Full Bellies Sports Kitchen
Our Story
John Weeks has been in the restaurant industry since he was 18. His high school senior project was to create a business plan to open his own restaurant. Now 39, Weeks has been in every position possible in the restaurant industry, from host to bartender to manager, and even behind the scenes in administration. The South Georgia native said that over the years he’s learned a lot in restaurants across the state, and the self-described foodie loves the opportunity to try lots of different food. “I love eating so much,” Weeks said. But more importantly, Weeks said he loves the opportunity to serve others through food. “I'm a servant at heart,” Weeks said. “Our mother, she raised us four kids, and she instilled that into us, just be like Jesus, be like God and just serve others. And that really stuck with me.” But after years of working at chains or helping friends start their businesses, Weeks said he had almost given up hope of serving others at a restaurant of his own. That is, until Weeks’ brother told him about Steve’s Classic Burgers. Week’s brother moved to South Carolina seven years ago and ended up in the neighborhood right behind the popular burger joint that first opened in 2015. He is a disabled veteran, and in exploring what he could access independently, he found Steve’s off of St. Andrews Road. “It was his lunch spot four days a week,” Weeks said, “But it gave him independence, it gave someone who, most of the time needs someone to take him somewhere… joy in that, ‘Hey, I can go do something on my own.’” It was Weeks’ brother who first told him that Steve’s was for sale when previous owners Steve and Marilynn Vough announced they wohttps://wsell the restaurant when their lease was up. And with the help of his brother and his best friend, that’s exactly what Weeks did. Steve’s reopened with Weeks as owner in July.
A New Steve's
From the get-go, Weeks said he worked on reviving the building at 612 Saint Andrews Road. Steve’s brown wood paneling was replaced with a fresh coat of paint. The entire kitchen was stripped and replaced with new equipment. While Steve’s formerly operated as a counter service restaurant with a self-service toppings bar, Weeks reworked it to be a full-service restaurant focused on providing fresh ingredients and made-to-order food items that spanned beyond burgers. Weeks said he originally kept the name as a tribute to the Voughs, who Weeks described as not only amazing people but impactful community members. “They were a big, big part of this community, and so I kept the name just because I wanted to give that still to the community, but put my touch on it,” Weeks said. “And what I come to find out is, I'm not Steve.” Weeks said it became increasingly difficult to make the restaurant his own without facing backlash for changes. The new restaurant owner struggled to accept compliments from people who enjoyed the updates while also feeling the need to apologize to people who wanted the restaurant to be more similar to the old burger joint. “So I had to make the decision. I tried that, but that's not me,” Weeks said. “I'm not Steve. I'm John. And just because I came in and took over an existing business doesn't mean that there's not a story behind this, and that this isn't something that can be great for the community.” That’s when Weeks decided to transform the restaurant into Full Bellies Sports Kitchen, a name and concept inspired by the restaurant he’s dreamed about opening over his 20-plus years in the industry.
Full Bellies
“So I had to make the decision. I tried that, but that's not me,” Weeks said. “I'm not Steve. I'm John. And just because I came in and took over an existing business doesn't mean that there's not a story behind this, and that this isn't something that can be great for the community.” That’s when Weeks decided to transform the restaurant into Full Bellies Sports Kitchen, a name and concept inspired by the restaurant he’s dreamed about opening over his 20-plus years in the industry. “So what I wanted to create was… a one-stop shop,” he said, “and I just want one place you can, literally, you can come eat at three or four times a week and have a different taste every single time you come in.” Standout items include a deviled egg flight, which features a bacon jam egg, a fried jalapeno egg and a bread and butter pickle egg, and the popular “Bacon is My Jam” burger featuring bacon jam on a classic patty. Full Bellies also has a number of unique dishes like a Philly egg roll and buffalo chicken egg roll as well as a salmon Philly made with salmon, peppers, onions, cheese sauce and fried banana peppers. Another big update for the space is the new sports décor and TVs, which help set the scene for the “sports kitchen” aspect of the restaurant. Weeks said the name is based on the idea of a sports bar, but with an atmosphere that is more family-friendly and inviting when compared to typical alcohol-centered spots. While the restaurant will serve beer and wine in the next month or so, Weeks said the focus will be the food and the opportunity to spend time together. “So your kids can actually sit here and enjoy the games and really grow up in a place where sports can be part of their lives, and have great, awesome food,” Weeks said. Brittany Brewer and Suzanne Sutphin, who visited Full Bellies for lunch Oct. 16, said they used to visit the restaurant when it was Steve’s. While the space and menu are different, the friends said it wasn’t necessarily a bad change. “The food is still delicious and people are still friendly,” Brewer said. Sutphin said the menu was a lot more diverse “It’s delicious” said Sutphin about her grilled chicken Caesar salad and side of fries.
Renewed Faith
Server Jessica Myers said she’s encountered a few people upset about the loss of Steve’s — even one table who got up to leave before ordering — but to her, the complaints seem sparse, especially as people became accustomed to the table service. “We got people used to that and then we just had to switch the name and then get a new menu going,” Myers said. “And we've been good, and we still have really good staples on the menu. So I think it's been a healthy balance.” Bibles — once a staple on each table in Steve's — have also moved. Weeks said that a few were moldy, but faith remains a key part of the restaurant. He wants Full Bellies to be a place where people can be exposed to ministry through his and his employees’ kindness. “When people feel like they're loved for and they see, they’re like, ‘How do you act like that?’” Weeks said. “‘Why are you so kind, and he's so mean?’… it's because Jesus has a hold on my heart.”
Full Bellies still has a prayer request chalkboard and table full of index cards where guests can write and requests. Weeks said he and his mother and whatever staff members are interested will take the prayer requests and read them as they walk around the perimeter of the building each morning. He also plans to add small Jesus figurines with small papers on them that people can turn into their waiter to buy a meal that can be passed on to someone who comes into the restaurant and can’t pay. At the end of the month, any leftover food items will be donated to a local shelter. His goal is for everyone to leave Full Bellies feeling welcomed and fed.
“You will not leave here with a broke bank and your belly not full,” Weeks promised.