Lynchburg Business

An “Old Gem” Is Polished Up – New ownership for Carol’s Place

Issue: August 2010 by Jennifer Schmidt in Business Profiles, Inside The Magazine

Carol’s Place Restaurant opened under new management on July 5 and in the weeks following, new owner, Rusty Goodwin, has been pleased with the results.

“It’s been great,” he said. “Carol’s already has a lot of loyal . . . and active customers; word gets out when you’ve lived in the area so long like myself, people stop by to see how it is, and, thankfully, they stay to eat too.”

The transfer of ownership was anything but conventional. A 30-year veteran of Forest, Goodwin often ate at Carol’s and loved ordering his favorite menu items. As he recalls, he was paying his bill after eating breakfast at Carol’s a few months ago, and the cashier asked how he had enjoyed his food.

“I said I liked it just fine as always and that I liked Carol’s enough to buy it,” Goodwin explained. “Well, the owner at the time was standing there, heard me say that, and said, ‘Well, they’re trying to sell it. I’ll give you the number’,” and, laughing a bit, Goodwin continued, “That was it!”

While Goodwin likes to laugh, he’s serious about his food. And food is what Carol’s does well. As a former owner of Myrt’s Hot Dog on Candler’s Mountain Road, he says, “I know the business, and I can do it well.”

With an easy smile and an interest in pleasing customers, Goodwin is nothing short of genuine and passionate when speaking about Carol’s.

“We’re a good, home country cooking restaurant, so we’re keeping the menu the same,” he said. “I’m not reinventing the wheel, but I’m using what I know from the past to improve.”

Driving west on Route 221, it’s impossible to miss Carol’s trademark red, white and blue-striped roof, a design implemented by previous owners to gain attention and, according to Goodwin, it works.

“It’s the first thing people see as they enter Forest,” he said. “We have a unique view of the mountains, and we don’t compete with other restaurants in this area because our menu is unique.”

For Goodwin, having a solid product is the foundation of a profitable business, and he says Carol’s established country menu needs no alterations.

Carol’s is open daily during the week from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., hours which coincide with Carol’s specialties—breakfast and barbeque sandwiches. Breakfast buffets began shortly before Goodwin took over, and he says Carol’s will continue to offer buffets on Saturdays and Sundays, since they have been met with such enthusiasm from customers.

“People feel like they’re getting a good value, and they like to eat big breakfasts on the weekend,” Goodwin said. “Serving 60 to 70 people at the buffet makes it easier for the kitchen, and that allows us to focus on the customer more and give better service.”

The primary changes Goodwin is bringing to Carol’s are a fresh face, social networking and added venues for serving the food he’s so passionate about. Cleaning, some redecorating and planned renovations for the dining room are tangible signs of Goodwin’s influence. But it is Carol’s online footprint where Goodwin, formerly a Communications Director with World Help, hopes to change Carol’s public face.

“Any business, not just a restaurant, needs to have a web presence,” Goodwin said. “If you mention something about Carol’s on Facebook, that’s better off for me. The web is now about conversation, not information. This is our vehicle.”

In addition to social networking via a Facebook fan page—Carol’s Restaurant—and a Twitter account—EatAtCarols, Goodwin also launched www.eatatcarols.com, which will soon offer customers the option of ordering take-out food and paying online so they can easily pick up their order at the restaurant. Goodwin also plans to streamline Carol’s catering services via the Web site and has lined up a number of events in the upcoming months, including one planned for 300 people.

“We purchased a new smoker which is so huge it’s actually on a trailer,” Goodwin said. “We can cook many pounds of meat right on-site. This isn’t premade food in tubs—people are smelling the smoke and tasting the food as it’s cooked; it is a whole experience for everyone.”

For day-to-day operations, Goodwin will continue to draw on Carol’s history and traditions while moving forward.  Carol’s originally opened in the mid-1900s and the first owner was a woman named Carol who still lives in the area and occasionally stops by for a meal. But even before Carol came along, the restaurant was a gas station. Today, Goodwin is excited to incorporate that piece of Carol’s heritage into the current décor.

“We’re going to get new coffee mugs,” he explained. “Regular coffee will go in mugs labeled ‘premium’ and decaf coffee in mugs labeled ‘unleaded.’”

Goodwin’s enthusiasm spills over into other aspects of the business as well, and he believes it has been a contributing factor in the smooth transition of ownership.

“Because I’m so excited to be here, and it’s real in me, the staff is getting excited along with me,” he said. “No one has said, ‘This is how things were always done,’ they’re just excited to improve.”

Goodwin’s philosophy is to work right alongside his chefs and wait staff, which currently stands at 13 full-time and 13 part-time members, so he shares in even the most mundane tasks.

“An owner has to be present,” Goodwin stated. “What I do is bus tables … that way I can talk to everybody, and I’m not interrupting anyone’s meal. By quietly taking their dishes, I have the opportunity to speak to [customers].”

Customers would find it difficult to miss Goodwin’s enthusiasm, between Carol’s new slogan—“Do Your Mouth a Favor”—which is featured on staff shirts, and in his many interactions with customers, both during and after their visits. All of these efforts are done in hopes of increasing customer awareness of Carol’s.

“Even as a customer, I was amazed that more people didn’t know about this place,” Goodwin said. “Now that I’ve tried everything on the menu—I’m thinking to myself … I owe it to the staff to get the word out about Carol’s. I think this is a hidden gem.”

Visit www.eatatcarols.com for hours of operation, daily specials and menu selections. Free wi-fi and outside deck seating available daily.