Remembering Roy's Grill & Constable Roy McCall

As I Recall . . . memories of two local boys
Remembering Roy's Grill & Constable Roy McCall

I guess this story begins with my older brother, Aubrey Dickson.

Buddy was 7 years older than me and a lot better looking. Had that long wavy brown hair and the kind of face that attracted girls. He was quiet (some say "shy"), but usually sported a great big smile. Not overly tall, but filled out a white muscle tee like a catalog model. Didn't care much for school, but he could have been a major talent. Buddy could sketch just about anything with pencils, charcoal, pastels, and even painted with oils. His work won ribbons every year at the Southern States Fair.

And did I say, the girls all loved him? They'd often meet in the evening for a fountain Coke and a burger at Roy's Grill. It was located on the lot next to Derita Cleaners (now) where the Players Sporting Goods screenprint shop sits in the old Gibson Grocery store building.

Back then, the corner of Derita Rd, & Hunter Ave. was a small, rutted gravel parking lot with a cinder block building, painted white, that housed Roy's Grill up front and the Derita Branch Public Library in back. Inside, the walls were painted green & white, with wooden booths lining the Hunter Ave. side, the metal grill and a sit-down counter with stools on the opposite wall.

In the middle of the room was a Wurlitzer juke box against a support post. Next to it was box after box of 45 rpm records in paper sleeves that had previously spun in juke boxes all over the county. Latest hits to old favorites by the hundreds --- and all of them at ready-to-move prices. Roy's definitely had more than burgers!

And me? I was the tag along little brother. Mom & Dad rarely got home before 8pm from our grocery store on Beatties Ford Road, so Buddy got saddled with "the kid." It wasn't too bad at home. I had the woods out back, hills & gulleys to climb and even a Tarzan swing that let me sail out high over the creek and back. But anyway, that's how I discovered Roy's Grill. Buddy & his friends would huddle in a booth or squeeze around a table and I'd park it on one of the round swirling stools at the counter. They'd do whatever teenagers do and I'd inhale the scent of diced onions hitting the grill and savor the aroma of hot dog chili being spread across a bun.

Occasionally, I'd sputter as steam and grease filled the air when Roy filled the hot grill with a fresh run of hamburger patties. He would do the lettuce & tomato cheese burgers, but I believe the chili-onion-slaw all-the-way cheeseburgers probably outsold them 2 to 1. I'd hate to guess how many bottles of catsup they used up in a month. I would eat almost anything, though Roy's fries were a lot like the crinkle cut fries from the grocery store, only a bit greasier. Soft inside with a crusty shell. Still, I'd choose them any day over the grease-sticks served at most fast food chains. With enough catsup, who am I to be a critic.

Besides, Roy knew my weakness. Whenever he got a chance, he'd fork a big pile of dill pickle slices out of the jar on the counter and sit the pile on a waxed paper sheet in front of me. Haven't had those in years. They were cut near paper thin and had almost slimy centers. Man, now those were some pickles. Sometimes on Sunday evening Dad would drive me up to Roy's get a burger and a paper tray full of pickles.

But this wasn't Roy McCall's only job. He was also the Constable for Mecklenburg County. Not sure exactly what that means. The job description varies from place to place. Some places, they were like an old-time Sheriff chasing bad guys and investigating crime. In others, they served warrants and handled evictions. Whatever. Roy ran and got elected. I remember seeing his campaign posters tacked on the utility poles and him standing there at the grill, gun on his hip, just a flipping burgers. He'd be working quickly to catch up all of the orders before turning the grill over to Shirley and himself rushing out the door to do whatever Constables do.

As for the Library, it was only open a couple of afternoons a week. The selection was limited, but you could put in a request for books from the Main Library downtown. One day a week, the Book-Mobile would arrive and park next to the Grill on Hunter Ave. With luck, the book you wanted might be there waiting for you. Fortunately, when Statesville Road Elementary opened, we had a library there that probably had more books and a better selection than the library branch. My worst offense was losing a book about Ulysses S. Grant. I paid for the book (which had slid under the couch in our living room) and found it a year later when we were re-arranging furniture. At a nickel a day, buying it was probably still the cheapest way to go.

Summing it up, I'd have to say Roy's Grill was the greatest. It was our teen hangout at the time. Derita Drug Store with its inside soda counter was still a few years off and the only McDonalds in Charlotte sold hot dogs & hamburgers on Independence Blvd. near the old Coliseum. . . 15 cents each. --- Bernie Samonds
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Two Derita Boys Earned "All They Could Eat"

" I grew up in Derita with two brothers & one spoiled little sister on Gibbon Rd. We moved into our new home, built by Mr. Robert Hunter in 1948. I have many fond memories of Roys' Grill, of Roy & Shirley (No Finer Folks anywhere). To think back on this area and the guys & gals that we grew up with makes me realize that these were some of the happiest years of my life.

"One of my best friends was Billy Tarrant. His dad ran the hardware store in Derita. Well, Roy McCall lived in the house beside the Grill. Billy & I approached Roy one day about hiring us to do any kind of work to make a little money. We were all outside at the time, and Roy, looking at the yard, and it was a mess with trash everywhere. . . Roy said, 'Here's what I'll do. If you boys will clean this whole place up, I will pay you with all-you-want-to-eat'.

