FEATURE STORY

Ellie Michillie’s Eatery

Driving through historic downtown Morristown you’ll see quite a few businesses. There’s a jewelry store, pottery studio, and a diner called Ellie Michellie's Eatery. There you’ll see customers from all over the town, some who come in every single day, enjoying a hearty southern style breakfast and lunch. “A lot of the people around here are just good farm boys who just want a good meal.” Ellie’s serves up a “meat and two” everyday and regularly changes up the menu to cater to the season and the customers. Ellen Woods, a 20 year old with long strawberry blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a cheerful disposition, is the daughter of Denise and Dale Woods.

Ellen started the business when she was just 18. Although she has no official culinary experience, Ellen was an active member of 4-H, and has experience working in a bakery. “I was in the end of my junior year and beginning of my senior year in high school and decided I didn’t want to pursue college,” Ellen says in her reserved rural accent. ​ The building, which is over one hundred years old, was originally built as the town bank. Two years ago when it went up for sale, it was a restaurant. Ellen decided to go for it. “I decided to pursue that.” she said. ​ The restaurant is a community affair. “I do it all with the help of my friends and family.” Ellen is surrounded by friends, family, and loyal town folk as she runs her successful new endeavor. “A lot of the people who come in and work for me are my friends, it’s just a very community, family environment.” Even her mother and grandmother come by to help out with everything from cooking to cleaning. “It’s a lot of fun. Sometimes working with your mom isn’t 100% fun but most of the time it is,” she giggles, looking over at her mom. ​

Even the names of the dishes are a reflection of this tight knit community environment. “A lot of our sandwich names come from our customers,” the bright eyed business owner exclaims. There’s the “Freeloader,” named after Ellen’s brother who, when he was in college, would always ask her to bring him home a free sandwich. There’s also one called the Classic Charles Club, named for a regular who was diagnosed with cancer and would mainly eat this particular sandwich, and the Trentinator, named for another regular’s favorite sandwich. Give Me Grace is named for her friend Grace, who as a vegetarian needed a veggie sandwich on the menu. There is something for everyone at Ellie’s Michellie’s. The restaurant’s most popular day is “chicken day,” where Ellie’s serves up a grilled half-chicken. “It’s our biggest day.” Ellen says. “It wasn’t what I was going to do or how it was all going to work out but I had faith that it would and it did.” ​

Not that it’s easy. Ellen is there everyday that the eatery is open, Monday through Friday, but that does't mean she takes the weekends off. She spends those days shopping for the restaurant, cleaning, and organizing. When asked if she has any regrets she exclaims a chipper “Nope!” with a big smile on her face. ​ The hardest lesson to learn was the tax process. Other than that everything has come together. She hasn’t had a hard time getting people to take her seriously even being so young, other than a few people coming in and assuming that her mother is actually the owner, “a lot of them have been very supportive.” “I’m very happy and content where I am now, I’m open to other possibilities but I’m happy now.” She encourages others to do the same and follow their dreams as well. “I would always say go for it, it might not work out the way you wanted it to but it will turn out ok.”

Ellie’s serves the city of Morrison Monday through Friday from 7a.m. to 2p.m. The Eatery serves delicious meat and threes, sandwiches, and fresh made desserts. You won’t find anything on the menu that’s fried and the restaurant uses fresh, local produce.