HISTORY OF GUS'S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN

In a downtown tavern in Mason, Tennessee, with a population of about 500, is where a man by the name of Napoleon Vanderbilt (also known as Na in the community), started his experimenting.

In 1953, "Na" open the doors to his eatery. The food became so popular that blacks and whites alike came from all over to purchase a sack of chicken. As the demand for Na's chicken continued to grow, he was encouraged to build a new restaurant on Hwy 70, Mason, Tennessee. Na & his wife Maggie were of humble means so members of the community provided the building materials for them. As Na was a carpenter by trade he built the restaurant himself in 1973.

The restaurant was named after his wife, Maggie (Maggie's Short Orders). They ran a successful business for 30 years. In January of 1983 Maggie died and Na died in August of that same year.

Na had only one child by the name Vernon "Gus" Bonner. Vernon inherited the recipe and the property. In 1984, Vernon and his wife Gertrude reopened the business under the name "Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken." Many wondered, "Why that name?" Vernon's youngest daughter, Tonya Bonner-Holder thought that it would be a catchy name since Vernon carried the name "Gus Bully" from childhood.

The food was still great even though Na and Maggie were gone. Vernon and Gertrude perfected the recipe and by word of mouth their business continued to grow so well that GQ magazine featured it in their January 2001 issue and rated it one of the top five (restaurants) in the United States worth flying to have a meal.