Jim Hagy is a third-generation restaurant owner. His grandfather started Hagy’s Catfish Hotel on the banks of the Tennessee River near Shiloh Battlefield after hosting a fundraiser for Tennessee Governor Gordon Browning in the 1930s.
Hagy’s Catfish Hotel near Shiloh, TN has operated for over 80 years. (Trip Advisor)
After 80 years, Hagy’s Catfish Hotel is still thriving. Some say they serve the finest fried catfish and hushpuppies on the planet. Jim and his wife Cheryl, also own and operate Chef’s Market, a restaurant and catering operation in Goodlettsville, TN, just outside of Nashville.
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Our families go back over 70 years. I interviewed Jim Hagy about the state of the restaurant industry and how the coronavirus pandemic has and will change the future of the restaurant industry for the foreseeable future.
Jim Hagy On Restaurant Changes
The latest pandemic certainly has changed how restaurants prepare and deliver food. Preparing meals for takeout was a rare occurrence in prior years. However, after growing accustomed to curbside delivery, consumers will most likely expect restaurants to continue offering takeout options.
Adults picking up breakfast meals or beverages from restaurants and coffee shops decreased during the first few weeks of the pandemic. The decrease is attributed to people not working in office settings. However, more individuals and households ordered lunch and dinner items for takeout or curbside delivery.