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1207 Kendrick Road
4BR | 3.5BA | 5875,000
Charming Brookhaven home a
short distance to Town Brookhaven.
658 Darlington Circle
3BR | 2BA | $399,999
Opportunity to build or renovate
in the heart of Peachtree Park.
1224 Cumberland Road
6BR | 5.5BA | $1,599,000
Spectacular Morningside home
with detached carriage house.
406 Spring House Cove
5BR | 5BA | $1,100,000
Beautifully renovated home on
quiet cul-de-sac in Durand Mill.
801 South Candler Drive
5BR I 4.5BA | $1,050,000
City of Decatur dream home with
open floorplan in Winona Park.
OVER
SOLD TI
Harvin Greene
M 404.314.4212 0 404.352.2010
harvingreene@dorseyalston.com
1089 Regency Road
5BR | 5.5BA | $1,600,000
Elegant home in the heart of
Buckhead on gorgeous 1 acre lot.
$40M
IS YEAR
Stephanie Marinac
M 404.863.4213 0 404.352.2010
stephaniemarinac@dorseyalston.com
1 00 West Paces Ferry Road | Atlanta, Georgia 30305 | dorseyalston.com
Information believed accurate but not warranted. Equal Housing Opportunity.
On the Road
Stephanie Stuckey is on a mission to
rebuild family roadside store empire
By Collin Kelley
Stephanie Stuckey spent more
than a decade in the Georgia House of
Representatives, before becoming director of
an environmentally focused law firm then the
City of Atlanta’s director of sustainability and
chief resilience officer. In 2019, she bought
back the family business — the famed chain of
roadside stores called Stuckeys. Now as CEO,
she’s on a mission to revive the brand and has
been visiting all the stores. We caught up with
Stuckey while she was back in Atlanta and also
got her road trip themed In the Mix playlist,
which includes choice cuts by Bruce
Springsteen, REM, Journey, and
Chuck Berry.
Q. Tbu’ve been on the road
visiting Stuckey’s locations and
documenting your adventure on
Instagram. What’s a highlight or
two of your road trip to reconnect
with your family business?
A. Route 66 is my favorite.
It holds such a special place in
the American consciousness
and epitomizes the freedom and
exploration that is the road trip.
We have a Stuckey’s right off the
Mother Road in Doolittle, Missouri,
just down the road from the
World’s Largest Rocking Chair and
Meramec Caves where Jesse James
had his hideout. That store has such
personality, with a giant fiberglass
rooster out front and a whole section
of local jams and hot sauces, plus
fried spicy peanuts that you eat in
the shell. That’s what I love about
Stuckey’s, every store is unique with a sense
of place and belonging. What I’ve learned
through touring the stores is that it’s not just
about reviving Stuckey’s, it’s about connecting
with folks who love to road trip. I want
motorists to pull over at Stuckey’s on their
travels but also visit the local petting zoos, state
parks and Coca-Cola murals while they’re at it.
It’s building community.
Q. Stuckey’s has endured since 1937, going
through ups and downs over the decades.
What’s the secret to its ongoing longevity?
A. The secret to any business having
sticking power is to build emotional
connections. If you focus on brand building
instead of profit, the revenue will start to flow.
I knew nothing about running a business
when I bought Stuckey’s in November of
2019. But I poured over old articles about
Stuckey’s and interviews with my grandfather.
I always knew him as “Bigdaddy,” but he came
to life to me through reading through our
archives as a businessman who grew Stuckey’s
from a humble stand to a roadside empire.
And he did it without a college degree. His
secret was that he believed in people, his
employees first and his customers second. Our
stores were unique because the franchisees
had ownership in the business and loved
what they did. Happy employees translate to
happy customers. There was such attention
to detail in how the stores were designed, the
merchandise selection, and overall experience.
It was very customer-centric and created lasting
memories for folks who stopped at a Stuckey’s
back in the 1960s and 70s. Even though
we’re a dusty brand, we have decades of brand
equity. I hear from dozens of customers every
week who share their Stuckey’s stories with
me. It takes up several hours of my time to
read and respond, but I do. Because that’s why
Stuckey’s has sticking power, that emotional
connection. And we’re bringing back that
experience for a whole new generation.
Q. You’ve been a politician and a
sustainability advocate. What did your
previous jobs teach you that have helped
transition to CEO of the family business?
A. There’s so much learning in everything
I did to get to this point in my life, I
wouldn’t trade a single experience, not even
the challenging ones. In fact, it’s the failures
that best prepared me for my new role. As
a public defender, I handled some tough
cases, and I didn’t win them all. As a state
representative, I introduced some legislation
I was passionate about and had the bills
chewed up in committee or defeated on the
House floor. And I really loved heading up
sustainability for the City of Atlanta under
Mayor Reed. It was really hard on me when
the new administration came in and replaced
me. I point out these losses and low points in
my career because too often we only talk about
the positive wins in our lives and don’t give
value to the incredible growth that occurs as a
result of these challenges. As an entrepreneur,
I face tough moments every day — a potential
big account turns us down, our packaging
is delayed for months, our flow wrapper on
the candy line is broken —and the list goes
on. Learning to deal with these “oh sh—”
moments with grace and gratitude is the best
lesson I’ve learned from my past.
Q. When you’re not on the road rebuilding
the empire, what are some of your favorite
places to eat in Adanta?
A. I love places that tell a story, that have
sticking power, and create a sense of place.
22 AUGUST 2021 | DU
AtlantalntownPaper.com