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Wlaf1450‘The Lord is in this’- Nancy Thompson, The Doorway Gourmet
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – “It’s a little ministry type kitchen,” said Nancy Thompson with The Doorway Gourmet. The little ministry type kitchen is making a big difference in lives around the community.
Several years ago, garage sales just weren’t generating enough revenue in the initial fundraising efforts for the Annie Caldwell Foundation, a nonprofit organized and operated for charitable purposes. Just more than seven years ago, Thompson says the Lord directed her and the group toward the idea of the kitchen ministry.
Funds from The Doorway Gourmet benefit the foundation which in-turn provides grant funding to organizations striving to improve the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health of those seeking a path out of drug addiction.
“There’s this one couple. They call everyday. They encourage us. They share recipes with us, and they tell their friends about us. Even jokes. They share jokes with us, and they just make our day,” said Thompson.
Thompson points out that a large cooler and a three compartment sink came from the folks at Powell Valley Marina as they remodeled their kitchen.
Tips and all go toward the foundation from The Doorway Gourmet. “Through lots of community support and selling lots of food are making this work,” said Thompson. Chicken salad croissants are the top seller. They drive the bus, according to Thompson.
Tiffany Pigg, a marvelous cook, has been there since soon after day one. Heather Benson, a great bakery specialist, moved here a few of years ago from Michigan and just came by one day and is still there.
Thompson and her husband Bill, of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, retired and moved to Caryville in 2017. The couple is originally from Louisville, Ky, and retired from careers in Florida. Nancy spent 30 years as a hospital administrator with Signature Healthcare while Bill was with Dean Foods.
“We’d always vacationed here with our kids at Gatlinburg and the mountains, and we just love it. When we left Florida, we came here, and it’s a great place to be,” said Nancy. The realtor located a home at Caryville, and that’s how the Thompsons ended up in Campbell County instead of Sevier County.
“We have a lot of fun,” said Nancy Thompson.
“It’s not about the food. It’s about the community. We are so thankful for every person who comes here. We love hearing their stories, and we also match retirees up with businesses and projects,” said Nancy Thompson.
Nancy mentions that there is this one woman who regularly calls when she’s at the store. She calls to ask if there’s anything we need.
The Doorway Gourmet has also been a training ground of sorts. Chris Lindsay, a student at TCAT, interned there a couple of years ago. Violet Jones, a student at Campbell County High School, is currently an apprentice baker to Heather Benson.
The Doorway Gourmet is between JR’s Tires and the Sonic and is open Monday through Friday from 10am until 6pm. The daily menu options include homemade dinner meals and individual menu items that are sold daily and are prepared Tuesday through Friday with pick up or delivery. You can stop in or order at 423.494.3391. Catering, parties, weddings and events are also part of The Doorway Gourmet’s services.
“That $20,000 oven over there cost $50 at an auction. It had hardly been used. First Baptist Church Jacksboro donated this Thermador Stove. Powell Valley Marina remodeled and gave us our three compartment sink and large cooler,” said Nancy Thompson. These four items were the biggest things The Doorway Gourmet needed. “That’s why we feel like it’s a little ministry type kitchen,” said Nancy Thompson.
The ministry is a two-way blessing, according to Thompson. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-04/28/2026-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’ S CHARLIE HUTSON)