You can’t keep good fried chicken a secret, and before long Gus’s World Famous Hot and Spicy Fried Chicken had a following that stretched far beyond the quiet streets of Mason, Tennessee. Maggie’s legacy by following and even perfecting their beloved fried chicken. In 1984, Gus and his wife, Gertrude, reopened under the now well-known name, “Gus’s World Famous Hot and Spicy Fried Chicken.” Though the name may have changed, the Bonner family continued to honor Na and Ms. Na’s only son, Vernon “Gus” Bonner, inherited Maggie and Na’s priceless recipe and the restaurant they worked so hard to build, literally from the ground up. The restaurant, however, remained a family affair. Maggie and Na continued to serve their community until their deaths, in 19 respectively. The building still stands today and still serves Na and Maggie’s amazing fried chicken. Maggie’s Short Orders opened its doors in 1973. Na, a skilled carpenter, built the restaurant on a piece of land he and Ms. Unfortunately, the Vanderbilt’s were of modest means and could not afford such an expansion however, generous, chicken loving locals offered to supply them with the materials necessary to build their own restaurant. As demand grew, Na and Maggie were encouraged by local residents to build a freestanding restaurant. Maggie, began selling their chicken, sandwiched between two slices of white bread, out of the back door of the tavern. After experimenting for several years in a local tavern, Na and his wife, Ms. Such an amazing feat did not occur overnight. In an era of divisive racial attitudes the residents of Mason found that they could all – black and white – agree on how much they loved Na’s fried chicken. Over 60 years ago in the small community of Mason, Tennessee, Napoleon “Na” Vanderbilt created something amazing – fried chicken that could unite a community.

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