Countryside was opened at 8223 Mahan Gap Road, Ooltewah, in May 1990. At that time, our Ooltewah community was a bit less busy, quieter, and mostly scarcely inhabited. My father, David Green (with my mother, Imogene, was the founders of the Kreme House 1976-2007), was very involved in the building and almost ridiculed for selecting this particular location for a restaurant. But as he would always say, “if you provide good food and good service, they will drive.” Well, I guess you could say from our humble beginnings with four employees, plus my Mom and Dad, my sister, Maria Rogers, and my late husband, Ponder, we have steadily grown over the years to about 46 current employees!

After 35 years of business, I can honestly say we could not have continued to stay in business over the years without the support of our loyal customers. We have had the pleasure of getting to know our customers personally and consider it an honor when they come to visit with us.
Just like any business after 35 years, we now serve our original customers’ children and grandchildren, and it’s such an honor to watch the next generation enjoy home cooking.

We have endured many changes over the years, including COVID (2020) and Ponder’s passing (2023), but we feel confident that we can survive most anything because we have the support of our customers in our community, and we are proud to continue to offer good food and good service on the same premises which we were founded.

Looking forward to many more years!

- Marlene Geren & Countryside Cafe Staff

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