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The restaurant and catering company, Simply Divine, has been quite popular in the press lately. First, the business made news by expanding to a larger space, the historic Parker Drugs Building in Franklin. Then it caught the attention of The Virginian-Pilot when the restaurant expanded services in this new location. And now we’re featuring it in Hometown because owners Liz and Herbert Britt are also long-time Bronco members.

“There have been so many stories lately, and every time you turn around you see my face in the paper,” says Liz modestly. “What a lot of people don’t realize is that my husband is the celebrity behind the scenes. He’s the real story—I’m just the cook.”

Regardless of who is the bigger celebrity, there’s no denying the chemistry the Britts pour into their business formula, resulting in culinary magic for their patrons.

“We have all kinds of take-out food that we make fresh daily—chicken salad, potato salad, egg salad, ham salad—just about anything you can come up with,” says Herbert. “We also have special desserts, things you can’t find in other stores a lot of times, and things that Liz is especially known for—like her famous crab cakes.“

Visitors to the restaurant can find something incredibly edible at just about any time of the day. Breakfast is served Monday through Friday starting at 8:00 a.m., and diners can sample a delicious array of morning staples, such as sausage, grits, eggs, pancakes and, of course, country ham.

For lunch, guests can choose from soups, salads, sandwiches and meals to go that include barbecue pork or chicken, chicken potpie, chicken and dumplings, as well as delicious sides. Dinner is served from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. and features daily specials that might include pork tenderloin, chopped steak or a seafood platter. And to top it all off, there are Liz’s locally famous desserts.

Simply Divine also carries a diverse selection of gifts and treats featuring a signature series of gourmet flavored pecans with the one-of- kind label, “Liz is Nuts.” And there are plans in the works to add an ice cream counter and specialty coffee bar.

“When we started, we had more catering than anything else,” explains Herbert, “But we decided that we couldn’t make it in Franklin without something else. That’s when we started doing other food and take-out lunches. But we still cater events like funerals, wedding receptions and anniversaries.”

Liz, who is a passionate advocate for the town of Franklin, is quick to downplay her contributions to the overall success of their business—instead choosing to play up the role that others have had. “To me, what we’re doing for downtown, we couldn’t be doing if it weren’t for Bronco. They have helped us in so many ways, in guiding us, working with us and offering encouragement and support.”

Herbert, who joined Bronco in 1963 when he worked at Union Camp and later became one of our very first business members, agrees. “Bronco has been really good to us. I’ve had loans through them and they helped me with getting this business started. They’re so courteous and they act like they want you to come in and just talk. They’re good, down-home people, I think.”

We’re pleased to have been a part of Simply Divine from the beginning and we’re especially happy to see how Herbert and Liz have grown the business over the years. If you’re in the Franklin area and you’ve got a grumble in your stomach, stop in for a visit. We guarantee you won’t go home hungry.