Payne’s Soda Shop Keeps History Alive in Scottsboro

By: Maggie Horton

Lisa Garrett strolls through the quiet streets of downtown Scottsboro, Alabama, searching for her next business venture.

What was once a hub for entertainment, good food and community in the heart of Jackson County is slowly turning into a ghost town.

As she is walking down Laurel Street, a man approaches her in front of a white, brick building that reads W.H. Payne Drug Co. Est. 1896 in bold green letters.

The man asks her if she would be interested in running the restaurant they are standing in front of. In March of 2012, she agrees. Over the next 10 years, she makes it her mission to bring life back to this historic building and the streets of downtown Scottsboro.

Today, Garrett reflects on the history of the building and the past 10 years she has spent here. The restaurant, Payne’s Sandwich Shop & Soda Fountain is located at 101 E Laurel St. and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is once again packed with locals and visitors.

“I didn’t realize when I bought this place that it was so important to Scottsboro,” Garrett said as she fried bacon in a cast iron skillet.

Payne’s has been a constant presence in Scottsboro for 153 years.

“When you move away and then you come back home, you want to be able to recognize something still,” Garrett said. “People who moved away can come back 50 years later, and while a lot of things have changed, Payne’s is still here.”

Payne’s first opened as a drug store in 1869. William Henry Payne launched the business after relocating to Jackson County following the Civil War.

“Back then, you could get a lot of things at a drug store,” Garrett said. “They sold farming supplies, tobacco, soda and filled prescriptions.”

The building has been passed down and is now owned by William Henry Payne’s great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Word. Pieces of the family’s past can still be found within the building.

Hidden behind a commercial refrigerator, a door opens to a dimly lit staircase that leads to the second floor. At the top lies a room that, in the early 1900s, was a doctor’s office.

Now the room is a time capsule that tells the story of the building through artifacts left behind by previous owners. Glass Coca-Cola concentrate jugs that read “the cocaine has been removed,” clutter the floor along with prescription pads, milk bottles, furniture and schoolbooks.

The Coca-Cola containers are evidence of the volume of soda sold in the drug store. The milk bottles date back to the prohibition, as they were saved for smugglers to conceal alcohol, Garrett said.

Back downstairs, customers sit in the dining room unaware of the history that lies just above their heads. However, they still experience the history sitting in the dining room, just a different era.

Customers step back in time when they enter the 1950’s-themed restaurant complete with an old-fashioned soda fountain, vinyl red and white booths and a jukebox. Betty Boop, Moonpie and Coca-Cola memorabilia cover the walls alongside faded, black-and-white pictures of the Payne family and a mural highlighting Scottsboro’s most notable landmarks. Customers can even sit at the original bar from 1913 to enjoy a banana split, milkshake or soda.

The success of Payne’s under Lisa Garrett transformed the square back to vibrant social scene, but it didn’t come easy.

“When we bought it there was really nothing happening down here on Saturdays,” Garrett said. “We started selling hotdogs, ice creams and drinks for 50 cents just to bring people downtown and give everybody the opportunity to experience Payne’s.”

Eventually, this plan became almost too successful. Garrett stopped selling these items for 50 cents because the volume of business they quickly achieved became more than they could handle.

Customers quickly got hooked by the atmosphere and food including the Red Slaw Dogs, Rueben’s and Chicken Bacon Caesar Salads.

Payne’s classic Red Slaw Dog, a hot dog with a ketchup-based slaw on top, is even a part of the Alabama Tourism Department’s 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama.

“Payne’s is such an important part of our community because it keeps an old part of the history alive, and it’s just darn good,” said Jared Holcomb, Scottsboro resident and a regular at Payne’s.

Today, Garrett stills tries to keep the history alive by offering 5 cent ice cream on Thursdays for seniors and old-fashioned Cokes for anyone who asks.

Garrett started offering 5 cent ice cream for seniors after she was inspired by a long-time Scottsboro native.

An 80-year-old man came into Payne’s and shared the story of his engagement. Sixty years earlier, he had proposed to his wife at Payne’s and remembered paying a nickel for a scoop of ice cream.

“We still do nickel ice cream on Thursdays for senior citizens because they remember coming in here when they were kids and paying a nickel for an ice cream,” Garrett said. “It’s fun to bring back that memory for them.”

Any of their 22 ice cream flavors can also be made into a milkshake or sundae.

Aside from ice cream and soda, Payne’s offers food items like wraps, soup and sandwiches.

Everything served at Payne’s is fresh and nothing is deep-fried.

“I love that Payne’s has a lot of healthier options compared to other spots in town,” said Lauren Jett, a registered dietician in Scottsboro. “It’s refreshing to find a diner in the South that doesn’t exclusively serve greasy and fried food.”

Through bringing back old traditions and starting new ones, Payne’s has once again become a pillar of the Scottsboro community and continues the legacy of the Payne family.