Hometown Cherokee

When Andy Camp opened the doors to his dream - a down-home seafood restaurant for 'real' people on Virginia Avenue on the Southside of Atlanta in 1979 - the old airport terminal was in eyesight and the population of Atlanta was 2 million. Twenty-six years later the old terminal has long since been demolished and replaced with the world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson and the population of Atlanta has grown to over 4 million.

The one consistency? SPONDIVITS LEGENDARY SEAFOOD. In a day and time when a restaurant open for a year is considered a success, to grow your business and customer base year after year is phenomenal, especially on the Southside of Atlanta, not known for restaurant longevity or as a destination for Atlanta diners.

"Casual, real, relaxing, people want to stay here and come back," Camp says of his loyal following. The wait lines outside sometimes until 2 a.m. attest to the popularity. It's not unusual for there to be three deep at the bar at 3 a.m. Airport hotel shuttle buses load and unload world travelers all night. Ask any hotel concierge around Hartsfield-Jackson to recommend the 'best' atmosphere for dining near the airport and Spondivits is usually the first word from their mouth.

It takes great food as well as atmosphere to keep the throngs happy and coming back for more. The kitchen almost the size of a thimble is remarkably efficient in turning out the freshest of oysters, fish, shrimp, gumbos and chowders. The steaks, 100% Certified Angus Beef, are served to specification. The man with the tall chef cap is no novice. Chef Glenn Gagne is a sixth generation chef and the overseer of Spondivits for 13 years.

"Spondivits is a no attitude or haughty, doughty place. Just the best food you'll find anywhere. The atmosphere? You can meet people from all over the world or your next door neighbor," says Chef Gagne.

Being located near the airport allows Spondivits accessibility to fresh seafood six days a week. The discerning eye of Gagne always looks for the best Alaskan King Crab Legs or the freshest catches from around the world. The oysters are from nearby Gulf waters from purveyors the Chef has cultivated over the years. Seafood in Gagne's world can only be one way, "fresh and full of flavor." Nothing else will satisfy, period.

So what is a SPONDIVITS? "Nobody knows really, we've even had contests to tell us what our customers think Spondivits is, but we have yet to define it," says Camp. Chef Glenn says "Spondivits is a lifetime dedication for selling something to the public that doesn't take a backseat to anybody."

The success of this casual, friendly, inland seafood emporium has spawned a second location in Cumming, Georgia near the shores of Lake Lanier. Camp and Gagne have taken the great food, great fun and great drinks (all bar pours are 2 ounces) from the Southside and replicated the atmosphere for the burgeoning population growth north of the city with similar results.

"We're not a goodie-two-shoes kind of place, we're not white table cloth, we're just serving the best products that can be found anywhere. For 26 years we have had the same steady customers; if they're still alive - they'll still be here."

A literal cross section of Atlanta and the world come to share the "Spons" with stars from sports, music and television. This is where NASCAR and the hip-hop generation intersect - over giant Crab Legs. Where there is no attitude, but to have a good time and a great meal. Where the kitchen stays open until 2:45 a.m. every night.

Celebrity spotting is an art at Spondivits. It's not unusual to see Big Boi and members of OUTKAST, NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, country/folk star Jimmy Buffett and rapper Ludicrous, mixing and mingling with diners. The bar scene is always hot and the variety of 100 Shooters is one of the largest in Atlanta.

The restaurant that Andy Camp built and the kitchen that Chef Glenn Gagne professionally oversees has become in 26 years a "must-go-to" place to truly say you have been in Atlanta.

Article from The Hudspeth Report, June 2004. Used with permission of Spondivits.