The Varsity car hop hangs it up after serving Atlanta food for 63 years

ATLANTA — He’s been helping serve Atlanta a classic burger or hot dog and a Coca-Cola since the 1950s. Now, he’s decided to retire and hopefully enjoy someone else serve him a meal.

The Varsity says its longtime car hop, Louis Frank Jones, is hanging up his uniform after 63 years.

Known as Car Hop #1, Jones is retiring at the age of 89. He first started working at the quintessential Atlanta restaurant in 1957.

Jones talked to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the interesting people he served during all of his years at The Varsity.

“People all around the world come in here,” he told the AJC. “I met a lot of movie stars, football players, baseball players. Evander Holyfield was one of the best tippers. He was a $40, $50 tipping man.”

The Varsity says it is retiring his number and thanked him for “always putting a smile on our faces.”

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“Your number will be retired and your legacy of outstanding service will go down in Varsity history,” the restaurant posted.

So what’s Jones’ favorite meal at the Varsity? He told the AJC it’s the classic hot dog.

“I’ve been eating this hot dog a long time. You can’t beat this hot dog with a bag of potato chips and a Coca-Cola,” Jones said.

The announcement Facebook post has received more than 800 comments and has been shared 2,000 times.

“Blessings to You Mr. Jones, thank you for all those years of service!! You will be missed. Especially by us native Georgia family’s that you have been apart of for so long. Congratulations on a job very well done!!” Atlanta-native Kathy Howell Morrow wrote on Facebook.

The Varsity remains open during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it shut down temporarily after a worker got tested positive. It was the first time in the restaurant’s 90-year history that its drive-in had been closed. 

Information from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was used in this report

Cox Media Group