Hill known for deep voice, home-cooked food

That's why he knew if the T-Ville Diner's owners ever would consider selling, he would be the first one knocking on their door. Lucky for him, they did, and he delivered.

Hill, 58, purchased the T-Ville Diner in 1998, later acquiring the property at West Main Street in Thomasville, too. He has carried on the Thomasville institution, originally opened in 1936 and located in an old railroad car a block east. But the rail car deteriorated over time, and a permanent location was built across the street and opened in 1987. Many of the original accessories in the first diner were carried over and placed at the current restaurant.

"We have old brass shelves, two old windows that were converted into picture frames and brass vent covers," Hill said, pointing to a picture of the old diner in a back corner of the restaurant.

The restaurant was started by Ervin Myers, who kept it in his family for decades. Hill purchased it from Betty and Harold Hughes while working for IFH, a food services company based in Hickory. He sold food to restaurants and commercial kitchens from Sanford and Burlington to the Triad.

New management and ownership can often shake up a restaurant, for the good or bad. Fortunately for Hill, he didn't have to do much shaking. He kept on much of the same staff, including the head cook, Plumie Straight, who worked at the restaurant for more than 60 years and passed away in 2006. Straight, who cooked mostly by memory, taught Joshua Hill, Gary's son who also works at the restaurant, how to cook everything, and he was able to create recipes for other cooks.

And since the restaurant wasn't broke, it didn't need fixing, so he left most of it alone, much to the thanks of his many loyal customers.

"I think it's more the atmosphere," Hill said of what keeps his regulars regular. "We have a great staff, and our employees have developed relationships with our customers. They know the details about their life, you know, 'How's uncle Joe?'"

At the time he bought it, he did a lot of his business during the lunch rush, and a good part of that was from workers at Thomasville Furniture Industries. With TFI's downsizing, however, Hill has lost about 40 percent of his business, but thanks to reasonable prices and quality food, he's doing OK, which allows him time away from the restaurant business to pursue his other passion, announcing.

For the past 28 years, Hill has been the voice at football games of Trinity High School, his alma mater. When Hill's sons, Joshua and Steve, were playing Little League baseball, he began coaching and announcing games for the league. When it ran into a little financial trouble, Hill was tabbed as the league's president to turn it around. He would continue as president of the league for the next two decades.

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