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Mel & Faye’s Diner may be serving hamburgers
from a spiffy new building down the highway, but the original site of the
classic burger stand will not be forgotten. Yesterday, the city of Jackson dedicated the parking lot built on the site of the
much-loved restaurant to Mel Gillman and unveiled a bronze plaque commemorating
Mel and Faye’s contribution to Jackson.
Family, friends and city dignitaries gathered for the unveiling of the plaque
featuring a photograph of Gillman and of the restaurant circa 1956.
Mel and Faye’s operated from the tiny lot at
Highway 49 and Main Street
from April 1956 to December 2003. Gillman told the story of driving into Jackson in a convertible
Cadillac and Faye saying the tiny town
on Hwy 49 would be a good place for a hamburger stand. When Mel and Faye’s
first opened, a friend asked how he was going to make a living selling hamburgers
and Gillman replied, “By the bagful!” Gillman also was recognized for his
service to the city – he served on the Jackson City Council from 1958 to 1968
and 2 terms as the city’s mayor. As City Manager Mike Daly and Mayor Rosalie
Pryor-Escamilla revealed the bronze plaque, Gillman said hugging his wife,
Faye, “There’s one thing wrong with this plaque – it doesn’t have her name on
it!”
Published in
News Archive
