How these 3 Middle Georgia restaurants in gas stations help elevate grab-and-go dining

Grab and go at convenience stores and gas stations isn’t what it used to be.

Gone are the days when most customers were happy with chips and a soda. More and more customers want a hot meal, and they want good food.

Three Middle Georgia spots are among those that get that — having raised the bar to the next level each in their own way.

Here’s a look at an up and coming eatery, a barbecue spot that’s taken off in its first year, and a business that’s been around for nearly two decades that decided to spice it up a bit.

All serve up delicious food and are located within a convenience store and gas station.

Cluckin’ Great Deli and More

This up and coming chicken joint that ups the ante by also offering Southern food and hospitality is nestled in a convenience store at a Shell gas station off the beaten path in west Bibb County.

Customers walking into the convenience store at 6369 Thomaston Road, Suite 100, will find Michael Dean behind the serving window of Cluckin’ Great Deli and More.

Dean of the popular Macon Beer Company in downtown Macon and his business partners wanted to come up with something “unique to us” when considering opening an eatery inside a convenience store.

Making fried chicken their staple, they expanded the concept by incorporating Southern food favorites like collards that take about four hours to cook up, Dean said.

“I grew up on soul food,” he said.

On a recent visit, Dean was serving up these Southern delights: bone-in fried chicken, Cajun chicken tenders, fried fish, meatloaf, baked turkey, cornbread dressing, red skin mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans, collard greens, fried okra, creamed corn, hush puppies and rolls.

The menu changes daily except for the mainstay of fried chicken and tenders. Daily options include four-to-six meat dishes and six-to-eight side dishes.

Dean said he wants the spot to be known not only for its good food.

“To me, it’s much bigger than a restaurant,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to make a positive impact on people’s lives through food and service.”

People are starving to be loved and small acts of kindness can go a long way, he said.

The restaurant is geared to the grab-and-go crowd, offering individual and family meals as well large chicken orders for Sunday gatherings and outings to nearby Lake Tobesofkee.

The eatery also has several tables and chairs inside the convenience store for those who’d like to dine in.

Cluckin’ Great Deli and More is located less than three miles west of Interstate 475 and about two miles west of Publix at Tobesofkee Crossing. A Dollar General is located next door to the convenience store and gas station.

Operating hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast hours may be re-added based if there’s a demand, Dean said.

The restaurant celebrated its grand opening July 31.

Dean and his partners may take this restaurant concept to other locations in Middle Georgia, he said.

Levi’s Grill

The line of people waiting to be served often snakes through the shelving aisles of this popular barbecue spot inside the Hwy 96 Stop N Shop convenience store and Shell gas station in the Bonaire community of Houston County.

It’s no wonder, then, that posted hours for Levi’s Grill at 198 Old Perry Road list the closing time as “until sold out.”

Owner Barone Sibley said he doesn’t consider himself a professional cook or chef. He’s never been to culinary school or anything like that.

“One day I just bought a grill and a few months later I was opening up a store,” said Sibley, who first learned how to cook zucchini and squash on a grill when he was kid.

With the success of a few popup events in late 2019, Sibley was considering trying his hand at a restaurant.

But in the end, he and his girlfriend, Jennifer Grier, decided to open up a spot in the convenience store in August 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her sister, Jaine Grier, also works alongside them.

Sibley, who served six years in the Air Force and who works remotely in a civilian administrative post for Robins Air Force Base, bases the name of his side hustle on his middle name, Leviticus.

At Levi’s Grill, Sibley offers all sorts of barbecue meats from ribs to wings to pulled chicken. He also serves up a host of side dishes, including smoked mac and cheese, smoked squash and zucchini and smoked baked beans. He even offers a smoked peach cobbler fresh off the grill.

Sibley said he spices up the weekend menu with brisket, fried fish, collard greens and rotating specialty items from shrimp and grits to peach mango salmon.

He usually starts up the grill at 6 a.m. Thursday and Fridays and cooks until opening at 11 a.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, he often hits the grill at 5 a.m. and opens at 2 p.m.

Sanjay Patel, who’s not involved with the eatery but works the cash register inside the convenience store, said he’s often seen the line for Levi’s Grill wind around inside the store, especially on the weekends.

“He does a good business,” Patel said.

Although Sibley cooks up a ton of food, he says the small kitchen space can only hold so much. So when he runs out of food, he closes. He cooks up his barbecue fresh each day.

Levi’s Grill is closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Sibley said he tested the idea of allowing the use of his space on two of his off days by another. The first experiment was with vegan food on Mondays and Tuesdays, but that ended after about a month. Watch his Facebook page to see what new menu items are “coming soon” on Monday and Tuesday.

Recently, Levi’s Grill celebrated its one-year anniversary. It’s located near the intersection of Old Perry Road and Ga. 96.

Happy Foods - Krispy Krunchy Chicken

For nearly 18 years, Shyam Patel has owned and operated the convenience store and gas station at the corner of Moody Road and Ga. 96 in the Bonaire community in Houston County.

In May 2018, Patel was forced to close down after a car crashed through the wall of the store one early morning when no one was there. The car was halfway through the wall. But that incident turned out for good for the family-owned and operated business.

“It’s a blessing in disguise,” Patel said. “We did a remodel. Basically, everything from A to Z.”

Everything ranged from replacing independently-owned fuel pumps with a Shell station and a face lift for the time worn convenience store. The remodel included adding a kitchen.

“Customers don’t want chips and soda anymore,” Patel said. “They want hot food.”

Upon reopening, Patel began offering breakfast with all sorts of options from bacon and egg biscuits to Texas toast and gravy to bagels. He got help setting up from Dean, who lives in Warner Robins.

Patel next added Krispy Krunchy Chicken, a convenience store based, quick service restaurant concept specializing in Cajun spiced chicken that’s infused with a special marinade, according to the company’s website.

Patel independently operates the franchise with the ability to add menu items to the existing format centered around Louisiana-style fried chicken.

“It takes a lot to get a restaurant off its feet,” said Patel, who decided to go with the tried-and-true concept of Krispy Krunchy Chicken rather than venture out completely on his own.

And it’s paid off, he said.

Revenues are up, with about a third of the revenues coming from kitchen sales.

This year, his Happy Foods - Krispy Krunchy Chicken made the Telegraph’s Best of the Best for the Warner Robins area twice, earning an honorable mention for best wings and a runner up for best fried chicken. The winners are determined by Telegraph readers who vote via The Telegraph’s website at macon.com.

“I love my customers,” Patel said. “They’re like family here.”

Located at 3001 Moody Road, Happy Foods - Krispy Krunchy Chicken is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 5:00 AM.