We loved getting to highlight some of our employees in our last post! Now we’re excited to introduce you to Thom and Kathy, the owners and founders of T.C. Eggington’s and to tell you about some of the history of this delicious establishment.
The Beginning
In the summer of 1984, Thom was a senior manager with the Chart House Corporation, traveling Monday through Friday across the country to the various restaurant concepts. The family was living in Phoenix and were expecting a corporate transfer to the South East. Parents to Ashlee and expecting Kyndal, Thom and Kathy were not looking forward to uprooting their growing family. Instead, they opted to take an opportunity presented by Kathy’s then employer; stay in Arizona – with their extended family – and start their own restaurant. The pair jumped at the opportunity. And so, T.C. Eggington’s was born. The restaurant had to be built from the ground up and Thom managed much of the work himself, with help from his good friend John. Thom created the menu items and the two completed the majority of the construction on site. Kathy designed the interior and organized the back office. Their collective hard work paid off with T.C. Eggington’s doors opening to the public in November 1985.
A Family Affair
Thom ran the day to day business at the restaurant while Kathy continued to work with the restaurant’s financier until a tragic turn of events changed everything. Thom and Kathy’s friend and partner, John, was killed in a car accident. His loss echoed throughout the restaurant as there was little of it he hadn’t help build. At that point, it was clear that the restaurant would need to include the whole family and Kathy joined T.C. Eggington’s full time. Thom and Kathy’s daughters grew up in a highchair in the back office while Kathy managed payroll, or playing restaurant after hours while Thom and Kathy worked.
The family’s hard work paid off. Ten years after opening their doors, the only complaint from customers was how long it took to get a table. The restaurant was so popular, the average wait time was over an hour! While contemplating their next move, the retail space next door became available and they were able to expand, almost doubling in size. Today, the staff is comprised of original employees, 20+ year employees, family and friends of past employees, and family members of Thom and Kathy’s. Thom and Kathy attribute the longevity of their staff to treating everyone like a family member – and everyone will tell you that they are one, BIG, happy family!
Fun Facts
Our name is a play on Thom’s initials TC. “Eggingtons” was added with the suggestion of a friend…after a few glasses of wine!
Our manager, Ivars, was a long time customer of T.C. Egginton’s. He is the previous manager of The Roaring Fork and when he heard we were looking for a new manager, he jumped at the opportunity.
Four current employees had a parent who previously worked at the restaurant.
One of our cooks, Aldo, has been with us since our doors opened and our pastry / prep chef, Lettie, just celebrated 29 years with T.C. Eggington’s.
