A family drops everything and moves across the country to come here to live out their father’s dream. They left behind a popular restaurant, family and friends but they managed to bring their recipes and good spirits with them to northeast Tennessee.
The Stanoff family thought they were coming to Kingsport back in April for a family vacation, but that vacation ended up being a business trip.
When the Stanoff’s left, they had no idea that about three months later they’d open up a business — Kingsport Rockie Top Diner.
Owner Steve Stanoff talks to customers eating lunch at his restaurant but promises not to reveal his secret green chili recipe. He’s been in the restaurant business for nearly 40 years and has a collection of items he proudly displays and decorates throughout the inside of the building.
Stanoff says when they visited the restaurant for the very first time in April, he knew he wanted to bring the family here for good.
“The big city just wasn’t for us. I’ve lived in the big city for six years, otherwise I’ve lived in small towns and I just don’t like the sound of gunshots at your backdoor all the time,” says Steve.
Not only was the small town feel a big selling point for him, there was another life-changing reason for the decision — the change in elevation. It’s making a huge difference for Steve who wore an oxygen mask in Colorado.
“Being at 6,000 feet elevation the air is a lot thinner and I was on oxygen 24/7 up there, and even when I was working, I was wearing my oxygen,” adds Steve.
Steve is coping with COPD, a major challenge for someone trying to run a restaurant. Now he’s basically mask free!
“I think in the four months we’ve been open, I put it on twice here and that’s a big thing for me,” Steve says.
The next hurdle — getting to know their neighbors.
“The big challenge is just not knowing if we’re going to have anybody in here for the day or how many people are going to be here. It’s just a big challenge to start basically from the bottom up,” says employee Brittany Stegall.
The challenge is Steve’s favorite part, and the reason he’s not losing faith.
“That’s what I like to do. Start from the bottom and go all the way up. I’m building this for my children,” says Steve.
The diner’s open six days a week and closed on a Mondays. They’re open every day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays until 3 p.m. The restaurant’s located at 2819 N John B Dennis Hwy, Kingsport, TN, 37660.