MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Piccadilly on Poplar Avenue in East Memphis has been in business for about 30 years, and one woman in particular has been serving up delicious meals and greeting guests for decades.
For some, Ms. Fannie Turner, is the reason they keep coming back.
“She’s going to make you smile and she’s going to brighten up your day,” one customer told WREG’s Symone Woolridge.
Since 1996, Ms. Fannie has been on her feet serving Piccadilly customers.
“Only time, I think if they could look up my record to see how many days I missed, they probably wouldn’t have ten,” she said.
She’s definitely a hard worker.
“If I need her to stay longer, she has no problem with it and continuously works,” said Ms. Fannie’s manager.
That effort doesn’t go unnoticed by her teammates or her customers. Ms. Fannie’s consistent servings of positivity mean a lot to regulars like Mary Hastings.
“What it did for me personally, it made me feel like somebody cared about me,” she said. “Some days I thought I had enough money to pay for my food and didn’t have enough, and she’ll say, ‘go ahead pretty lady, I got you.'”
Using money out of her own pocket, Ms. Fannie has blessed so many with not only her presence, but her willingness to help them out with a meal.
“I don’t mind because the more I help them, the more God is going to bless me,” Ms. Fannie said.
She said it’s something she learned as a child who lost her mother and was raised in a big family. Now that family includes the group at Piccadilly.
Ms. Fannie’s sister worked alongside her for 15 years and her daughter has been working at the company for 12.
“My daughter comes and says, ‘momma, come on now. It’s 4 o’clock. It’s time to go home.’ I say, ‘no, I don’t leave customers standing,’” she said.
Now after being the longest employee to work at the Poplar location, Ms. Fannie is retiring.
“I just thank God for you, and I think everybody needs to know that we still have good people like you in the world,” said Hastings.
But, if you think retirement will keep her away, you’d be wrong. Ms. Fannie said she will be back at Piccadilly to check on her daughter and customers.
