Coming up, we'll meet a family serving up fish and down home comfort.

We'll visit a retirement community for some great apes, and we'll take a look in the backyard to find solace from the pandemic.

That's all coming up on Greater Chattanooga Funding for this broadcast of Greater Chattanooga is provided by epb fiber optics.

Hi, I'm Briana Garza.

Welcome to Greater Chattanooga at family reunions, Larry Torrence was known as the fish fryer.

With the support of his family, he transferred those culinary skills into a family owned and operated business, putting up award winning hot fish.

Check out how they're making folks feel right at home.

A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO THE RESTAURANT AND SAY, 'IT JUST FEELS SO MUCH LIKE HOME WHEN WE EAT IN YOUR RESTAURANT.'

YOU KNOW, ALMOST A SPIRITUAL-LIKE THING IN A WAY.

I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.

I FEEL LIKE I'VE COME TO GRANDMA'S KITCHEN AND GRANDMA COOKED UP SOME FRIED FOOD.

THEY KNOW ME.

THEY KNOW MY VOICE OVER THE PHONE WHEN I CALL IN AN ORDER.

IT'S FRESH, IT'S HOT, IT'S DELICIOUS.

THE PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY.

WHEN YOU COME THROUGH THIS DOOR, IT'S JUST LIKE YOU'RE MY FAMILY.

IT'S EVERY RACE OF PEOPLE GETTING TOGETHER DOWN THERE AT UNCLE LARRY'S AND JUST REALLY ENJOYING THEMSELVES, LIKE IT'S A REUNION, A FAMILY REUNION.

THAT'S THE KIND OF EXPERIENCE THAT WE WANT YOU TO HAVE AT UNCLE LARRY'S.

LIKE YOU'RE JUST RIGHT AT HOME, PART OF THE FAMILY.

COOKING BRINGS YOU TOGETHER.

IT'S LIKE A FAMILY THING, AND THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT.

MY MOTHER WAS ALWAYS ABOUT FAMILY.

MY MOTHER COOKED SUNDAY DINNERS.

AND YOU KNOW, I REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW SHE WAS ABLE TO FEED ALL THESE PEOPLE.

GOING BACK AS FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER, ALL MY COUSINS, UNCLES, AUNTIES CAME TO MY GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE EVERY WEEKEND.

NO MATTER IF WE ATE HAMBURGER MEAT AND RICE, SHE WAS GOING TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY ATE.

THAT WOMAN ALWAYS HAD EXTRA FOOD FOR WHOEVER WOULD COME.

I USED TO GO INTO THE KITCHEN WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND WATCH HER PREPARE MEALS, SO I GOT THAT FROM HER.

I LEARNED HOW TO FISH WHEN I WAS, I WOULD SAY I WAS ABOUT 12.

THAT WAS WHEN I WAS IN OHIO, BUT ONCE I GOT HERE TO CHATTANOOGA, I CONTINUED TO WANT TO FISH.

AND THIS WAS BACK IN MY DRINKING BEER DAYS.

I WOULD GO CATCH A LOT OF FISH, AND WE WOULD FRY FISH AND DRINK BEER.

AND THAT'S HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED.

I STARTED TELLING LARRY, I'M LIKE, DUDE, YOU HAVE GOTTEN AWESOME.

I'M NOT TRYING TO TOOT YOUR HORN, IT'S NOT BECAUSE I'M YOUR WIFE.

YOU'VE REALLY GOT A GOOD RECIPE.

BECAUSE EVERYBODY WOULD ALWAYS TALK ABOUT IT.

WE'D GO TO FAMILY REUNIONS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AND PEOPLE WOULD SAY, 'LARRY'S GOING TO FRY THE FISH, LARRY'S GOING TO FRY THE FISH!'

I WAS LITERALLY LIKE FOUR AND FIVE YEARS OLD AT THE FAMILY REUNION AND THAT'S WHAT MY DAD WOULD... 'WHEN'S YOUR DAD COMING TO COOK FISH?'

