It was his desire to create an atmosphere where you could go out for a great steak without having to put on a sport coat and worry about breaking the bank. Having laid a nice background for us, Vinyard then began to tell us of the inspiration behind Sweetie Pie’s. Vinyard also introduced country music singer, Coffey Anderson, to the crowd and told us that he would be providing entertainment later in the evening. McGuire has quite the back story, which is covered in his book, “Unshackled,” where he talks about the 34 years, nine months and 15 days he spent incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. Vinyard introduced us to Gene McGuire, one of two chaplains employed by the company who tend to any of the employees’ spiritual needs. Both of his children work for the company and were in attendance that night. You could tell the importance of family to Paul and how important it was to him to be more than just an employer. As I did so, I listened to Paul Vinyard, the patriarch of the family, tell us the story of the business he and his wife Mary Beth (Babe) started in 1981, with the goal of putting their two children, Joel and Tiffany, through college. I could not have been more incorrect, as I considered the discussion prior to the meal to be much more of a blessing than a burden.Īs we all got seated, we were poured a glass of Austin Hope Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, which I enjoyed very much. In my mind, I equated this to attending a graduation and having to suffer through the ceremony to get to the part that really matters to you. Upon arrival, I realized that I would be given some information and history, prior to dining.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I entered the building that’s exterior is modeled after an old Texas cotton gin and located at 6720 NE Loop 820 in North Richland Hills, Texas. I have never dined at the former, but the latter is a place I hold in high regard when it comes to “comfort food.” This knowledge caused my already intrigued anticipation level to further elevate as the date approached. The things I read only served to further whet my appetite, as I discovered that Sweetie Pie’s is owned and operated by the Vinyard family, the proprietors of two other local eateries: Bubba’s Cooks Country and Babe’s Chicken Dinner House. In an attempt to prepare for this event, I did a minimal amount of research so I might be a little better informed when I attended. This all changed when I was invited to participate in an event at their recently opened location in North Richland Hills. While the name had always piqued my interest, our relationship remained in the “acquaintance zone” over the years. Such was the case with this dining establishment. When you have made the same drive at least once annually for 34 years, things that are new catch your attention. Previously, the restaurant was forced to close for eight days by the city due to operations violations.Sweetie Pie’s Ribeyes … a name on a billboard that I started to notice at some point in the first decade of the 21st century as I made my trek from the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex to Albuquerque, New Mexico, traveling north on US 287 through Decatur. Norman said at the time he hadn't paid due to issues with the building. He faced similar trouble in Jackson in December 2019 after the owners of the Plaza Building said he owed them $100,000 in rent. In 2019, a Houston-based property company sued Norman for unpaid rent totaling over $254,000.
In 2018, he was charged for misdemeanor assault charges in Harris County, Texas, after allegedly punching a former employee in the face, according to several news outlets. According to his biography in the "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" section on the OWN website, he was arrested on armed robbery charges and served 10 years in prison. Norman has previously had several run-ins with the law. The affidavit also states Norman wired money to Ellis one month later. Records show that Ellis, along with her mother and daughter, traveled to Los Angeles on March 22, 2016, and were in the same location as Norman on at least one occasion before they returned to Memphis on March 28, 2016. Both Ellis' and Norman's devices ceased all activity on March 15, 2016.įour days later, Norman attempted to collect on Montgomery's insurance policy, but was subsequently denied because he could not provide several requested documents, according to the affidavit. In addition, Ellis made several cash deposits into her bank accounts in Memphis between March 15-17, 2016, totaling over $9,000. Ellis allegedly contacted Norman again after Montgomery's death, then began returning to Memphis. Montgomery was shot and killed less than an hour later and location data from Ellis' phone places her in the vicinity at the time of Montgomery's death.
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