The Yellow Deli : We Serve the Fruit of the Spirit. Why not ask?

Since the early ’70s we have been living together communally, working, praying, and raising our families. Many more have come and joined with us and so many more communities of ours have started all over the world. We are “believers” in the Way as it is described in Acts 2 & 4 that “all who believed lived together” in the days of those who first believed in the Messiah almost 2,000 years ago. It is a wonderful life where we work together to make a living.

One way we make a living is by building cafes where we serve very good food, and a warm environment of friendship away from the rat race of today’s society. We try to find the best ingredients available to make a healthy and enjoyable meal. We make our own bread — often baking it in wood-fired ovens. We have a nice ranch in Valley Center called the Morning Star Ranch. We grow avocados that are becoming famous in the area, along with lovely produce that we use to make great salads.

Hopefully, before long we will finish this “work-of-art” deli of ours so you can actually come in, sit down, and rest a while. We'll keep you posted for the opening date! More Info

The Downtown Yellow Deli on Market Street

The early ‘70s would not have been such a special time in the Chattanooga area without The Yellow Deli. Remember those luscious fruit salads, great sandwiches, fresh salads, and homemade desserts? There was something about the warm and rustic atmosphere that drew people like a magnet. It became an important part of the lives of so, so many Chattanoogans back in those days. Fond memories linger on…

And who can forget that catchy little slogan at the bottom of the hand-drawn Yellow Deli menu that proudly announced, “We serve the fruit of the Spirit... Why not ask?” It was not so much a boast as a matter of fact. Somehow God’s love had been communicated to our hearts in such a way that all we wanted to do was pass on that love, joy, and peace spoken of in the New Testament. Though at the time, a good restaurant and spiritual concepts seemed to have little in common, but for “the Yellow Deli people” it was the perfect combination. For us, it was somehow like the “treasure hidden in a field,” and the “pearl of great value”… it was a salvation that had a practical outworking and not just a Sunday-go-to-meeting mentality. Our Savior meant everything to us, so working together to serve the best food in the best atmosphere, with all of our hearts, seemed a normal response. The fruit of the Spirit was produced naturally from the good tree of happy believers working together.
Yellow Deli locations - Chattanooga & Dalton, Tennessee; Trenton, Georgia; Mentone, Alabama

That was the motive in the hearts of Gene and Marsha Spriggs when they opened the first Yellow Deli on Brainerd Road in May of 1973. They wanted to have a place where people from all walks of life could come into the deli and touch a living demonstration of God’s love in those who served them. They created a warm, informal atmosphere in this 24-hours-a-day café where the people of Chattanooga could come anytime and feel welcome and enjoy good food and friendship. Many still carry fond memories of their times at the Yellow Deli, because it was more than just food… it was an experience of the heart that they enjoyed there, and times like that are not easily forgotten. More...