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Sparta Street Kitchen goes out of business after lawsuit filed
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James Clark
Updated: Apr 9, 2014, 1:03 AM
Published: Apr 9, 2014, 1:04 AM

A dispute between two local restaurants took an unexpected turn Tuesday when it was revealed Sparta Street Kitchen has gone out of business.
When contacted Tuesday afternoon, property owner Deborah Foutch declined to comment, but she did confirm the restaurant has closed and would not be reopening.
The chain of events which led up to the closing started last week when the owners of Billy’s Restaurant in Newtown filed a lawsuit against Billy Foutch for violating a two-year, no-compete clause. Foutch was the longtime owner and operator of Billy’s Restaurant before selling it on Sept. 30, 2013 to Darryl Bouldin and Danny Vickers.
The 16-page contract pertaining to the sale of Billy’s Restaurant included Section 7.3, which was a no-compete clause. The two parties were about six months into the two-year agreement.
In filing the lawsuit against Foutch, the new owners of Billy’s Restaurant sought a temporary injunction against him to keep him off the premises of Sparta Street Kitchen, a restaurant owned by his daughter, Deborah Foutch, and managed by his grandson.
That hearing was supposed to be Tuesday before Judge Bart Stanley, but it was postponed when it was announced Sparta Street Kitchen had closed. The injunction hearing is now scheduled to be heard before Manchester Judge Craig Johnson this Monday.
When contacted Tuesday, attorney Ryan J. Moore, who represents Bouldin and Vickers, said it was not their intention for Sparta Street Kitchen to close.
“All we’re asking is for Mr. Foutch to abide by the terms of the asset purchase agreement which he signed on Sept. 30, 2013,” said Moore. “That agreement has a no-compete clause and he violated it.”
Moore pointed out the no-compete clause goes much further than mere ownership and pertains to engaging in the operations of another similar restaurant. He also contends Mr. Foutch’s actions can be directly linked to declining sales at Billy’s Restaurant.
According to Warren County property tax records, Deborah Foutch purchased the property at 1127 Sparta Street on March 14. It opened as Sparta Street Kitchen on March 17. The restaurant had previously been Wilma Jean’s Kitchen.
Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Published: Apr 2, 2025, 11:31 PM

Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community