AND IT'S LIKE, WE'RE HERE FOR A FAMILY REUNION, TOO!

I MEAN THIS IS THANKSGIVING!

AND SO THEN ONE THANKSGIVING, WE HAD A FAMILY MEMBER COME UP FROM VIRIGINIA, AND SHE SAID, 'I EAT A LOT OF FISH, AND THIS IS ABOUT THE BEST FISH I'VE EVER HAD.'

AND SO TERI SAID, 'SEE LARRY, THAT'S YOUR CALLING.'

OF COURSE I DIDN'T AGREE WITH THAT.

I DIDN'T THINK WE COULD MAKE A LIVING WITH ME FRYING FISH, BUT THAT'S HOW UNCLE LARRY'S GOT HERE.

WHEN MY WIFE WAS TELLING ME I SHOULD GET INTO FISH, RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE CHURCH IS WHERE THIS RESTAURANT IS.

A FELLOW DEACON HAD THIS PLACE AND SAID, 'YOU CAN GO IN THERE THE FIRST THREE MONTHS FREE.'

I WENT AND GOT SOME OLD KRYSTAL TABLES, GOT THEM FOR $15.

WENT AND BOUGHT SOME CHAIRS FOR $10, AND STARTED FRYING FISH OUT OF HERE.

IT WAS NOT WHAT YOU SEE NOW, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

AND IT'S FUNNY, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF CUSTOMERS ARE LIKE, 'OH Y'ALL ARE MOVING UP!'

AND I'M LIKE, EIGHT YEARS AGO, OH NO.

WE WEREN'T EVEN THINKING ON THAT SCALE.

I THINK WE MADE LIKE $150 AND WE WERE HAPPY.

YES!

$200!

YES!

WE WERE LIKE HIGH-FIVING EACH OTHER, OH MAN, WE HAD A GREAT DAY TODAY!

BUT THE THING OF IT WAS, I COULDN'T DO IT BY MYSELF, SO I HAD MY WIFE, AND I HAD MY BROTHER KEVIN.

THOSE TWO?

I CALL THEM THE TWINS.

BUT I LOOK BETTER.

NO, WAIT A MINUTE.

HOLD ON A SECOND.

THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR EACH OTHER.

SO, KEVIN.

AND MY NEPHEW, JERMALE MAFFETT.

I WAS MAINLY RUNNING THE CASH REGISTER, AND LARRY WAS THE COOK, AND JERMALE WAS MAKING THE PLATES.

YOU KNOW AND I USED TO LIKE COOK THE GREENS AND THE POTATO SALAD.

NOW?

HE IS AN EXPERT.

'WELL, YOU NEED TO DO THIS WITH YOUR POTATO SALAD.'

I'M LIKE, 'LISTEN HERE, BROTHER!'

MY MOM IS JUST REALLY... DON'T TELL HIM I SAID THIS, OKAY?

I THINK SHE'S A BETTER COOK AT OTHER THINGS.

WE PUT IN ALL THE HOURS.

FROM THIS SEVEN-TABLE RESTAURANT RIGHT HERE, TOOK CARE OF ALL OF US.

BUT IT'S DIFFICULT RUNNING A RESTAURANT WITH JUST FAMILY, TOO.

BECAUSE THAT CAN BE A TOUCHY THING.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS ROSES.

I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN FIRED 13 TIMES IN A ROW, BUT I'VE COME BACK.

I'VE LEFT HERE BEFORE AND CAME BACK, I'VE LEFT AND THEN CAME BACK.

BUT IT JUST TOOK ME AS A YOUNG MAN GROWING UP TO BE AN ACTUAL MAN TO REALIZE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAVE WITHIN MY FAMILY.

IT'S A FUNNY THING THAT EVERYBODY ALWAYS SAYS, IS FAMILY AND BUSINESS DON'T MIX.

FAMILY AND BUSINESS CAN MIX, YOU'VE JUST GOT TO HAVE THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS.

