The news that Hastee Tastee was closing Tuesday was like hearing about a death in the family.
Hastee Tastee has always been about more than great food. It has been part of our city’s identity – one of the things that makes Yazoo unique.
I’ve been eating at Hastee Tastee for as long as I remember – even back when it was still on Canal Street.
There’s no telling how many quarters I’ve pumped into that Pac Man machine while waiting on an order. My kids have carried on that tradition, and they even like to play the jukebox.
Hastee Tastee is the only place I know that still has a jukebox, and I think it’s great. The last time we visited I put a few quarters in and introduce the kids to some Creedence Clearwater Revival songs.
No restaurant could survive for so long without great food. When it comes to milkshakes, they have no peers. Their hamburgers have won the Best Hamburger category in this newspaper’s Best of Yazoo reader’s choice competition every year. That’s saying something considering how many great hamburgers are available in our community.
Whenever Jamie is away, and I’m responsible for feeding all three kids, Hastee Tastee has usually been the place to go. Our youngest son may just eat tater tots while the oldest chomps down on a burger with just meat and cheese, but they have always all been happy.
Jamie has always loved the fried okra. She orders it every time. I used to order the half pound burger when I was a teenager, but it’s more than I can handle now.
Yazooans are not the only ones who love Hastee Tastee. I have many friends from out of town who stop there when they’re passing through. I called one of my newspaper friends from Jackson and told him the news shortly after I heard because he and his wife stop there just about every time they drive by.
Hastee Tastee has also always been a strong supporter of this newspaper. They always supported our special sections, maintained an ad on our church page for longer than I’ve been here, and they had nice ads in our magazines. We always did everything we could to prove worthy of that support and help promote their business.
While I’m sad to see on of my favorite places close, I am happy to see Lee and Faye Branum preparing to enjoy their retirement.
They’ve certainly earned it.
For 35 years they’ve carried on a great tradition that many of us consider one of the things that makes Yazoo “home.” They did it through a lot of hard work and great customer service. I wish them the best in the future, and I thank them for the years of service they have provided our community and the great memories.
Not many businesses become so special to so many. It takes more than good food. Good people are what makes the difference.
Change is inevitable, and the property where Hastee Tastee has been located since 1993 probably won’t stay vacant long. It is an attractive piece of real estate that gets a great deal of traffic.
Something good will come, but it won’t be the same.
