LYNNVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In a small Tennessee town with probably fewer than 400 residents, one restaurant offers visitors a chance to step back in time to a simpler era.
Soda Pop Junction in Lynnville, Tennessee, maintains its mid-20th century charm with rusty relics, classic analog clocks, and handwritten orders — a stark contrast to today's digital restaurant experience.
"We just tried to keep it as old as we could," said Johnny Phelps, owner of Soda Pop Junction.
The building has stood since the 1860s, long before QR codes and digital menus became the norm. What started as L.E. Moore drug store has evolved into a community cornerstone powered by friendship and nostalgia.
Judy Hewitt Roberts, a Lynnville resident, has deep connections to the establishment.
"I dipped the ice cream and made sundaes and milkshakes," she said.
The restaurant has become a fixture in this small community where even inoperable parking meters seem like relics from another time.
While many restaurants have significantly increased their prices in recent years, Soda Pop Junction has taken a different approach.
"We haven't gone up on hardly anything. And we need to. But we're not going to," Phelps said.
In major cities, diners might spend $50 on burgers for two people. But at Soda Pop Junction, the focus isn't on maximizing profits — it's about preserving a slower, simpler time and building community.
"If we're good to our customers, they're going to be good to us and they're going to come back. And they're going to tell other people to come back," Phelps said.
I discovered this hidden gem thanks to a viewer suggestion through our Your Voice initiative, which encourages viewers to share story ideas from their communities.
You can submit your own ideas by clicking here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
This is a story I immediately went home and showed my boys - young athletes with big dreams. The Vanderbilt football team's success has stolen the spotlight - what I love about Steve Layman's story is he reveals the individual hardships it took to get there. As Clark Lea says, "we all have scuff marks." This team proves perseverance pays off!
- Carrie Sharp