I'VE SEEN IT COME FROM US EATING FISH AT FAMILY REUNIONS TO, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S AT NOW.

IT'S JUST, YOU CAN'T MAKE IT UP.

SEEING IT GROW FROM ONE RESTAURANT TO THREE RESTAURANTS, FROM THREE EMPLOYEES TO TWENTY EMPLOYEES, IT'S LIKE, THAT'S MY UNCLE!

IT'S MY FAMILY DOING THIS.

WE WENT FROM PEOPLE JUST HAPPENING INTO THE PLACE TO NOW, PEOPLE TELL ME THAT THEY PLAN THEIR VACATION AROUND UNCLE LARRY'S.

IT SHOWED UP AS NUMBER ONE ON TRIP ADVISOR FOR CHATTANOOGA.

THE WIFE AND I ARE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO RETIRE, AND WE HAD TO CHECK OUT THE FOOD SPOTS.

PEOPLE COME IN AND SAY, 'HEY, WE GOOGLED Y'ALL AND IT SAYS IT'S THE BEST FISH IN CHATTANOOGA, AND WE WANTED TO COME HERE.'

OR PEOPLE SAY, 'HEY, I DROVE TWO HOURS JUST TO COME HERE TO EAT.'

IT'S LIKE, WOAH.

IT WARMS ME UP INSIDE TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE JUST HAPPY AND HOW THEY SAY, 'OH, THIS IS JUST SO GREAT!'

SOMETIMES YOU JUST DON'T WANT A BIG BOX BURGER OR THIS OR THAT.

YOU WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

AND WHEN YOU CAN GET THAT FRESH AND LOCAL, AND YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE, THOSE HOMETOWN GEMS ARE ALWAYS PRETTY GOOD.

WE GET SO MANY COMMENTS, 'YOU KNOW WHAT?

THAT PEACH COBBLER TASTES LIKE WHEN MY GRANDMAMA FIXED IT,' 'OH YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN MY AUNT SUCH-AND-SUCH USED TO FRY FISH LIKE THIS.'

YOU KNOW?

STUFF LIKE THAT.

IT REMINDS THEM OF HOME.

NOT FEELING LIKE IT'S SOMETHING IN A REGULAR...

I WON'T SAY THE NAMES OF THE OTHER FISH PLACES, BUT IT TASTES LIKE GRANDMA'S, WHAT ABOUT THAT?

IT FEELS GOOD TO SEE PEOPLE JUST SITTING BACK ENJOYING IT, YOU KNOW SOMETHING THAT BASICALLY WE CREATED.

I THINK UNCLE LARRY'S, IT'S SAFE TO SAY, IS BECOMING A STAPLE HERE, YOU KNOW, A GO-TO SPOT.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M PROUD OF.

I'M REALLY HUMBLED BY IT.

I MEAN, I REALLY AM.

THIS HAS DONE TOOK OFF.

MY FAMILY, WE LACKED NOTHING THROUGHOUT THIS.

IT'S REALLY HUMBLING, REALLY HUMBLING.

GOD HAS BLESSED US TO MAKE A LIVING OFF OF THIS, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY, TERRELL, JERMALE, KEVIN, LARRY, THEY GO DOWN THERE WITH MAKING MONEY IN MIND.

IT'S JUST LIKE GOING DOWN THERE AND ENJOYING THEIR DAY AND WHATEVER GOD SEES FIT TO BRING.

I THINK THAT HAS BEEN THE SECRET TO THE SUCCESS.

I COULD CLOCK INTO THIS PLACE AND NOT GET A DIME AND STILL WANT TO DO IT FOR MY DAD.

SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT TO GET...

I'M GOING TO GET CHOKED UP, BUT IT'S JUST, HE'S AN AMAZING MAN.

