Holly Cooper, of Old Hickory, Tennessee, graduated from Middle Tennessee State University, and spent 18 years in the food industry, managing and operating The Hermitage House Smorgasbord and as a partner in the Blue Goose Café.
In 2012, she established her current food truck business, and began selling fried green tomatoes, those cornmeal-battered, deep fried, “lip-smacking good” delicacies, along with other tasty Southern foods such as grouper sandwiches, shrimp Po-boys, catfish sandwiches and fried pickles.
The Truck’s first stop was at the Wilson County (Tennessee) Fair, which is one of the largest fairs in the nation. Subsequently, Cooper began to appear at numerous county fairs, car shows, music festivals and community events. Popularity grew and there were often long lines waiting to sample the food.
Every good cook has a few secrets that make her food special, and Cooper was no exception. Over and over again, she was asked to share her recipes for her delectable cornmeal batters and “secret sauce.” Besides a few secrets they might not be willing to share, most cooks want to share their food with as many people as possible. Although online and in-store marketing was not originally part of her plan, she began to consider seriously the value of expanding her business in that direction.
On January 15, 2016, Fried Green Tomatoes announced the arrival of their products at The Market, a retail store in Atlanta, Georgia. In May, 2019 the Fried Green Tomatoes Food Truck was chosen by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture as a vendor at the National Restaurant Association’s American Food Fair in Chicago. Expansion has continued to over 40 retailers in the US, Canada and Mexico, as well as online sales available through their website.
