With back-to-school season around the corner, Glenn’s Grill & Go has opened in Critz, just minutes from Hardin Reynolds Memorial School. Business owner Sherry Glenn hopes will become a one-stop shop for the community, offering made-to-order meals and everyday convenience items.
The business currently serves breakfast sandwiches, biscuits, hamburgers, hot dogs, salads and sides including hash browns, onion rings and hush puppies. Glenn plans to expand the store’s offerings this month to include additional convenience items, hand-dipped ice cream, fresh produce and supplies for local farmers, including animal feed.
“This is a farming area, so that’s a goal — to serve the community,” Glenn said.
Glenn said she chose the former gas station because it holds fond memories for her, including family gatherings to eat watermelon there.
“So many great memories. I originally wanted a cafe, but it was a lot of upgrades, so I thought, ‘Why not do a gas station so people come and grab their toilet paper, their eggs, their gas, and whatever they need after working a long day,’” she said.
Her own experience as a working mother also inspired the business.
“My daughter is 26 and my son is 4, and I’ve always worked hard. I wanted to make it easy for mothers like me, just busy, busy, busy on the way home from work” to quickly grab what they need, she said.
While Glenn’s Grill & Go currently offers made-to-order food and a limited selection of convenience items, Glenn said she expects additional services to become available in August.
Firewater Transport LLC “is coming to try and work on the pumps to try and get them back in working order. As far as beer and cigarettes, they’ll be a little down the road. I wanted to start out slow so I don’t fail. It’s so good for the community and everybody needs this. I need this, they need this, and I wanted to be able to fill the shelves that were needed, so start off slow so we don’t have to worry about ending,” she said.
Among the menu items is the Patrick County Burger, a double bacon cheeseburger topped with a fried egg, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, onions, pickles and jalapeños.
“I wanted something to represent who I am because I’ve always lived here, I was born and raised here. I know a lot of men in the area love big burgers, so I thought of a way to celebrate them. They work all the time, they come by here and eat, give them something that will fill them,” Glenn said.
Glenn launched her catering business, Glenn’s Way, in 2023 before opening Glenn’s Grill & Go.
“But I just wanted more. This is full time to the point where I don’t ever leave here,” she said with a laugh. “I got a small blow-up mattress in the back that if I can’t get home I can get a couple hours of rest.”
Glenn said the community has been supportive of the new business, especially Clay & Twig owner Jonathan Witt.
“He has the best produce, and I’m actually going to get his bread and butter pickles so I can do some fried pickles here. Then he has some green tomatoes, and I’m going to get those so I can do some fried green tomatoes here,” she said, adding Witt could become her produce supplier and she also sells some of his produce outside the building.
Glenn’s Grill & Go is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Glenn hopes to extend the closing time to 8 p.m. soon.
More information is available on the Sherry Glenn Facebook page.