I CALL HIM 'UNCLE DAD' SOMETIMES WHEN I MESS WITH HIM, BECAUSE HE HELPED RAISE ME, SO LIKE I SAID, IT'S KIND OF CRAZY JUST TO SEE HIM COME FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN HIM COME FROM AND GO THROUGH TO BE AT THE POINT TO NOW WHERE HE HAS THREE RESTAURANTS AS BLACK MAN IN CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, AND TO WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK UP TO HIM, IT'S REALLY MIND-BLOWING.

IT REALLY IS MIND-BLOWING.

I THINK THE BIGGEST GIFT I CAN GIVE HIM IS TO JUST HAVE HIS BACK, LIKE I SAID, AND CARRY ON WHAT HE WANTS ME TO.

YOU KNOW, HE TELLS ME ALL THE TIME, IT'S LIKE HOW FAR I WANT TO TAKE IT.

AND MY THING IS, I WANT IT TO GO AS FAR AS IT CAN.

THAT'S WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR, IS TO HELP KEEP IT GOING.

YOU KNOW, FOR ME AND TERRELL TO BE ABLE TO HELP MY UNCLE, HIS DAD, TO BE ABLE TO SIT BACK AND ENJOY WHAT HE HAS DONE, AND BE PROUD OF US AS YOUNG MEN TO HELP KEEP IT GOING.

IT'S BEEN AWESOME TO SEE THEM STEP UP.

AND TO KNOW THAT ME AND LARRY HAVE GOT MORE YEARS BEHIND US THAN WE'VE GOT IN FRONT OF US, AND TO KNOW THAT I FEEL LIKE THAT, WHEN EVERYTHING IS SAID AND DONE, IT'S BEING LEFT IN GOOD HANDS, IS JUST GREAT.

IT'S GREAT.

Did you know there's a place close by in the North Georgia mountains where apes are living out the retirement from research labs?

Check out how Project Chimps is creating a swinging retirement community for these apes.

(light music) - Chimps are fascinating.

They're so much like us.

They have a very similar thought process.

- Chimpanzees are native, you would still find them in the wild, albeit endangered, in Africa.

They have been in the United States for many generations at this point.

These guys have been used in vaccination testing, disease testing, all the way back to your more famous chimps that were used as the first ones to go into outer space.

And while those different types of activities are being phased out, laboratory chimps are the first ones to be fully phased out.

Back in 2015, the laws actually changed to make that illegal because they were an endangered species.

Some of the advocates that had been working to get those laws in place for years realized that there was now a new problem.

While they were celebrating the success of making it illegal for chimps to be used, they needed to find a solution to where were chimps going to live.

- [Woman] Right, can you see me?

- The chimps need our help because they were born in captivity and raised by humans, so they don't have the skills that they need to live out in the wild.

(light music) There were over 700 chimpanzees still in labs here in the United States that needed some place to go.

- It's really important for sanctuaries all over the country to take in chimpanzees, and there's just not enough space, there's not enough funds.

So this was a really great opportunity when this land was discovered.

(light music continues) - [Guide] The Humane Society of the United States, along with some passionate donors and animal advocates were looking for a place where they could have an animal sanctuary where these chimps could retire from research.

- This property actually used to be owned by individuals like you and I, just a private couple, and they had a love for gorillas.

They created this sanctuary for gorillas.

Fortunately for gorillas, they're not really used in the entertainment industry or the medical industry, so they only ever rescued one.

But the whole property was already set up for great apes.

- So they realized that this was a great location where they can move forward very quickly to provide homes for the chimpanzees that were left waiting at the lab.

Donors came along, they established Project Chimps, and we were able to get the first chimpanzees here within a year and a half of getting the property.

(chimp grunting) (glass thumping) All the residents that are here at Project Chimps are coming from one laboratory that is the New Iberia Research Center, and they had the largest population of privately owned chimpanzees.

For better or worse, they knew where they were.

They knew the people that were taking care of them.

They understood the routine.

And now all of a sudden, all this stuff happens, they're on a vehicle, they're driving 14 hours to a place unknown with people that they don't recognize, and they come here.

