Uncle Buds under old management starting Feb. 3

A much beloved catfish restaurant native to Franklin is returning to its roots.

A much beloved catfish restaurant native to Franklin has seen more downs than ups in the past few years in Williamson County with a string of closings, most recently in Nolensville.

In its 34 years, Uncle Budes has been a full-service restaurant, reincarnated as a efast casuale chain, died out in Williamson County, and now may be reverting back to its original model.

A recent Facebook post declared that Uncle Budes is under eold management,e and its business model will return to the old days of servers in overalls and full service.

eMy parents were from the greatest generation,e co-owner Morris Dever said. eI believe you have to work hard, and I donet think that was done here.e

Dever, 74, purchased the one remaining Uncle Budes on Old Lebanon Road in Nashville on Nov. 23, 2013 with longtime business partners Malcolm Hare and Roy Jones.

They plan to begin operating as a full service restaurant Feb. 3.

Dever, who has been in and out of the Uncle Budes business since 1990, attributes the closings to losing sight of the original brand and is ready to bring back what diners loved about the restaurant.

Which means the ordering counter has got to go.

eI want to sit and have someone take my order,e Dever said. eHere the food comes out of the kitchen, you have a number, we bring the food out. The service model became a hybrid, like what are you doing?e

He refers to the eolde Uncle Budes as ea made-to-order success story,e and is also bringing back the overalls uniform in February. The back wall of the dining area will be torn down for more seating.

And the new menu, still being drafted, will look more familiar to those who remember the early days when free bowls of coleslaw, white beans, hush puppies, pickles and onions were slapped down in front of customers within 60 seconds of being seated.

The business is also planning on only opening for dinner hours. It hasnet been decided whether the grab bags for kids will return, but there is a potential for reinstating the ekids six and under eat freee policy to reestablish an incentive for families to eat out.

That is, after all, the most integral part of the Uncle Budes brand.

eWeere paying attention to the guests,e Dever said. eThe secret to this business is to fill the dining room up. That doesnet happen here with fast/casual.e

The Uncle Budes history and metamorphosis is long. Founded in 1980 by Buddy Rogers who passed away in 2012, the business changed hands several times.

Dever, a self-proclaimed capitalist and risk taker, got his start in restaurants in the early 70s, eventually partnering with Malcolm Hare, who started Poe Folks restaurant chain in 1975.

Through working with Hare, he met Roy Jones, and Dever bought into Uncle Budes in 1990.

In 1995, he sold the business, which went away in 2005.

After registering the expired trademark, Deveres youngest son Craig and his partner Jay Smith brought the name back and opened a Tullahoma location that ultimately closed.

Other locations, including Hendersonville and Stewartes Ferry, came and went as well.

Eventually, the two partners began to convert Uncle Budes into a fast/casual restaurant with a partially new moniker: Uncle Budes Catfish Shack.

From 2010 to 2013, six locations opened.

Apart from Donelson, the Nolensville restaurant was open the longest, from January 2010 to November 2013.

The Uncle Budes of downtown Franklin opened in July 2011 and closed its doors in October 2013. The Smyrna location, which opened in 2012, closed in October 2013 as well.

A Murfreesboro Uncle Budes opened in November 2012 and shut down in September 2013.

Finally, the Uncle Budes of Cool Springs had the shortest business lifespan from April 2013 to September 2013.

Only Donelson, which opened in January 2011, has survived.

During the fast/casual reign of Uncle Budes, Dever stepped away from the business.

eI was told I was eold schoole so many times, I quit saying it,e he said.

Now that the business is again in his hands, the name will change to eUncle Budes Catfish, Chicken and Such,e and Dever has brought back his old cohorts Hare and Jones.

eWeere partners, but weere also friends. Weeve been in the trenches,e Dever said. eI donet need to be in the restaurant business without Roy and Malcolm close by.e

Some other old faces of Uncle Budes are returning as well, like Gary Lamastus.

Lamastus has been with Uncle Budes on and off for approximately 14 years and managed past locations including Tullahoma, Stewartes Ferry, Hendersonville and Nolensville.

A native of New Orleans, Lamastus moved to Tennessee in 1990 just as Dever took over the business.

Lamastus said Uncle Budes in Franklin was the first job for which he applied, but therees a reason hees stuck with it all these years.

eI guess ites just different from any restaurant Ieve been associated with. My family owned seafood restaurants growing up. Being in the seafood restaurant business, this just kind of fell into my lap. Ites a fun place to work,e he said.

As Uncle Budes in Donelson returns to eold management,e Dever said the goal is to get the business to what it was in 1995. And if all goes well, does that mean the restaurant will return to Williamson County?ee

eWe know what works,e Dever said. eIf this does what we expect, therees not enough sense not to build more.e

Jessica Pace covers Williamson County, Williamson County Schools and the Town of Nolensville for BrentWord Communications. Contact her at jess@brentwoodhomepage.com or follow her on Twitter @Jess_Marie_Pace.