The Original Hamburger Booms at Gatlinburg Johnny Rockets Overview When Chad Kennedy decided to create the first Johnny Rockets in East Tennessee, he knew he had a winner for the tourist town of Gatlinburg. He also had some idea of what he was getting into, having already shepherded three local dining concepts to success. Kennedy had the space – right on Gatlinburg’s busy main drag – and decided to take on the challenge of opening two restaurants at once, with a Johnny Rockets downstairs and a new Mexican concept above. It’s a job he says he wouldn’t have been up to without the backing of the Rocketeers and KaTom Restaurant Supply. The Challenge There’s an old saying in East Tennessee that you have to build a church for Easter and Christmas, when crowds are at their heaviest, even though t

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