And now, they're greeted by sounds of other chimps already here, and it's kinda like the welcoming committee.

And you can almost see the tension and the relaxation come as they realize that they're not going to a horrible place.

We're not open on a regular basis like a zoo.

You must come through on a guided tour.

And the difference between a sanctuary and a zoo is that a zoo is typically open on a daily basis for you to go and learn about the animals and have a very educational experience.

Here at a sanctuary, it's the opposite.

It's more about the animals and their educational experience and their growth process.

Now, we do rely on private donations, so of course, we want to introduce the chimps to the general public.

And we do that through a variety of ways.

Come out and volunteer or visit us on on of our event days.

- Some of the chimps really enjoy the human contact, sometimes we call it the human parade because we're sort of their TV program for the day.

And then some of the chimps are not really all that interested in humans, so they don't interact, which is totally fine.

They have so much space in the habitat that if they don't want to see or interact with humans, they can go do whatever chimpy thing they wanna do.

- It's just been a really incredible experience to be a part of.

Everything about this sanctuary just, it fills my heart.

It's a beautiful place to be.

- The chimps here have taught me so much about how to deal with other people and other chimps.

They have a very complex social structure.

They're really smart.

Being held in captivity really is boring for captive chimps all around the world.

In the wild, they forage up to 70% of the day, and in captivity, they're provided all their food, so they need places like this where we can encourage them to try new things and go outside and meet new friends and have their own choices to be able to explore and learn new things.

(laughing) - [Woman] He'll stand up.

- Chimps are highly intelligent animals, so it's important to keep their mind stimulated to the degree that they want.

(light music) - Enrichment items are puzzles and toys that we create for the chimps to keep their minds active and engaged.

- [Ali] A more complicated enrichment activity might be a puzzle labyrinth where they have to use a stick and a device and use different tools to manipulate something.

- The change in the chimps is almost immediate when they arrive here.

- One of the things that we see most significantly with all the chimps is their physique.

When they come in, they are on a decent diet, but they don't have access to the exercise and the fields and the yards that this facility provides.

So their muscles are a little weak, their hair isn't as glossy as you might expect it to be, and about six months in, you'll really start to see that noticeable change where being on the diet that we have, the access to the sunlight, the access to the fresh air, and the exercise really changes the way they carry themselves, the speed that they can run, the endurance.

- [Kathryn] It's almost like they can sense that this is a calm and non-harmful place.

- The reason that I like, of many organizations that I work with, Project Chimps feels really fulfilling because you will, in theory, get to see the end of this in our lifetimes.

We will be able to get all of the remaining chimps out of the labs, out of their current situations, have them in the sanctuary, and we'll be able to see the end of it.

(light music continues) - [Ali] Chimpanzees didn't have a choice in what was done to them, but they have given so much to humanity.

- I am blown away by their power of forgiveness.

After all that they've been through, they're still able to show kindness.

They're somewhere between wild chimpanzees and humans.

They understand a great deal of human language and body language, and they don't really know how to be a wild chimp.

But we really wanna get them outta the labs and into a place where we can provide them with more choice and play time and interaction with the different individuals that they wanna spend time with.

- We've got individuals that are going to be 41 this year.

They may not have too many more years left.

I have individuals that are just 10 years old.

They have a few decades left.

It's an opportunity to teach those folks that come here in person and see these chimps, eye-to-eye, toe-to-toe.

(crowd screaming and laughing) And see your wild cousin and not to forget what they sacrificed in order for humans to advance the way that we have.

(birds chirping) We all remember those first few months of the COVID 19 pandemic.

For many of us, it meant being confined to our homes and yards Contributor Judith Mogul created a love letter to her backyard and the natural wonders she observed.

Her unique blend of animation and sound embodies a belief that our moment in history may get better.

Here's Blow Over.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Greater Chattanooga.

Please visit our website to connect with us and to learn more about the series.

You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

I'm Briana Garza.

Thanks for watching.

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