Trish’s dad, Harry Kennedy (nicknamed “Mutt”)
inherited McKinney’s Pond from his great uncle. To
Mutt, running a restaurant meant hard work, quality
food, and excellent service. Mutt didn’t waste time
with niceties, and it was his way or no way, but
he taught Trish, “If you can’t put out quality, don’t
put anything out.” Trish quickly learned attitudes
were dished out as often as food in the restaurant
business, yet she preferred kindness. As a teenager
and even through college, she maintained a hard
stance—she would never work in a restaurant again.
In her mind, respiratory therapy was her ticket
away from a life working at McKinney’s Pond.
“My dad kept telling me, ‘You don’t want to work
in a restaurant,’” Trish said. But being on-call with
the hospital as a single mom with a toddler was
nearly impossible. McKinney’s Pond might not be
Hometown Livin gg AAtt IIttss BBeesstt 5813
ABOVE Shirley and Trish with the staff at Southern Fields,
including Trish’s daughter Emily and her mom Dot
RIGHT Southern Fields opened in August. They already
have regular customers like Gerald and Shirley White of
Lyons.