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.

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...