Brian Jillson Recalls Grand Old Coach Stop Days
ML M i d d l e b u r g
By Leonard Shapiro For Middleburg Life
GREENHILL
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rian Jillson’s love affair with Middleburg began 43 years ago not long after he happened to glance at the classified advertising section in The Washington Post. Two lines of very small type caught his eye that day: “restaurant for sale in heart of hunt country.” At the time, Jillson was a purchasing manager for McDonald’s franchises in the mid-Atlantic region. He and Loretta had recently married, and when he spotted that notice, he immediately called the listed number. The pay phone rang at the old Coach Stop restaurant, and a few Howard Armfield, Brian Jillson and Gloria Armfield weeks later, the Jillsons owned the popular eatery “where you always We did everything together 24/7, and for a see someone you know.” time I couldn’t function. She had all the good “I can say without a doubt that the two habits, watched what she ate, vitamins, exerbest thing that ever happened to me in my life cise. I never dreamed she’d go before me. But were Loretta and the Coach Stop,” Jillson said. we had another 20 great years together, and I “I bought it on May 6, 1972 from John Bryan. look back on the decision to sell the restauHe just was not suited to that business.” rant as one of the best things I ever did.” But the Jillsons were absolutely perfect Jillson still has fond memories of Midfor that business. They knew all the locals on dleburg. He recalled Joe Albritton, the late sight and Loretta’s trademark greeting—“hi owner of Riggs Bank, calling and asking for a y’all”—became the name of a popular boozy 7 p.m. reservation. Jillson had to tell him they mocha milkshake. They ran the restaurant were fully booked. “Think you could save me for 17 years before deciding to end their a couple of seats at the counter?” Albritton exhilarating though often exhausting 24/7 asked. And they did, naming that area “the existence. After all those 14-hour mornings, upper level.” noons and nights they wanted to enjoy the There was a not so pleasant experience rest of their lives together for as long as with the late Jack Kent Cooke. One of his possible. wives ran up a hefty tab over time and the At the time, Brian had been diagnosed bills went directly to Cooke’s office. After with Epstein Barr, a virus often associated they divorced, it was never paid. Jillson sent a with mononucleosis. It affected his immune letter to Cooke, and the reply from his attorsystem and left him exhausted and occasion- ney said “do not harass Mr. Cooke again.” ally despondent. “I’d go out on the back porch Jillson was saddened in 2010 when Tate and start crying,” he said. “I wasn’t eating, and was unable to find a buyer for the restaurant. I was miserable.” He had even offered to come back as a conAnd so, when their accountant told sultant for any purchaser, though he had no them they had more than enough assets to interest in owning it himself. In fact, he’s only retire comfortably, it was an easy decision. been back to Middleburg once since he and They had vacationed in Reno, Nevada and Lortetta moved to Lake Tahoe. It was a year loved the town. And so, they decided to sell later, and “we went into the restaurant and it the restaurant to Mike Tate, who had worked was kind of awkward.” there full time since graduating from college. Still, he keeps in touch with several “Me getting sick was a wakeup call,” former employees as well as some old patrons. Jillson said. “Life is short and we needed to He’s healthy now but never re-married— start thinking about enjoying life. We never “why would I? I had the best wife ever,” he had children, and if we got low on money, we said. His constant companion now is named could always go back to wok.” Lucky, a talking Amazon parrot he’s had for It never came to that. The Jillsons moved 25 years. west, then became snowbirds in the winter, “We always missed the Coach Stop, the heading to Las Vegas in their motor home people who came in, the employees,” Jillson for six months. It was a grand life for almost said. “But we didn’t miss the stress. There’s a 20 years, until Loretta was diagnosed with time to come and a time to go. We enjoyed it melanoma on her foot and three years later, right to the last day we were there.” n passed away in 2008. Needless to say, Jillson was “devastated.
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