For generations of shoppers across Southern Middle Tennessee, Randal Davis has been a friendly face among the grocery aisles. He has watched communities grow and change, welcomed customers through the years, and built a career around showing simple acts of kindness and caring for the people who walk through Kroger’s doors.
His journey began in 1967 when his parents encouraged him to find a part-time job. At just 16 years old, Davis started working at Kroger in Lewisburg.
“I started there, and it basically became my full-time job,” he said.
Like a lot of teenagers, Davis just wanted a way to make a little spending money. He never imagined that after walking through the grocery store doors for his first shift, he’d still be there 59 years later.
Davis worked under the same manager for more than 20 years, which he said was rare in the grocery industry. He learned the value of consistency, hard work, and pride in his work.
Throughout his career, Davis served customers in Lewisburg, Tullahoma, and Decherd, working in several different roles. He began as a checker before eventually becoming a lead dairy clerk, a position where he found a strong sense of responsibility and accomplishment.
“I took my responsibility seriously,” Davis said.
The grocery store Davis walked into in 1967 looked much different from the stores customers visit today. He said employees had to know their products well. Associates wrote orders by hand using page and item numbers from catalogs before technology transformed the industry.
In the 1980s, Davis experienced another major shift when computer-assisted ordering became part of the process.
“It was a major thing to switch over from just using the paper catalog to a computer ordering device,” he said.
When he first started working in Lewisburg, local factory employees often stopped by Kroger after payday. Many would cash their paychecks at the store before buying groceries for their families.
“We got their money before anybody else did,” Davis said jokingly.
Those days looked different. Stores closed earlier, Sundays were still reserved for rest and families, and customers often built relationships with the people working behind the counter.
Today, Davis has a front-row seat to another major change — the rising cost of groceries. After moving from stocking shelves to working at the front end of the store, he saw firsthand what families were paying for their weekly shopping trips.
“I knew prices were high,” he said. “But until I saw how much people were spending for four weeks’ worth of groceries, I was just knocked over.”
While the grocery industry has changed, Davis said the people of Tennessee have always been what makes the work worthwhile.
After marrying his wife, Sandy, in 1990, Randal moved to Franklin County, where the couple has now lived for 36 years. Although he grew up in Lewisburg, Franklin County soon became home.
“Tennessee has some of the friendliest people there are,” he said.
Some of the people he met after moving to the area left lasting impressions, including Brother Barrett from First United Methodist Church, who Davis said showed him what a pastor should be.
Throughout his career, Randal also experienced good leadership.
He remembers one manager who encouraged him by offering guidance rather than criticism.
“He would say, ‘Randy, I like the way you’re doing this. Now let me suggest you do this another way,’” Randal recalled.
When Kroger opened a new store in Lewisburg, Randal returned to help train employees, sharing the knowledge he had gained over the years.
Now 75, Randal still works 40 hours a week and plans to continue for another year.
“The hardest part is getting up and getting going,” he said. “After I get there, I’m fine. The hard part was getting here.”
Outside of work, Randal and Sandy enjoy the simple pleasures of country living. They live in Sandy’s grandfather’s home — a house that has stood for more than 100 years on their 17-acre property along Liberty Road.
Together, they spent years renovating the home and turning it into a place filled with memories to a place filled with memories. The couple enjoys fishing, working outdoors, and spending time in Randal’s woodshop. Sandy even learned how to operate his radial arm saw safely, something he proudly shared.
“She’s very cautious,” he said
Family remains at the center of their lives. Together, Randal and Sandy have raised three children and now enjoy watching their grandchildren pursue their own paths.
This fall, their oldest daughter will begin a new chapter when she gets married in the front yard of their beloved home.
After spending a lifetime serving others, Randal hopes people remember him as someone who cared about doing his job well.
“I appreciate when people say, ‘You’re doing a good job,’” he said.
For the many customers who have seen the same smile across the grocery counter through the years, Randal reminds them that dedication reveals itself in ordinary moments. Sometimes, it looks like showing up, lending a helping hand, and caring for the people who walk through the door every day. GN
