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Photos by Ron Clarke
March 9, 2023
Good food and good cars each month in Bandera
By Ron Clarke
Special to the Prophet
You may have driven by the Fat Boyz Sandwich shop on a Friday afternoon over the years and saw all those great classic cars and wondered “what’s the story?” Well, as a famous radio broadcaster once said, “and now.....for the rest of the story.”
Two traditions informally join each “First Friday” when Fat Boyz Sandwich Shop and a local classic car enthusiast group known as the Bandera Bunch meet on that first Friday of each month at about 4:30 p.m. to enjoy good food, looking at and talking classic cars, and enjoying each other’s company as well as live music at Fat Boys Sandwich shop in Bandera.
The history of these two traditions joining together goes back almost 15 years. The Bandera Bunch began gathering as just classic car friends who had met at Bandera RiverFest and wanted to spend more time together. Thus, Norm Scott and his 1951 Dodge Pickup and Mike Morrison with his 1962 Plymouth began an informal cruise each month to the Bandera County Courthouse in 2008 to park and talk cars. That idea slowly began to hit faster speeds in Bandera County as more car enthusiasts began to participate.
By 2009, as the cars and the informal group grew bigger, they decided to scout for a venue that had more parking space, but at the same time allowed for food and drinks. After all, good food and drink is the lubrication needed for good car talk.
The group initially set their tires on the Fat Boyz parking lot in 2009 after its then-owner Mark Ridosh offered the spot because of its food and drink selection. At the time, Denny Jenkins was a waitress at the locally famous joint. In 2017, she peeled out from the waitress position and became an owner, along with her husband, when they bought “Fat Boyz. In the eight years since, they have made it into the now vastly popular local sandwich stop. The Bandera Bunch and their cars naturally continued to drive in and have been there virtually every single first Friday of the month for nearly 15 years, hosted now by the Jenkins family.
Both groups are proud of their association with each other and have a long-standing fun time. Both the sandwich shop and the Bandera Bunch look forward to joining together each month to celebrate all the fantastic examples of class motor memorabilia. On any given first Friday of the month, you can see a truck as old as Donalee Jones’s 1929 Ford pickup truck which she drives from Medina, or something as new as the flashiest Chevrolet Corvette.
“It’s a pleasure to have the group here and we love classic cars and motorcycles. We stay open late on First Fridays to support this local group, and we even began having live music at the same time the cars are here!” Denny Jenkins said.
Other examples of Bandera County owned classics are Mason Hacker’s 1950 Chevrolet 3100 pickup that has all the great patina of a classic used farm truck, Ray Nolen’s mint condition1965 Corvair (he states that Ralph Nader was unfair about calling it “unsafe at any speed!”), Ron Clarke’s, unrestored and untouched 1966 Buick Electra Custom Convertible, Jerry Stiles’ 1965 Ford Mustang or even Bruce Hoard’s 1973 Ford-Ward LaFrance vintage hose truck and pumper and many more!
“We are pleased to continue this fun tradition along with Fat Boyz,” Mike Morrison, one of the original founders of the Bandera Bunch said. “Merging the two together has made perfect sense and perfect fun, car-talk, and attracted admirers since 2009. We don’t anticipate putting on the brakes to this tradition anytime soon!”
Mike said the reason he continues the tradition is simple, “it’s all about the cars and the camaraderie. Getting together and talking cars, motors, with other gear heads and classic car enthusiasts allows us to enjoy our cars and each other in a great background with great support. The classic cars are great, but it’s the people, as well as the visitors who ask questions that make it special.”
The Bandera Bunch and Fat Boyz invite any classic car or motorcycle car enthusiast to visit with them each first Friday of the month at about 4:30 p.m. For more information visit Fat Boys Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100045935536003
Two traditions informally join each “First Friday” when Fat Boyz Sandwich Shop and a local classic car enthusiast group known as the Bandera Bunch meet on that first Friday of each month at about 4:30 p.m. to enjoy good food, looking at and talking classic cars, and enjoying each other’s company as well as live music at Fat Boys Sandwich shop in Bandera.
The history of these two traditions joining together goes back almost 15 years. The Bandera Bunch began gathering as just classic car friends who had met at Bandera RiverFest and wanted to spend more time together. Thus, Norm Scott and his 1951 Dodge Pickup and Mike Morrison with his 1962 Plymouth began an informal cruise each month to the Bandera County Courthouse in 2008 to park and talk cars. That idea slowly began to hit faster speeds in Bandera County as more car enthusiasts began to participate.
By 2009, as the cars and the informal group grew bigger, they decided to scout for a venue that had more parking space, but at the same time allowed for food and drinks. After all, good food and drink is the lubrication needed for good car talk.
The group initially set their tires on the Fat Boyz parking lot in 2009 after its then-owner Mark Ridosh offered the spot because of its food and drink selection. At the time, Denny Jenkins was a waitress at the locally famous joint. In 2017, she peeled out from the waitress position and became an owner, along with her husband, when they bought “Fat Boyz. In the eight years since, they have made it into the now vastly popular local sandwich stop. The Bandera Bunch and their cars naturally continued to drive in and have been there virtually every single first Friday of the month for nearly 15 years, hosted now by the Jenkins family.
Both groups are proud of their association with each other and have a long-standing fun time. Both the sandwich shop and the Bandera Bunch look forward to joining together each month to celebrate all the fantastic examples of class motor memorabilia. On any given first Friday of the month, you can see a truck as old as Donalee Jones’s 1929 Ford pickup truck which she drives from Medina, or something as new as the flashiest Chevrolet Corvette.
“It’s a pleasure to have the group here and we love classic cars and motorcycles. We stay open late on First Fridays to support this local group, and we even began having live music at the same time the cars are here!” Denny Jenkins said.
Other examples of Bandera County owned classics are Mason Hacker’s 1950 Chevrolet 3100 pickup that has all the great patina of a classic used farm truck, Ray Nolen’s mint condition1965 Corvair (he states that Ralph Nader was unfair about calling it “unsafe at any speed!”), Ron Clarke’s, unrestored and untouched 1966 Buick Electra Custom Convertible, Jerry Stiles’ 1965 Ford Mustang or even Bruce Hoard’s 1973 Ford-Ward LaFrance vintage hose truck and pumper and many more!
“We are pleased to continue this fun tradition along with Fat Boyz,” Mike Morrison, one of the original founders of the Bandera Bunch said. “Merging the two together has made perfect sense and perfect fun, car-talk, and attracted admirers since 2009. We don’t anticipate putting on the brakes to this tradition anytime soon!”
Mike said the reason he continues the tradition is simple, “it’s all about the cars and the camaraderie. Getting together and talking cars, motors, with other gear heads and classic car enthusiasts allows us to enjoy our cars and each other in a great background with great support. The classic cars are great, but it’s the people, as well as the visitors who ask questions that make it special.”
The Bandera Bunch and Fat Boyz invite any classic car or motorcycle car enthusiast to visit with them each first Friday of the month at about 4:30 p.m. For more information visit Fat Boys Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100045935536003