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Melinda Rhea, better known as Ms. Peanut,
and daughter Nancy, standing in front of
Peanuts Mecca Lounge.
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Staff reports
Since it opened October 10, 1976, the Mecca Café at 101 Buffalo Street has been a fixture in downtown Johnson City, TN. Recently, in honor of the its 33rd year in business, the café has changed its name to Peanuts Mecca Lounge.
 The Lounge is owned by Melinda Rhea, born in 1923 in Carter County
but better known to the downtown area as Ms. Peanut. For the last couple
of years her daughter Nancy has helped manage the Lounge so her mother
could relax. But in Ms. Peanut’s case, relax does not mean retire: she
will be back in full swing in mid-April.
There are many reasons the Mecca Lounge has been a successful
business for so long. The main one, of course, is Ms. Peanut herself,
and another is her motto, which reads: “Be good — you can stay. Be bad —
be gone! It’s up to you.”
Finally, of course, there’s the friendly atmosphere, good cold
beer, and the best juke box in town. That’s what Peanuts Mecca Lounge is
all about, and that’s why, after 33 years, it’s still such a favorite
draw in downtown Johnson City.
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