it’s almost like a homecoming,” he said.
As for the chance it could be passed to another Petersburg family, Rawlings said he doesn’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.
“The restaurant business is a lot of demand on your time, but I like it. It’s fun to see people enjoy a good meal,” he said.
Congrats Charlie!!