Charlie Jetter, Owner of Gus' Restaurant

Charlie Jetter owns and operates Gus’s Restaurant at 37 Market Square, is the father of two girls and is known by some as a revolutionary. Jetter says, like many American citizens, he is unhappy with President George W. Bush’s  administration’s choices throughout the past seven years. Instead of sitting around and letting the country he loves go to pieces, Jetter involved himself and his restaurant in Pledge to Impeach, a nationwide campaign aimed at having Bush impeached before his term ends. We checked in with Jetter to discuss his business and his participation in the campaign.

How long have you owned Gus’s Restaurant? Have you always owned it, or did you take it over from someone else?

Well, we bought the restaurant in 1985. It was originally on Gay Street where the movie theater is now. We got lucky enough to get this place on Market Square in 1999. It used to be a drugstore, and it had a small luncheonette in it owned by Gus Brinias. He’s the owner of Louis’ Restaurant in North Knoxville. Unlike what usually happens, the drugstore shut down and the luncheonette stayed open.

Market Square has changed a lot in the past few years. How have the changes affected your business, and do you like the direction Market Square is going in?

When I first moved to Market Square, there was a period where Subway, the Soup Kitchen and I were the only businesses. Slowly but surely, the whole area has been renovated. I think every place in Market Square has been remodeled. It’s been a dramatic change, and there’s a lot of diversity here now. The entertainment center of Knoxville used to be the Old City, but it’s Market Square now. I think it’s great.

On Jan. 17, you hosted a Party for Impeachment at your restaurant. How did that go? How many people showed up?

It went really well. We didn’t have a large budget for advertisement, so we had to rely on word-of-mouth. We got on a local radio broadcast, and that really helped. Seventy-five people came out to the party. We had lasagna for dinner, and then there was a forum for people to speak out about the Bush administration and what they felt they could do to improve our country’s political situation. For the budget that we had, we were really pleased with what happened.

What kind of people showed up at the event?

I was really surprised at the diverse group of people that came. Young folks, 17- to 18-year-olds, older folks, married couples and even one gay guy that decided that the Bush administration wasn’t treating the gay community properly. There were a lot of different opinions, not just the few that you hear on television. There was even one homeless gal that showed up to the party, and she thought that she was just going to get a free meal, but she broke down and read an original poem. She sat right next to a [University of Tennessee] professor, talking politics.

You were a guest on “Wild Bill” Lindley’s radio show, “Salute to America” with Kelly Martin and PTI spokesman, Anthony St. Martin. How did that go?

The radio show went very well. I’m not a trained speaker, just a guy trying to express his views, but by the end, (“Wild Bill” Lindley) was asking for my opinion before everyone else. I just got to say what a lot of people were thinking but didn’t have an opportunity to say.

Have you signed the Pledge To Impeach?

I sure did.

What does the pledge mean?

Basically, we feel that because Bush has less than a year left in his ’reign of terror,’ we have to put our message out. If this group of crazy people eating lasagna can come out about this, then maybe other people can, too. The pledge is simply a statement that this guy isn’t fit to run our country. As a group, we want to have a strike day, but I’m not sure about the exact date that that will happen. We want to recruit independent businessmen; people with the ability to control their business on a small scale, so when the day comes to strike, they can decide to close their businesses. I can close my restaurant down to say this is our little way to protest. I’ll give up a day’s earnings for that.

How did you find out about PTI, and why were you moved to involve your business in this campaign?

My foray into this was when the invasion in Iraq first started. I didn’t think it was right, so I put a sign up in my restaurant that said: “Peace in Iraq Now.” That sign caused a lot of discussion in Market Square. I got branded as a wild, un-American guy. People came into the restaurant and said they weren’t going to eat from someone who didn’t respect our soldiers and government, but that’s not what I meant. I think this war should be ended immediately. Why do we have to invest our best people in this conflict? One day a local leader of PTI saw the sign in my window. She asked me to sign the pledge and if I was willing to close the store for a day, and it just grew from there.

Have you asked other businesses on Market Square to participate in PTI?

I have informally. Most businesses in Market Square, maybe all of them, are small, independent businesses. I know most of the owners. Everyone is reluctant to stick their foot out. I’m not. I stand up for what I believe in. I just try to do the right thing. As a boy, my daddy stuck his foot out to help his family, and I have two daughters that I am willing to do the same for. I want them to live in a peaceful world and not worry about our government being instigators.

Have you been successful in signing many people up with PTI?

I’ve signed up probably over 100 people. I don’t have an exact number. People come in and ask questions, and I sit down and talk to them when I can.

Do you plan on attending the antiwar rally here in Knoxville in March?

I’m recovering from full knee surgery right now, but hopefully, I’ll be able to participate in that.

Anything else you would like the people of Knoxville to know?

I think everyone in Knoxville needs to know that if they sit back and watch and do nothing, they have no say in what goes on in their country. You have to search your soul, search your conscience, talk to other people and figure out what you think. The smallest contribution you make to something you think is important can be the biggest help. If each of the 75 people that attended the party for impeachment talked to another person about this political situation, then we’ve got a grassroots campaign started. That’s all it takes.