Local Couple Breathes New Life Into Formerly Vacant Restaurant
When Logan Keith was growing up in Gamaliel, the town was bustling.
There were multiple restaurants, including Collins Barbeque, where he remembers walking to for a plate. But over the years, businesses started to close. Gamaliel didn’t bustle as much as it once had.
Now, though, Logan and his wife, Emily, are bringing some of that liveliness back to town with their new restaurant, Fannie Gene’s, on East Main Street. It’s a full-circle moment—Fannie Gene’s operates in the building that once housed Collins Barbeque.
The Keiths haven’t owned a restaurant before, but they wanted to give back to their community and offer a new spot to dine. Since Fannie Gene’s opened in July, the eatery has been embraced by neighbors, family, and friends.
“I’m grateful for being able to provide the needs of internet and communication in the areas I grew up in,” Logan, a South Central Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (SCRTC) broadband plant technician, says. “Working at SCRTC has allowed and encouraged my wife and I to pay that forward. Communities are only what you make of them.”
“People really do try to support each other,” Emily says. “They try to eat there, visit there. They want you to succeed. They like for their hometown to grow.”
From Vacant to Vibrant
Before the Keiths bought the building at auction in September 2024, the former home of Collins Barbeque sat vacant for more than a dozen years. The 650-square-foot space needed updating, including a new bathroom. Logan says their renovations also included enclosing a porch, which added around 200 square feet for seating.
Though the Keiths are first-time restaurateurs, they had plenty of help along the way. “A lot of the local restaurant owners were very supportive,” Emily says. “They gave us advice, tips, and contacts that made learning the process so much easier.
“It’s a very tight-knit area here,” Emily adds. “Most everybody knows everyone.”
Fannie Gene’s is open Monday through Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The breakfast menu features an array of coffee options and breakfast sandwiches, the most sought after being the fried biscuit covered in chocolate gravy. Most popular for their Fannie Gene burgers, other fan favorites are the FG hot dogs, a Reuben sandwich, the chicken tenders, a variety of deli options, and several ice cream flavors.
The couple named their restaurant after Logan’s great-aunt and great-uncle, the late Fannie and Gene Vinson.
“We had a hard time figuring out a name, but we knew we wanted a country feel and meaning behind it,” Logan says, adding 1 of his favorite memories of Fannie is her cooking.
Spreading The Word
While word of mouth has been helpful in sharing the news that Fannie Gene’s is open, so has Facebook.
The Keiths acknowledge they’re not the savviest social media users, but they welcome help from friends, family, and employees who are—and it’s made a huge difference.
“We really didn’t know how useful Facebook was,” Logan says. “It has allowed us to get our business out there and communicate with our customers. People are seeing it.”