Bud Cantrell's New Restaurant, built by mistake inside the Folkston City Limits in the 1950s, proved a disastrous blow.

Photograph shows Bud Cantrell's Restaurant built in the 1950s. Cantrell thought he was building the restaurant outside the Folkston City Limits to allow serving beer and wine with his restaurant meals. Months after opening, Cantrell was notified that he had built his new building inside the City Limits and had to stop serving beer and wine in the restaurant.

By Jack Mays

In the 1950s, no places of business could serve beer. One who operated Chickasaw Gardens on Old U. S. Highway 1 south of Folkston saw his business dry up when the highway was rerouted two blocks west of his Beer and Wine Tavern. I. B. Bud Cantrell, Sr. decided to build a new tavern and restaurant on the new route, but just outside of the Folkston City Limits where he could serve Beer and Wine as he had in his Chickasaw Gardens, known locally as "Buds".

Cantrell bought land on the West Side of the new highway for his new restaurant. It would be located just south of the Folkston City Limits line, marked by a sign on the highway, so that he could secure a county beer and wine license and serve the beverages at his new restaurant.

Cantrell, closing down his Chickasaw Gardens tavern, built a new, fine restaurant just two blocks east and named it "Buds." He rented the old building to Wesley Logan for a television repair business.

Business began with a bang at Cantrell's new restaurant. Those dining could have a beer or a glass of wine with their meals, something that was not possible in Folkston restaurants. The business thrived for months. Then disaster struck. Cantrell was informed that he had built his new restaurant inside the Folkston City Limits. He was told that the city limits signs were mistakenly erected just north of his new location. Buds Restaurant was inside the Folkston City Limits and he must stop serving beer and wine to his customers. It was a terrible financial blow to the amiable Cantrell, but he obediently chose to abide by the prohibition of beer sales by the City of Folkston.

It was considered useless to try to get a license to sell beer from the Folkston City Government. The town had stopped allowing beer sales for on-premise consumption in the 1930s.

Cantrell's business in the new restaurant dropped drastically as several operators tried to make a go of it without selling beer and wine. While beer was served there during the early months, the restaurant enjoyed a booming business. Tourist staying in the town's many motels learned they could get beer and wine with their meals, and crowded onto the restaurant's parking lot. When the restaurant stopped selling the alcoholic beverages it was like cutting the lights off. Business dropped drastically.

A number of operators tried to operate the business successfully, including SouthSide Drive-in that also ran a poolroom adjacent to the restaurant. Not enough business developed, forcing the restaurant to close. It was sold and remodeled into an automobile tire and service outlet.

Cantrell suffered considerable financial losses because of his mistaken belief that the property was outside the Folkston City Limits. Surveys by the City confirmed that indeed, Cantrell had built his new restaurant just feet inside the City Limits.

Cantrell then turned to agriculture, growing hay and watermelons for sale. The new venture proved profitable for Cantrell and he continued his new vocation until his death.

Cantrell had begun operating his Chickasaw Gardens in the late 1930s, located near the Hercules Camp south of Folkston. During those years, including the war years of World War Two, the tavern was a popular hangout for servicemen home on leave from battlefields throughout the world. It was a common sight to see a dozen or more locals in the tavern, swapping war tales with their hometown comrades also home on leave. Cantrell proved the perfect host, table-hopping from one table to another, talking with the servicemen about their experiences. Bud Cantrell's Chickasaw Gardens on U. S. 1 south of Folkston was a favorite watering hole for the servicemen and their girl friends.

The change of U. S. 1 south of Folkston, to merge with a new highway, U. S. 301, two blocks to the west, wrote an end of Cantrell's Chickasaw Gardens. A mistake as to where the Folkston City Limits extended added insult to injury.

Cantrell was a popular businessman, always taking part in efforts to move his community forward. Fate dealt him a bad hand at both his restaurants.