Ball and Que: 'home away from home'
Published on 7/3/2008
By Jason Lesley
jlesley@gtowntimes.com
Silas Cohen had lunch at the Ball and Que on Wednesday, just as he does practically every day.
Cohen and many of the restaurant's other regular customers were treated to birthday cake and a proclamation from Georgetown Mayor Lynn Wood Wilson lauding the restaurant as a "home away from home" for many local residents for 38 years.
Ball and Que manager Joann Elliott bought eight big sheet cakes for her local customers, and waitresses served up big squares to everybody for free.
"Joann has done so many things for the community," said Wilson. "She has prepared meals and helped so many folks."
The city proclamation is part of a "Cities Mean Business" program through the S.C. Municipal Association to recognize the business community as economic engines and to honor specifically all businesses that have operated for 25 years or more, according to City Administrator Steve Thomas.
Jeanette Gamble, who owns the Ball and Que building on Highmarket Street, says the business started in 1966 as a place for young people to congregate with a snack bar serving hamburgers, hot dogs and soup.
"All the young kids wanted to come here," Jeanette says. "It was a lot of fun. There's never been any alcohol served on the premises."
Joann came on the scene after Jeanette's first husband, Henry Price, died in the early 1970s. After a few more years, Jeanette remarried to Erving Gamble, and he started a renovation to expand the restaurant. They brought the restaurant equipment from the Happy Clown in Garden City and the menu expanded to include country cooking, the kind of fare most people around Georgetown grew up eating.
Some years later, the restaurant needed a new sign out front and the idea to rename it Joann's Kitchen was floated.
Customers overwhelmingly favored leaving it and Ball and Que. And that's the way is stayed.
Patty Snyder, another regular customer on hand for the celebration Wednesday, says the Ball and Que reminds her of the television program "Cheers" -- without the alcohol, of course.
"Everybody knows your name," she says.
"I've never had a thing here that wasn't wonderful. It's cooked with care and love."
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Joann (& Randolph) are doing a great job with the Ball & Que & always have. To keep a place running with good food & good service, you can't be your employee's best friend all the time. It's a business....you have to treat it as such. Posted by Native Georgetonian on 7/7/2008
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What about Jeanette Ard? The city is persecuting Jeanette while they claim to be business friendly. Sad. Posted by Ft Street Businessperson on 7/4/2008
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At least it's a good place to eat. I have heard it's not a good place to work. Posted by Who Knows on 7/3/2008
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