Wimpy's Corner
Article by Ellie Simmons
Photos by Lucianne Shoffner
Wimpy’s Corner has been a landmark in the small town of Greenfield, Tennessee since Bobby Pentecost first opened its doors in 1993. Even though the restaurant has cycled through several different owners over the years, the original Wimpy’s burger recipe has remained the same. When Jim Shelton took ownership of Wimpy’s, his goal was to revamp the restaurant and make it even better than it already was, while also staying true to the down home charm and delicious food that had made Wimpy’s a hit with locals for the better part of 30 years.
Jim knew that remodeling the retro restaurant was not going to be a small undertaking, but he had a vision and he knew he was the perfect man for the job. He and his son, Jamie Shelton, owned a construction business, so they were able to gut and renovate the building themselves. Jim also already owned another restaurant in town, Shelton’s, which he had been running successfully since 2010. With a lot of experience under his belt, the help of his family, and the talent of local artist Drew Porter, Jim was able to make every detail of his vision a reality.
Every decision he made in designing the restaurant had intention behind it, from the art on the walls to the reclaimed metal and wood used throughout the building. He even had a reason behind his design choices for the floors, which are splattered with red and yellow paint to resemble ketchup and mustard.
“He always wanted to make sure something had a story,” explains Jim’s daughter, Kristi Davison. “There was a reason for everything.”
Perhaps one of the most unique design aspects that were added during the Shelton Family’s renovations are the one-of-a-kind statues of classic cartoon characters Popeye, Bluto, and of course, Wimpy in the main dining room.
“They’re actually off a float from Mardi Gras,” says Kristi. “Drew, the guy that did all of our artwork, found them in Nashville and then brought them from there, and then he built the backgrounds so that it would look like they were in the town of Greenfield.”
When the renovations were complete in March of 2020, Jim was ready for the grand re-opening of the new and improved Wimpy’s, but that was also right around the time when restaurants were forced to close their dining rooms in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Despite having doubts about how much business Wimpy’s would get under the circumstances, in their first week of being open, they were selling as many as 400-500 hamburgers per day. They were getting so many take out orders that customers were having trouble reaching them on the phone.
“People started calling our cell phones and saying, ‘Hey I can’t get through at Wimpy’s!’ All of our cell phones were ringing. I would just tell them, ‘Keep trying! Redial!’ because that was all you could do,” recalls Jim’s son, Jamie Shelton.
Business was booming despite the pandemic, and Wimpy’s was finally able to open their dining room to the public in April of 2021, after only offering carry out orders for slightly over a year. Unfortunately, in June of 2021, the entire family, including Jim, his fiancé Carolina Robbins, his children, and even some of his grandchildren all tested positive for Covid-19. Although the rest of the family recovered, Jim tragically passed away on August 1, 2021.
“He was so serious about gloves, sanitizer, masks,” reflects Jim’s fiancé, Carolina Robbins. “He was the type that had been sanitizing his Walmart cart for years. Out of anybody it shouldn’t have been him, and then we were all fine and that was the hard part…that we all made it through fine and he didn’t. You know, how do you even comprehend that? You just can’t even comprehend it.”
Even though Jim’s passing was devastating to both his family and to the community, his children and fiancé knew that he would want his legacy to live on through his restaurants and the delicious food that they serve. During the time that he was hospitalized for Covid-19, Jim was having difficulty speaking, so he would often communicate with his loved ones through text messages. His daughter, Kristi, recalls him sending her a text during that time that simply read, “Make them places great places, please.” Jim was, of course, referring to his two restaurants, Shelton’s and Wimpy’s Corner. He had put his heart and soul into building those restaurants and he wanted to make sure that they would both continue to run the way that he intended, even when he was no longer there. After Jim’s passing, Kristi, Jamie, and Carolina inherited Jim’s restaurants. The three of them have truly gone above and beyond to honor Jim’s request, making sure that everything they serve would meet his standards, with fresh vegetables, sauces made from scratch, and hand-pattied burgers.
The original Wimpy’s Burger comes in three sizes…there’s the ½ pound Jr. Wimpy Burger, the 1-pound Original Wimpy Burger, and the massive 2-pound Double Wimpy Burger. If you’re looking for a burger that’s a little bit different, you can also try out the Hawaiian Burger, the Mushroom Swiss Burger, the Western Burger, the Mama Mia Burger, or the Queso Burger. Most recently, Wimpy’s has added the Jimbo Sliders to their menu, in honor of Jim of course. They come with seasoned tenderloin, cream cheese, and banana peppers.
Wimpy’s is open Wednesday-Friday from 4pm-8pm, and on Saturdays from 11am-8pm. They are located at 218 North Front Street in Greenfield, Tennessee, and they also have a drive through window to the side of the building on Hamburger Alley, the city actually renamed the street in their honor. You can find their full menu on their Facebook page, @WimpysCorner. To place orders or make reservations, you can call Wimpy’s at (731) 235-3755.