"Billy and I talked it over and told Roy OK , We'll do it Friday.

"We decided not to eat anything Thursday so we'd be sure to eat our money's worth at the Grill. Well it took all day to clean that mess up. We cleaned ourselves up & headed to our favorite booth. Roy knew we both loved hamburgers, but here comes Shirley with 2 hot dogs each. Roy hollars out.. 'Go ahead and start on those dogs while these hamburgers cook.'

"Now I don't remember how many burgers, dogs, french fries and RC Colas we consumed, but it was way too many for we were worse than miserable. On top of all that Shirley handed us each a big triple cone of ice cream on our way out. We managed to walk to the hardware store and made a bee-line for the feed & seed dept. where we piled up on some of those nice soft sacks & slept it off. --- Fred Boovy

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As I Recall . . . memories of a Teenage Girl
My Summer In Charge ---- at Roy's Grill

OK, Bernie and Fred, you two took over the paper last edition. I decided it was time for me to stop enjoying our Florida Sun long enough to write a few lines.

Let me go back to Roy's Grill.

First off, does anyone remember that he was Constable of Derita? He was elected to this position by the townspeople, wore a gun and kept peace in the area. He served warrants on people thru the Police Department in Charlotte.

Roy and Shirley came to Derita from Brevard, NC. They had 3 girls - Charlotte, Carol and Christine which they called "Punkin." They ran the grill and lived in the house next door. Roy helped more children in Derita than some of the ministers there. He had a heart of gold.

I started working for Roy and Shirley when I could hardly reach over the counter to serve a customer. I cannot remember what I got paid, but I did it all. Mopped floors; cleaned the kitchen area, cooked, and waited tables. In my spare time I would babysit his girls. I often wonder if any of his girls are still around the area???

I worked for them all thru school, after school hours and weekends and then in the summer I worked full time for extra money which helped purchase school clothes.

Does anyone remember the old Bread Truck Roy had Wilbur Cook and Shelly at the auto body shop convert for him. He made a lunch Wagon and delivered Lunches to the local businesses during lunch hour. He had a GOLD MINE ON WHEELS.

Everything was built into the truck body, places for hot foods, places for cold foods, shelves for Candy Bars and Crackers. The outside of the truck was white with His LOGO painted on it. He scheduled his stops and had it OK'ed with the business owners to make deliveries.

We all remember Roy for that delicious Chili Dog --- He also made a wonderful "Country Style Steak Sandwich with Gravy, which he served on a Hamburger Bun" He called it a SLOP SANDWICH. You almost needed to eat it with a fork, the gravy would run down your arm if you tried to pick it up and eat it.

So on this LUNCH WAGON, Roy had Steak Sandwiches, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, Colas, chips, candy, gum, crackers.

Roy, was the one that took the truck out as a rule, however, on a couple of occasions I had to drive the truck, I think he was called out on some of his Constable work and I had to fill in. He said the truck must go because the workers expected him there, if he did not show up, they did not have lunch. I sometime wonder how I managed to drive that truck, but I did it.

Roy and Shirley never went anywhere, they were tied down to the business and children. One particular year they wanted to go on vacation. They left me to run the Grill for a week. I must have been about 14 years old at this time. I had to do it all - Open Up -- Clean Up -- Cook -- Serve -- Order the Stock -- Do the Banking -- I can still remember, I felt like a Big Shot!!! I did not have sense enough to realize the real responsibility he had put on me. They had their vacation I had My week of being Boss. He praised me for a job well done when he returned.

Roy gave lots and lots of children in Derita their First Job Opportunity. For his giving me my opportunity, I will be forever grateful to him for instilling in me such a "SUPERB WORK ETHIC" which I carried with me through my working years. --- Ann Boovy Gunson
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Thanks, Ann. I remember that truck well. Seeing it sitting there in the gravel parking lot was almost like a flashing "OPEN" sign for most of us kids because we knew something would be cooking on the grill. By the time you reached the screen door you could catch a big whiff of fried onions and hear the burgers sizzling. --- Bernie Samonds ========================================

About Billy's folks.
Derita Hardware Store

They were Mr. & Mrs. William Tarrant that lived next to the railroad tracks at Gibbon Rd. & Derita Ave. He was already retired when I first met him by name (He was being honored by the Derita Lions Club, I believe) and his wife (Edith) was still teaching at North High.

As a kid, I used to go to Derita Hardware frequently back then. I was going through my "building phase" and needed lots of nails for my tree house, forts, and revising my model train layout.

I'd hop on my bicycle and ride to Derita. Get some nails in several sizes and they'd always double-bag'em so I'd be sure to make it home without spilling nails all over the road. Of course, there would also be a lot of teasing going on. Bob Mitzell and several other men (who I didn't really know by name at the time) would be sitting around the pot belly stove there. They'd ask me if I was going to build a house. God, I loved that place. You could find almost everything there. It was a REAL hardware store. --- Bernie Samonds ========================================

"Now Bernie while you were building your fort in your favorite spot, we were putting ours up in Mr. B. J. Hunters' cow pasture. Now about nails, we probably had to "Borrow" ours, because I'm sure we wouldn't have spent our Pepsi cola money on nails.

Oh Boy--Those were the days, Huh! --- Fred Boovy