THE HONEY'S STORY

Tim: 

Hope this helps…

A little early history of Honey Enterprises pertaining mostly to Charlotte/Gastonia:

     Yates Louis Honey, Sr.(“YL” to his friends) graduated from R.J. Reynolds HS in Winston-Salem in 1930, and opened a small ice cream luncheonette in Thomasville NC that same year. He opened a 2nd site in Concord and in Feb 1932 opened “Goody Goody BBQ Service on the corner of Morehead and Tryon Streets. Within a few years, he had changed the name to the “Minute Grill”.  In 1933 he purchased Blue Bird Ice Cream Company at the corner of Mint and Morehead Streets (where I-277 is now located).

     Mr. Honey made many real estate investments in Gastonia, and always referred to it as “his second home”.

     About around 1935 he opened a restaurant called Green Gables at 1414 East Franklin Avenue Gastonia. He and his brother-in-law, Salem Suber opened another Green Gables Restaurant on Providence Road, in Charlotte at about the same time. In 1939, the Gastonia restaurant‘s name was also changed to the Minute Grill. Sometime in the 50 or earlier 60’s the name was changed to Honey’s restaurant at Gastonia and Charlotte. Additional Honey’s Restaurants were built in Charlotte, Durham and Greensboro  in the 1960’s, and in the 70’s in Greenville SC(Augusta Road/US 25 and I-85), and Boone NC, and several other places. He also built a Sheraton/Holiday inn at Augusta Road/US 25 @I-85 in Greenville in 1972. We sold that hotel last year.

     In 1967, Mr Honey built a 64 room Honey’s Quality Court motel  adjoining the Minute Grill/Honeys in Gastonia.   In 1984 the old restaurant bldg in Gastonia was demolished and a “D ‘Lites”  restaurant was built, a new, fast growing chain. D’Lites soon failed and the building was leased to Arby’s.  We sold the old motel after losing the Holiday Inn Express franchise in about 2002. About 4.5 years ago, Fiesta Margarita Mexican Restaurant leased the space.  Also in 1967, Mr Honey built a facility for Southern Bell(Bell South/AT&T) at 2300 Remount Road. In 1972, he built the District Southern Bell Offices at 412 South Broad Street.

Mr. Honey, Sr. passed away in 1997, at age 86. His wife Rose still lives in Charlotte. (We went to lunch on Friday!)

     Yates L Honey Jr., “YL’s” son, now is President of Honey Enterprises, and we focus on managing our real estate investments in NC and SC.

The last remaining Honey’s Restaurant is still open in Durham NC, at I-85 at Guess Road. Opened in 1962, we no longer are involved with management, and license the Honey’ name to a long time manager, Buck Dickerson.

David Bedinger

Vice President

Honey Properties, Inc.

1014 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28203