Now & Then: McLean’s Restaurant

Today in our series, “Now & Then,” Bill gives us a look at a Richmond Food Landmark.

TODAY WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT ONEOF THEM ON WSTE BROAD STREET.TAKE A LOOK.SINCE NINETEEN SIXTY FIVE THEREHAS BEEN AN MACLAINE'SRESTAURANT IN RICHMOND,VIRGINIA ACTUALLY A COUPLE OFTHEM NOW THE ORIGINAL WAS WESTON BROAD STREET JUST A LITTLEWAYS UP THE STREET AND WASOPENED BY MAC MCCLAIN.NOW MAC WAS A NATIVE OF NORTHCAROLINA, RAN THE RESTAURANTFOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THENWENT BACK HOME.HE SOLD THE RESTAURANT TO HIDEAND PAT INGRAM AND THEY RAN ITUNTIL NINETEEN EIGHTY SIX THATTIME THEY SOLD THE RESTAURANTTO FRED AND SHEILA WAGNER.THE WAGNERS RAN IT FOR TENYEARS UNTIL 1996 WHEN THEY SOLDIT TO THEIR DAUGHTER DEANNADEONNA, THANKS FOR SPENDINGSOME TIME WITH US.A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND IWANT TO MAKE SURE I GET THINGSRIGHT.HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOUSTARTED WAITRESSING AT MCLAIN'SRESTAURANT UP THE STREET?IWA S 15 YEARS OLD.FIFTEEN YESAR MY PARENTS DROVEME TO THE RESTAURANT EEVRYSATURDAY ADN SUNDAY.YEAH.SO I REMEMBER IN THE 70S THATVERSION MACLAINE'S WAS OPEN ALLNIGHT.I'M GUESSIGN AT FIFTEEN.YOUDI DN'T WORK THE OVERNIGHTSHIFT NOT AT FIFTEEN BUT YOUDID DO THAT.I DID YES I DIDDO THEOVERNIGHT SHIFT.ANY STORIES YOU WANT TO SHARETHAT WE CAN TELL ON TV?ABSOLUTELY.THERE WAS A LADY BY THE NAME OFAND HICKS WHO TAUGHT ME HARDWORK AND WHATIT WAS TO BE INTOYORU JOB.AND SO SHE WOULD SHE WOULD WORKTHE NIGHT SHIFT WITHE M AND ATFOUR OCL'OCK IN THE MORNING ITWOULD DIE FFO.AND SO SHE WAS A SHE WAS ATROOPER BUT I WAS STILL IN HIGHSCHOOL AND SHE WAS LIKE JUST GOCURL UP IN THAT BOOTH OVERTHERE AND I'LL WAKE YOU UPABOUT SIX O'CLOCK AND IT'S TIMEFOR YOU TO GO HOME.SO THAT'S WHAT I DID.I WOULD TAKE A LITTLE NA APTFOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ANDSO WE GOT BUSY AGAIN.WELL, I KNOW YOU AND YOURHUSBAND BARRY RUN A BUSINESSNOW BUT MCLAIN'S HAS A SECRETWEAPON AND IT'S ANOTHER BARRY.TELL US ABOUT T GHEUY IN THEKITCHEN WHO MAKES IT ALLHAPPEN.THAT'S RIGHT.BARRY COKER.HE HE AND I MEAN HE WAS THEREWHEN I STARTED AT FIFTEEN SO HEAND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER.HE'S COME WITH ME.HE DOES ALL THE PREP WORK NDAHE'S QUITEH TE CHARACTER.I MEAN HE HE LOVES TALKING TOOUR CUSTOMERSND A HE'S A HE'SATRUE GYM.WELL I KNOW BOTH YOUR CHILDRENWORK HERE AND HELP OUT IN THERESTAURANT AND THEY KNOW THATDONE THIS FOR A LONG TIME.YOU TOOK IT OVER YOURSELF ANDMADE A CAREER OUT OF THIS ANDI'VE KEPT THIS KIND OF RICHMONDINSTITUTION ALEIV.WHAT'S IT LIKEO T FEEL LIKEYOU'RE CARRYING THIS FORWARD APLACEO S MANY PEOPLE LOVE?WELL, OUY KNOW, IT DIDN'TREALLY HIT ME UNTIL RECENTLYTHAT THAT'S WHAT WE ARE ARICHMOND INSTITUTNIO.IT WAS JUST WHAT I DID.IT WAS IN MY BLOOD NDA THENWHEN MY TWO KIDS CAME INTO ITTHEY WERE LIKE MOM, YOU REALLYYOU SHOULD BE REALLY PROUD.YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HO WPROUDYOU SHOULD OF WHAT WE'VE DONEHERE.AND SO THEN I KINDF O TOOK ASTEP BACK AND LOOKED AT IT ANDSAID, YOU KNOW, REALLY WE HAVEBEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 50YEARS.SO ONE LAST QUESTION.WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KEEPYOUR EMPLOYEES LONG TIMEWAITRESSES AT WORK HERE HAVEBEEN HERE FOR YEARS.IT'S NOT TTHA TURNOVER ALL THETIME.IT'S JUST SEEN A LOT OFRESTAURANTS QUESTION HOW DOTHEY KEEP THOSE PLASTE FORMS?IT'S PRACTICE AND THE SECRET ISOUR PLATES THE WAY THEY'RESHAPED AND THEY'RE NOT HEAYVPLATES.THYE STACK REALLY, REALLY EASYBUT IT'S QUITE A TRICK.SO IT'S RUNNING A RESTAURANTTHAT PEOPLE LOVE FOR ALL THOSEYEARS.CONGRATULATIONS.THANK YOU.ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, LIKE WE SAIDOVER FTYIF YEARS THERE'S BEEN AMACLAIN'SE IN RICHMOND BOTH NOWAND HERE.