Tanners

Tanners

Of all the eateries in Charlotte that flourished during our mostly golden years of growing up, I think probably the most memorable was TANNERS on South Tryon Street.

Who can forget the black lady in the window slicing oranges with the speed of Fireball Roberts and the precision of a brain surgeon....and once inside... the freshest and best fruit drinks You've ever tasted; especially the fruit punch which consisted of equal portions of orange, pineapple and grape juice.
And, of course, served with the best salted peanuts in little wax paper bags....that I've ever tasted.

Tanners closed sometime in the 70's I believe and a new one, under different management opened up in the 80s on North Tryon, and tried to reproduce the magic of the old Tanners.

But, unfortunately, like Humpty Dumpy.....it couldn't be put back

H. Dumpty

together again.  Even though, when I spoke to the owner sometime in the mid 80s....he told me that he had paid a lot of money to find out what kind....and where to get...those oh so different peanuts that the original Tanners packaged in little wax paper bags.

In other words, he was not going to reveal to me the great secret that many considered the Holy Grail of the Tanner's success. (I've searched high and low...and still have no clue as to what kind of peanuts those were, and where in the world I could buy some!)

However, even with those one of a kind peanuts, he obviously failed to replicate the magic of the original Tanners.

There's something about "magic," that seldom can be repeated.

There's only one........"first time."

-Ed

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, 

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; 

All the king's horses and all the king's men 

Couldn't put Humpty together again.

-Mother Goose