JOHN COFFELTEditor

Retiring Jiffy Burger fry cook credits workplace comradery for his longevity

The landscape of Manchester was much different in 1987 when retiring Jiffy Burger cook Dennis Walker started working at one the city’s most established restaurants.

And while the menu has changed a bit as has the layout of the restaurant in the almost 40 years that Walker has worked for the Pennington Family, one of the things that that remains unchanged is the sense of belonging that the staff feels each day of work.

“The people I worked for and the employees, they treat you like family,” Walker said. “They make you feel like family. We fuss and argue like family. We get mad at one another, but at the end of the day it’s like nothing ever happened.”

“I’d rather work here than anywhere,” Walker said.

“It’s all old fashion here,” he said. “Do you don’t have any of those computer (order entry systems). Here, you just write it down and hang it up. Whoever takes a call-in; they just call them out and we go from there.”

Jiffy Burger owner Nancy Pennington hired Walker against the wishes of her husband David Pennington. As Walker recalls, David was on a trip to Florida and left instructions not to hire anyone.

Yet, when Walker asked if there were any openings, she told him to be there at 10:30 a.m. the next morning.

Walker was put to work washing dishes in the three compartment sink in the old dish room.

“Whenever he called the next day after she had hired me, he told her, ‘get rid of him – don’t want him; don’t need him,” Walker recalled.

Nancy demurred, telling her husband to do the firing if he insisted.

On the eve of Walker recalled that hire with fond memories.

“That’s the one time I’m glad she didn’t do what I told her,” David said. “He’s one of the best employees we ever had – as loyal as he could be.”

Walker washed dishes for the next five years until one Thursday night the guy that manned the fryers called out. Nancy asked Walker to come back and pull a 5-8p.m. shift on fryers.

“I said I’ve never worked deep fryer before. I don’t know if I can do it,” Walker said.

For the next 30-something years Walker was on fryers. He has cooked countless scores of French fries, onion rings chicken and at one time even cooked fish, shrimp and catfish.

Walker intended to hold out and retire with an even 40 years of service, but his health has rescheduled his timetable.

“After working behind those deep fryers for three hours, I’m drained. I have no energy,” Walker said.

“I’ve gotten to the point where I’m afraid I might pass out.”

In addition to Walker’s Jiffy Burger family, several of his real family members also work at the restaurant, and several have as long has he has.

“My oldest son, Ronnie, works here. He’s been here 35 years. My granddaughter works here, Samantha. I call her ‘Possum.’ We have another one that works here, Melissa, she’ been her 37 years,” Walker said.

David Pennington said that “Dennis is the top man as far as we’re concerned. I don’t think he’ll be going too far. I think he’ll be hanging around here until he drops dead, which is alright with us.”

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.