- Yellow deli
The Yellow Deli was a youth
outreach ministry of the Vine Christian Community, also called The Light Brigade, now known as the Twelve Tribes communities.History
The Yellow Deli was founded by Elbert Eugene and Marsha Spriggs. It first opened at 3822 Brainerd Road in
Chattanooga, Tennessee in1973 and stayed open 24 hours a day. Another at 1012 Market Street followed, and one on McCallie Avenue that was called "TheAreopagus " after the place where theApostle Paul debated Athenian philosophers in the Book of Acts, chapter 17. The Areopagus, with a stage,loft seating,office s and arecording studio , was the crown jewel of the Yellow Delis. Other Yellow Deli locations were also later established in Dalton andTrenton, Georgia ,Mentone, Alabama , andDayton, Tennessee .A sign on the counter of the Brainerd Road Deli read: "Need a warm place to stay?
Hitchhiking ? Stay a day. We're just ordinary people who have found what it means to be free and to be real." Hitchhikers and runaways were welcomed to stay at the Vine House or other community houses in Chattanooga. Gene Spriggs was quoted as saying, "There's an underground among runaways. Whether they're inCalifornia orFlorida , they compare towns and pass on tips. Word has gotten around that if you come through Chattanooga, go to the Yellow Deli and get food and lodging for a couple of days." One example of this can be found in the book, "The Shocking Kidnappings of Kirsten Nielsen", [http://www.twelvetribescult.org/CultScare_Online.html#Meeting_the_Community] the autobiography of a young woman on the road who ended up staying with the Yellow Deli people. She is still with them 30 years later, now married and the mother of five children.Atmosphere
The interior of the Yellow Delis was quite distinct -- recycled barnwood with
rustic wood decor andshanty -cappedbooth s. It was described by Helen McDonald Exum as "...dimly lit with lights under shades that used to bebushel baskets. The paneling is of weatheredbarn siding . At the windows aregingham curtains , and at the side of the room is an old-fashionedwood-burning stove ."Menu
The
menu of the Yellow Delis included hotmeat andcheese deli-style sandwiches on onion rolls,kaiser roll s,pumpernickel orrye bread , served in abasket with a dill pickle and side ofpotato chip s.Dessert s includedfruit salad ,carrot cake , andbanana bread .Soft drinks andpapaya juice were also available. Deli order tickets bore the phrase, "We Serve the Fruit of the Spirit. Why Not Ask?"References
Helen McDonald Exum, "Helen Exum's Memorable Meals" (Chattanooga, TN: Chattanooga News-Free Press, 1974).
External links
* [http://www.yellowdeli.com/ YellowDeli.com The official nostalgia/retrospective site of the Yellow Deli]
* [http://www.cultscare.com/CultScare_Online.html#Meeting_the_Community/ www.CultScare.com] This is the website of the book, "The Shocking Kidnappings of Kirsten Nielsen", the autobiography of a young woman on the road who ended up staying with the Yellow Deli people. She is still with them 30 years later, now married and the mother of five children.
* [http://www.nooga.com/chattanoogapast.html What Or Who Do You Miss Most From Chattanooga's Past] (Includes the Yellow Deli)
* [http://covblogs.com/oldschool/archives/2005_09.html The Yellow Deli] A nostalgic blog entry remembering the Yellow Deli
* [http://www.mentonealabama.org/Strayhorn/StrayhornCentennial.htm Mentone Alabama: A History] Mentions the Mentone, Alabama Yellow Deli
* [http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/tribes.html Twelve Tribes] A look at the Twelve Tribes Communities, history section includes the Yellow Deli
* [http://blackrider23.com/familyalbum/snapshots_1977/imagepages/image5.htm] A vacationer's photo of a Yellow Deli interior, 1977
* [http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_86834.asp Former member's critical account of Yellow Deli and Twelve Tribes practices]
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