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Driving into the parking lot of the Drop-In at Hudlow Road and West Main Street, Forest City, the aroma of fresh fried hot wings at Major Lee's brought customer after customer into the store at lunch time. For several minutes, there was a swinging door as one customer after the other stepped up to the counter, placed an order then stepped away for the next customer's order.
Although everyone didn't order wings that day, owners of the Drop-In store estimate at least several million chicken wings have been sold over the past 35 years from "Major Lee's - Majorly Good Chicken".
The Drop-In was begun 45 years ago by Lee Harrill, 76, but it was at least 10 years later before the hot wings became among several food items at the store.
Lee Harrill officially retired June 30 after 45 years at the helm of his stores, passing the torch to he and wife Mary Harrill's sons John and Drew.
John has ownership of the Drop-In stores in Forest City and he also owns the Bostic Drop-In. John and Drew are owners of the Shiloh Drop-In. Lee maintains the ownership of the properties.
The brothers were spotted in Shiloh last week working with employees and taking care of some business.
Lee, Drew, 42, and John, 40, sat down recently to talk about the Drop-In stores and their hopes for a bright future, maintaining the work ethics and business practices passed on by Lee.
"John has been the point man...he's doing a great job," said Drew of his brother.
Drew returned home to continue working in the family business although he's still a part-time Physician's Assistant. Drew's 13 year-old son is already doing some of the work at the stores.
Lee began the successful business after working as a salesman at his father's wholesale business, Harrill Brothers, where he was a sales representative.
"We sold to drugstores, gas stations, but mainly to convenience stores," Lee began. He realized quickly he would be more comfortable owning a small convenience store chain than being a sales representative where he could be in one place rather than going from place to place.
"I wanted to be in one place," he said.
Lee began offering "good merchandise" at a fair price in a "clean store" where customers came to him, rather than at his former job where he often traveled to 30 locations in a day with Harrill Brothers.
He said he also wanted to offer new items at his first Drop-In store in Forest City.
Among the first "requested" items from customers was Big League Chew. Lee followed the requests and to this day, a customer can buy Big League Chew.
"After 35 years, about one million chicken wings have been sold," Lee said. Some months as many as 26,000 chicken wings are sold, the Harrills estimate.
Customers go to the Drop-In because it's friendly, they find what they want or need, in a fast and efficient way, some say.
Anytime a military veteran walks into any of the Drop-In stores, there is an immediate 10 percent discount, "every day, every store," Lee said. "We are a platinum member for veterans."
Lee said the success of the stores has been, "location, location, location" as customers will faithfully come to "their location."
Lee recalled a memory of a long time ago when he, wife Mary and their young sons, Drew and John, accompanied him to their Sandy Mush location at Christmas.
"We were all laughing and singing Christmas carols...and "All My EX's live in Texas," Lee recalled of the fond memory.
John and Drew will maintain the business just as their parents did. "We're community partners."
Through the years Drop-In stores have assisted with events in Forest City and in the past years especially at the Park on Pavilion Square (POPS). They are community partners with Rutherford County Schools and at one time when students brought their report cards into the stores and there were "A's and B's, "they received free slushies," Lee recalled.
The ever popular chicken wings have made their way to colleges as parents literally sent chicken boxes to school, they were served at hundreds of going away parties, retirements and other events. They've even made their way to New York.
When the late Larry Brown, executive director of Rutherford Life Services (RLS) retired, his request for his retirement party at RLS was Drop-In chicken wings for everyone.
"The people in Rutherford County have been so good to us," Lee said of the ever progressing and growing business.
When John came on board many years ago the changes included introducing "pay at the pump", other electronics, shipping and computers.
"John knew how to do that...I had to be educated," said Lee.
Lee recalled one of his favorite times at the business. "One of the days I remember most is, I had left the office to take the deposit and realized I'd forgotten my car keys so I laid the deposit on top of the car," Lee began. "I went back to get my keys and when I came back I just drove off with the deposit on top of the car. Two or three hours later, a UPS driver comes in holding the bag and said he found it in the middle of the street, looked at the deposit slip and recognized the name and brought it to me. What a good guy."
Lee is enjoying retirement, spending more time with Mary and their four grandchildren, and relaxing.
A word of advice Lee gave to his sons was about their spouses when he said without a wife's support, the business would not succeed.
"You can't do this without your wife's support," he said. "Mary has been a great partner through the years."
John's wife Jade and Drew's wife Judith recently engineered a surprise retirement party for Lee.
"For the dozens of people attending, they were treated to cake and 'yes' chicken wings," Lee said.
Drew and John are committed to their hometown convenience stores just as their dad was.
"We will make it a goal to have what the people are looking for," John said. "If you don't have it and they come back a second time and you don't have it then, they'll go elsewhere," said Drew.
"You'll never be bored," Lee told them.
"I cannot express how proud I am of them," Lee said of John and Drew. "They both have a work ethic that is rarely seen these days. With these two in charge the Drop-Ins are in great hands."
The work ethic taught by their dad, Lee, will no doubt keep John and Drew successful in their businesses for many years to come.
Drop In anytime. The Harrill brothers and their crews are there to help.
