Simple pleasures can be hard to find. Tucked away in Bocage Village on Jefferson Highway, Dearman’s Soda Fountain has been serving up some of life’s best simple pleasures — homemade hamburgers, french fries and milkshakes — since 1955.
Dearman’s was originally established as a drugstore with a small soda fountain in the back that also served hamburgers. When the store’s founder, Bill Dearman, passed away, Billy Wright bought the store in May 2000.
Wright was unable to continue operating the store as a pharmacy, so he converted it into a casual, full-service restaurant.
During the weekend Wright bought the store, he pushed the shelves to the back and set up tables. At 6:30 a.m. the following Monday, Wright opened the store for breakfast.
“The place was packed,” Wright said. “It was important to me that we open the very next week. I wanted everyone to know the place was still in business.”
As a young boy, Wright visited Dearman’s regularly and remembers the food being delicious. When he took control of the store, he was adamant about keeping the quality and taste of the food unchanged.
“I would never have let this place close,” he said. “We’re proud of our place. The quality of the food and atmosphere are unmatched.”
Wright said that every morning, his employees grind the meat and create the handmade hamburgers and hand-cut fries. All the ingredients are fresh, he said.
Wright said customer service and quality of ingredients are two of his aims as a restaurateur.
Although Dearman’s no longer serves breakfast, Wright said lunch and dinner are still a major draw for many customers.
“This place has so much history,” he said. “It’s a place all my friends used to come to as teenagers. I want to keep it that way.”
DeShay Vince, manager, began working at Dearman’s as a waitress less than two years ago.
“When I came in here, I knew [the atmosphere of] this place was different,” Vince said. “It’s a really laid-back place and such a fun place to work.”
Vince said patrons are always complimenting them on the food.
“It’s such a huge compliment that burgers have stayed the same and people have continued to be customers,” she said. “That’s a really great thing — people continuing to come back after new management. It’s a testament to the food and to Billy [Wright] keeping the food and the entire place at such a high level of quality.”
Vince said many of the customers have been coming to Dearman’s for a very long time and most of them know each other.
“People tell me they’ve been coming in here for so long, even before I was born,” she said. “And everyone always knows everyone else. It’s not unusual for people to get up and sit down at another table with other people. Everyone is always visiting with one another.”