The man who turned the popular Root Beer Stand into what it has become died Friday at 92.
Jack Crabtree purchased the former A&W Root Beer Stand in 1967.
In that time, it changed names, becoming, “The Root Beer Stand,” in 1981 when Crabtree and partner Willie Champlin decided to let the franchise contract with A&W expire, and changed locations in 1997 when 18th Street was widened.
Even after selling the business outright to Champlin, longtime employee Bonnie Collette said he would still come down to the restaurant on occasion.
Collette, who was 13 when she first started working at the Root Beer Stand in 1975, said Crabtree was very good to employees.
“He was more like a second dad,” she said. “He took care of us.”
While he would laugh and cut up with his employees, Collette said Crabtree expected his employees to work and to do things the right way.
“He got on to me one time for cutting tomatoes and onions wrong,” Collette recalled.
Born in Middlesboro, Crabtree moved to Corbin and graduated from Corbin high School.
He became plant superintendent at Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. in Corbin for several years before purchasing the Root Beer Stand.
He is survived by his wife, Helen, daughter, Kathy Campbell, six grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
Memorials are suggested to Trinity United Methodist Church in Corbin.
