Varsity will mark 80th with big bash

By Richard L. Eldredge
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/11/08
Photo: Dennis Whitefield

Atlanta, you may want to go ahead and up your dosage of Lipitor now in preparation for next month's milestone. On Aug. 2, the Varsity will celebrate its 80th anniversary at its main location downtown at 61 North Ave.

The city's fast-food fixture is throwing a big birthday bash on the upper deck of the parking lot from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring local bands the Cool Whips, the Hibbert Brothers and the Planet Rock Experience (featuring talented local school kids, ages 7 to 18). 97.1 FM the River will host a live radio remote from the Frosted Orange emporium. Coca-Cola, meanwhile, is hauling in the NASCAR Experience driving simulator for race fans and classic cars from the 1950s and 1960s will be parked outside.

The Varsity will be giving away free birthday cake, ice cream and balloons. And we strongly suspect they'll have a few chili dogs and onion rings available for purchase as well.

Oh, and Varsity fanatics also will get a sneak peek at a five-minute preview of the upcoming PBA 30 documentary tentatively titled, "What'll Ya Have? A History of the Varsity," set to air this fall.

Thankfully, producers taped two interviews with longtime Varsity counterman Erby Walker before the 70-year-old's death last month.

"We were really fortunate," the film's executive producer, Gregg Bauer, told Buzz Thursday. "Two weeks later, Erby was gone. It was quite a shock."

Other bold-faced names and Varsity fans being sought to lend their insights for the film include U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson and Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy.

And their dream narrator for the project? None other than Jeff Foxworthy.

"We're working with his agent," says Bauer. "It's really going to come down to his availability and scheduling. But he would be the perfect fit for us. He's a huge fan."

On Thursday, as Buzz gazed at the venerable eatery's menu, we discovered that the Varsity also sells egg salad sandwiches. We've never had one or seen anyone else order one for that matter. Now we're curious. We'd love to hear from readers who have actually sampled the sandwich and can tell us more about it.

And more importantly, how does the Varsity counterperson call out such an order?