1918—a six year old boy saw a pair of knickers in the window of a clothing shop in downtown Atlanta.  The son of Orthodox Christian Lebanese emigrants, he knew that his family would never be able to buy the knickers, so he began hawking papers on the streets of Atlanta and bought the knickers for himself.  As unimportant as that event might be it was a life changing event for John E. Jacobs.

While he was hawking papers on the streets he found the best spot was near a local restaurant named the Partridge.  He liked the restaurant because they had fancy tablecloths.  He decided at six years old that he would grow up and open a restaurant named the Partridge—with his own fancy tablecloths.

In 1933, in the midst of the depression, John E. Jacobs fulfilled his dream and opened the Partridge Restaurant in downtown Rome, Georgia.  He needed help, and true to his Lebanese roots, he turned to family. His mother and grandmother joined him in his venture to open the Partridge.  Lebanese chefs, cooking American food, both his mother and his grandmother did the lion’s share of support work for John.

Originally located in a small storefront on Broad Street, the family quickly realized they needed more space.  The Partridge moved to the six hundred block of Broad Street in a building that has now been replaced by a parking deck for Wells Fargo Bank.

Ultimately, the Partridge moved to its “new” location at 330 Broad Street in 1962.   Mr. Gordon offered to convert the historic Gordon Theater, which had seen some of the most famous movie stars of the Golden Era of Hollywood appear on the stage promoting their movies, into a restaurant.  As a result of this conversion the stage and catwalks of the old theater are still in place behind the kitchen area.

From that point on, the Partridge has been a central player in the history of Rome.  From housing judges and lawyers during their lunch break, to providing a quick meal for musicians, wrestlers, and their crews performing downtown, to welcoming locals with a great home cooked meal, the Partridge has become an important part of the fabric of Rome, Georgia.

In 1996, John E. Jacobs’ wife of 34 years, Karemy Domain Jacobs, took over the restaurant—continuing the tradition of a family owned restaurant serving everyone who comes through the doors.

The Partridge has been featured in the New York Times and a variety of other newspapers around the country, books, and news reports over the years.  It has been visited by Presidential candidates, Governors, Senators, other politicians, and a variety of celebrities.

The Partridge Restaurant—serving fine food for 78 years and counting.

Ricky Patterson and Shannon Wilson are now at the helm navigating the Partridge Restaurant  towards a return to the luster and prominence of yester year in downtown Rome.  They are well known around the Rome area both personally and professionally.  They have been in the restaurant arena for many years, beginning back in their younger years at Schroeder's New Deli on Broad Street, Margretta Hall on Broad Street, Schroeder's in Calhoun.  Ricky also managed at Applebee's for several years. They have been interested in getting back in the restaurant business for years but never settled on the location and theme. Having adored The Partridge for years, it became the ultimate opportunity to do what they've been wanting to do. The Partridge has had a reputation for greatness for decades and Ricky and Shannon are suited and excited about bringing that reputation back.