#leiper's fork

[jacksonnance]

No place like home 🎸

[poptopjohnny]

A Small-Town Diner/Old Ice Cooler Type | PopTop Studio, LLC

The first in a series of posts as I document my progress in the development of a set of type designs based on the surrounding areas of Nashville.

[towntowner00-blog]

Leiper’s Fork

Leiper’s Fork was a barren place before. It's gradual rise started after the Early American Revolutionary War. It got its name from the Leiper family who has long been residing in the place back then. In 1995, a group of concerned citizens, including my father, started to restore the village and preserve its scenic farmland. 

Everybody is eager to preserve the greenery of the land. Since this time, the town has become a special community of artists, farmers, and musicians who all have a high appreciation of down home feel and tranquil rolling hills. My father is an artist himself. 

Apart from playing roulette, music and painting are his only true passion. I’m very proud of dad for taking part in this very significant movement back then. If not for them, I couldn’t have enjoyed its peaceful aura.

[jessicakiley]

Ah, Tennessee. 

Feels just like home watching this. 

But seriously.

[caley]

Saturday is one of those days that I look back on and wonder how it all exactly happened. Jonathan and I had originally planned to go hiking, but we decided against it at the last minute. Instead, we did what Jonathan referred to as "a tour of our own south central Tennessee" or something weird like that. It translates to: We drove down Natchez Trace and ate lunch in Leiper's Fork. Crazy, right?

A brief aside: I've become a little bit obsessed with this place in Cummings Station called Joe Naturals. The owner, Paul, is a farmer, and between him and his "Amish friends" (his words), they supply everything he serves in his restaurant. It's not easy to find a true farm-to-table, all-local place anymore, but Joe Naturals is definitely that. They don't even use fossil fuels or pesticides. I ate there Thursday. And I ate there on Friday. 

On Friday, I actually met Paul and Sara, who helps him with his work on the farm and in the restaurant. We talked for 20 or 30 minutes, and I was so impressed with both of them. They're two of the nicest people you'll find anywhere. 

I don't know what you know about Leiper's Fork, but there isn't much to it. It's in the middle of nowhere, but it's an adorable little town with antique shops and a couple of restaurants. The famous one, Puckett's Grocery, I hear is fantastic, but it's not Gluten-free friendly. Fortunately for me, the original Joe Naturals is in Leiper's Fork, and it is Gluten-free. Now are you seeing why I like this place so much? 

Anyway, when Jonathan and I walked in, Paul was there at the front door, and he recognized me from less than 24 hours before. As we were paying after yet another delicious meal, he gave me a free Gluten-free cookie and told us we should go out and see the farm. 

Uh, sure. Why not?

He gave us directions and the code to get in the gate, and we were met by eight dogs that escorted us to the home. After playing with a couple of awesome Golden Retrievers for a while, we went and played with the horses and goats, saw the farm and played with eleven brand new, baby kittens. I melted. 

[amyallmandphotography]

91/365: Backroad Barn (Taken with instagram)

[amyswanderlustphotos-blog]

Old Truck. Leiper's Fork, Tennessee. 

[pelhaus]

Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant in Leipers Fork

Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant in Leipers Fork-Brand Review

Puckett's has locations in Leipers Fork, Downtown Franklin, and Downtown Nashville. For your home-cooked southern-style food expect to pay around $10 per person, (depending on if you get appetizers or drinks). You can also pick up a few needed groceries while you're there.

Brand expectation: 3.5 Product/Service received: 4 Identity System: 4 Cohesion: 4 Brand quality: 4 Total: 3.9

Why 3.9 Fifes?

Brand expectation: Good, home-cooked southern food at a grocery store/restaurant. Was this met? Yes, but expected more grocery items on the shelves; the store section looked too empty for "grocery" to be in the name.

Product/Service received: Product: Hot ham & cheese sandwich, cheeseburger with fries and sodas. The hot ham & cheese looked and tasted better than one from the skillet at home, but the cheeseburger was just ok. Drinks are choose your size and fill yourself; was not clear if you could get refills. Service: Quick to take your order & waited less than a chain restaurant to get our food. No one checked back to see if we needed anything. There was a line to pay, but it was after we ate. The price was more than we first expected, but it was going to help a local business.

Identity System: The slab serif type paired with the wood-block style, lets you know this place is southern. The black color in the logo means bold, powerful & classic, while brown means simple and durable. The colors support the idea of a simple, small-town lifestyle, before anyone ever steps inside. The chalkboard menu with handwritten food choices, enhances your initial expectations. These design elements carryover to the website. The logo on the website is different than the logo type on the actual store, could be seen as an identity crisis to the customer.

Cohesion: On the two-lane street in Leipers Fork, sits Puckett's Grocery. Driving through the small downtown, you feel as though you have stepped back into a simpler, friendlier time. On a warm Saturday, Puckett's front porch benches and chairs, along with the umbrella patio furniture, are occupied. Might be with locals, motorcycle or classic car enthusiasts. When you open the door, the step-back-in-time-feeling continues. From the chalkboard menu, to mismatched chairs and tables, to the metal freezers and shelves surrounding the back of the store, the interior design enhances your initial expectation of the brand. The shelves & freezers were very bare, so there were not many grocery items to buy. The chalkboard menu did not list what goes on the sandwich, requiring customers to ask. When you visit the website, it complements the interior design of Puckett's, but the logo is different than the signage on the exterior.

Brand quality: Puckett's in Leipers Fork fulfills two needs in the small town; a place to buy basic grocery items and a restaurant. The small town feel carries over into the interior, exterior, identity system of Puckett's and the two different logos. The quality of food and friendly service is a recipe for returning customers. The convenience of a restaurant and grocery in one stop will also keep loyal customers, while the price might keep them from going there everyday. If the lack of groceries on the shelves is a constant problem, it might keep people from stopping when they need to pick up a few items.

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How the brand can improve:

• The styrofoam plates & cups could be replaced with plastic, aluminum or paper with recycling bins around the trash cans, to help the local environment reduce the amount of waste going into the landfill. • The chalkboard menu with handwritten food choices, creates questions for the cook. (for example: What comes on that?) They could have a printed menu with all of the toppings, condiments, etc. that are on the main menu & also include the seasonal items (marking the seasonal ones appropriately)

Reasons for success:

•The handwritten menu allows flexibility; Puckett's can change out menu items frequently based on what is in stock or season.  • The logos: compliment the brand perception. • Good location: on the downtown street in a small town

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To find out more about Puckett's Grocery and restaurant, visit: puckettsgrocery.com

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We would like to hear about your experience at Puckett's. Did it match up to our rating?

To find out more about us, visit: pelhaus.com.