Tommy’s Country Ham House Named Greenville Chamber’s April 2015 Small Business of the Month

GREENVILLE, SC – The Greenville Chamber is pleased to recognize Tommy’s Country Ham House as its April 2015 Small Business of the Month Award winner. Whether he’s grinding sausage before dawn, overseeing the meats and vegetable fare, or doing what he enjoys most, talking to customers, everything at Tommy’s Country Ham House carries the signature of its owner, Tommy Stevenson.

In 1985, after stints in construction and restaurant equipment sales, Stevenson, a Furman University graduate, bought the Country Ham House, then located on Buncombe Street. His philosophy was to take the traditional “meat and three” menu to a higher level, offering steamed vegetables, baked meats and fish for those preferring a lighter diet, as well as fried foods and potatoes for healthier appetites. In 1997, Stevenson moved the Ham House to its current Rutherford Street location. “I drew my own plans and made everything to accommodate my business and the customers.”

With a routine that can only be mirrored by someone who truly loves his work, Stevenson’s day begins at 3 a.m. when he goes in to prepare the day’s meats. “I make my own sausage; I grind my own ground round. I cut my own pork chops. I cube my own steak,” Stevenson said. “The meat that you eat at the Ham House was prepared fresh that morning.”

Along with its legion of loyal customers, the Ham House has also become a must stop for politicians at the local and national level. Prior to the 2012 S.C. Republican Presidential Primary, former U.S. Senator Jim DeMint declared during a Fox News interview that “any candidate looking for support in South Carolina, must go to Tommy’s Country Ham House.”

Open seven days a week, the Ham House is rarely closed, and Stevenson never vacations in the true sense of the word. “I play a little golf in the afternoons, and take a day or two every now and then, but when I go somewhere, I’d just as soon be back here. I miss the restaurant and my customers.” Tommy Stevenson’s always-be-there attitude grows from the feeling, “I’m giving something back to my customers. They are there for me. I want to be there for them.”

About the Greenville Chamber’s Small Business of the Month Program

The Greenville Chamber recognizes an extraordinary small business at each monthly board meeting. The Small Business of the Month is chosen by a selection committee from nominations provide by Greenville Chamber investors. The Chamber’s annual small business of the year is selected from the year’s small businesses of the month. The 2015 Small Business of the Month presenting sponsor is Cowart Awards. Nominations can be made at http://www.greenvillechamber.org/small-business-of-the-month.php.

About the Greenville Chamber

The Greenville Chamber, now in its 127th year of operation, is the largest business organization in Upstate South Carolina with over 2400 investors supporting the vision to build one of the premier business communities in the world by driving economic growth and prosperity, serving as an advocate for business interests, training future leaders and facilitating the workforce of tomorrow. For information, visit www.greenvillechamber.org.