After hearing raving reviews about some fried chicken at a gas station in Pittsfield, Jessie Murphy and her husband had to try it for themselves. Not long after, the couple decided to bring that tasty chicken to the Greenville community.
Located on Route 32 in the center of Greenville, Greenville Eats is an exciting new option for takeout, featuring Krispy Krunchy Chicken, a salad bar, ice cream, boba tea and candy.
Owners Jessie and Tom Murphy Jr. moved their family and their trucking business, TJ2 Enterprises, to Greene County about two years ago. Once settled, they began brainstorming ways they could contribute to the Greenville community.
The inspiration for Greenville Eats actually came from their trucking business, Jessie said.
“Our trucks were all stopping at a little gas station in Pittsfield,” she said, explaining that it wasn’t a truck stop.
When asked why they were going to the gas station, the truckers said they loved the chicken there.
“I thought, gas station chicken? What?” Jessie said.
Jessie and Tom traveled to the gas station to see for themselves. Amazed by the quality of the chicken, the Murphys went on to two other locations that served Krispy Krunchy Chicken to see if the results were consistent – they were.
After inquiring about getting a license to sell Krispy Krunchy Chicken, the Murphys settled on a former ice cream shop for their location. When they opened in mid-August, the community response was overwhelming.
“We weren’t told that Greenville was starving,” Jessie said. “We could not keep chicken in house long enough between deliveries without running out.”
As the Murphys worked out the kinks of their new business, they began to ramp up their offerings and staff. Greenville Eats now has 14 people on staff, including 10 local teens.
Greenville Eats has two salad bars – a seven-foot bar with standard salad fixings and a five-foot bar with special weekly themes, such as Greek, Asian or charcuterie.
Because the salad bar required a bulk scale, the Murphys also decided to offer bulk candy.
“As a kid, I always wanted to have a candy store,” Jessie said.
The Murphys also want the restaurant to serve as a place for other local businesses to sell their goods. They currently carry bread from Gloria Grain Bread, of Greenville, and earrings from Feral Housewives NY, of Cairo, but hope to stock more local items in the future.
Stop by Greenville Eats to check it out, open Wednesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
If you want to learn more about how to Make It In Greene, check out our free helpful business guides and contact the Invest In Greene team by email or phone at 518-719-3290.
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Topics: Success Stories
