Bush’s Visitor Center Flourishes as It Honors and Builds on the Legacy of a Beloved Brand
With its high-quality and ever-expanding line of beans, as well as its highly memorable commercials featuring everyone’s favorite “spokesdog,” Duke, the company has captured the hearts – and stomachs – of many. To fully experience the magic of Bush’s Beans, a trip to the Bush’s Visitor Center is in order.
Bush’s Visitor Center was founded in 2010 as a tribute to Bush’s Beans founder, A.J. Bush, who founded Bush Brothers & Company in 1908 and built two general stores in Dandridge: one in 1897 and another in 1911. The latter is now the home of the visitor center, which draws an average of 150,000 visitors each year.
“A.J. Bush started the company to provide a place for family and community members to work so they didn’t have to move away, and he built the general stores to provide better access to food and other household items,” says Scott Schroeder, General Manager of Bush’s Visitor Center.
Over a century later, Bush’s Beans remains a family-owned company – now in its fourth and fifth generations – and a community-focused company as well. The visitor center is a testament to that fact.
The visitor center offers delicious meals in its cafe. The center also houses a museum that has been recently upgraded to include more interactive features and an updated theatre, in which visitors get to take an in-depth virtual tour of the Bush’s plant.
As Bush’s Beans continues to innovate and evolve, it still remains true to its core values. When you visit Bush’s Visitor Center, those values will undoubtedly shine through the friendly staff you encounter.
“Our core values are responsibility, trust, caring, and integrity, and these values are upheld by everyone throughout the company,” says Scott. “It is wonderful to work for a good, wholesome company that ‘walks the talk.’ It makes you want to get up and go to work.”
Wanna Go?
bushbeans.com
3901 US-411, Dandridge, TN 37725
865-509-3077
