During its nearly three decades at 8201 Preston Road, the chef/owner and staff at Sevy’s Grill have sought to make the restaurant a “home away from home” for guests.
The booths still have small plaques with the names of regulars and chef/owner Jim “Sevy” Severson still has his original business plan for the restaurant and an office filled with photos.
“We’ve worked hard here, and it’s really neat to see the guests see that,” Severson said. “I have a sign back in the kitchen, look for the opportunity, and that is to make somebody’s day.”
As Sevy’s Grill prepares to close out its nearly 30-year chapter at its location near Preston Center on June 27, Severson is keeping his focus on people. In keeping with that goal, he and his wife came up with the idea to start a GoFundMe for fans to support the beloved restaurant’s 50 team members. As of June 9, it’s raised $47,525 of its $100,000 goal.
“So many guests were asking me what they could do and I just had this harebrained idea that I was going to start this fund,” Severson said. “I want to do something for the team. I always wanted to win the lottery to be able to give it away. That’s kind of what this is.”
He said he remains committed to taking care of his guests and staff.
“Our team has gone above and beyond. It’s been a neat journey,” Severson said. “Hopefully it’s not done, but we’ll see.”
Eventually, he’d like to see someone take over the brand.
“We would love the opportunity to maybe have somebody come in and buy the brand and do something with it, but we’ll see what happens,” Severson said.
For now, though, he says he’s grateful for the journey.
“I never thought I’d get this far into this restaurant, but the Lord has me here for a reason,” Severson said.
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