More than 100 photos cover the golden yellow walls of the newly-opened Archie's Bar and Restaurant, and each piece of sports memorabilia comes with a story that owner Mark "Archie" Archambault is glad to tell.
He chuckled while pointing out a large, black-and-white photo of former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath sitting on the sidelines of a game in a mink coat - something only Namouth could pull off. His mother loved Joe, Archambault noted.
He smiled again while holding Tony Galbreath's Vince Lombardi trophy from the 1986 Giants Super Bowl victory. It's one piece on what he calls a "Tony Galbreath" shrine underneath one of 12 TVs. Galbreath, who lives in Fulton, let Archambault take various trophies and photos for the restaurant during visits to his home.
Galbreath is one of four athletes from Callaway County which Archambault paid special tribute to inside Archie's front lobby. Charlie James, former St. Louis Cardinal who helped the team win the 1964 World Series; Arnold Ray "Bake" McBride, 1980 World Series champion with the Philadelphia Phillies; and "Fulton Flash" Helen Stephens, William Woods University track-and-field star who went on to be an Olympic champion; are honored at the front door.
Pictures of Archambault and sportscasters Jack Buck and Joe Buck are easily found. Joe Buck married Archambault's cousin and the two struck a lasting friendship. Autographed photos of Joe Buck, like many other photos of athletes hung on Archie's walls, have a sense of humor. One of Joe Buck's autographed photos reads: "To Mark, My Fulton Flash. You complete me!"
Logos of Callaway County high schools and colleges are pasted on the walls because the students in the county are important to Archambault, too, he said.
Among the photos of famous football, basketball, golf, baseball and hockey stars, sets a special black-and-white photo behind the bar of Archambault's grandparents and his mother as a small child.
It's a personal touch on a space Archambault deemed is completely his own.
"When you walk into this place, this is me right here," he said.
Having complete control over the restaurant was the biggest change Archambault experienced as he left the Arris franchise about three months ago. He opened up the Fulton Arris' location seven years ago, and the switch has allowed him and his staff to have a say in everything from the memorabilia to the black and yellow napkins to the menu.
Originally from Aracadia, a small town in southeastern Missouri, Archambault first came to Fulton when he started attending Westminster College. A connection to the town made him stay.
"I just felt at home when I was here," he said.
In his senior year, he became a co-owner of the Tap Room, which is now 1851 Underground located on East Fifth Street. He was a bartender at the establishment when its owners opened up a new location and released ownership of the Tap Room. He ran the restaurant through the mid 1980s, learning "on the fly" with his business partner.
"Everything is easier said than done," Archambault said, reflecting on his time at Tap Room.
Through his work there, Archambault learned the key to the restaurant industry - serve great food and show people you appreciate their business.
"It's a pretty simple philosophy," he said.
Archie's opened Aug. 29 and premiered its new menu, which was developed after many recipes and taste tests. Archambault said the fried chicken is the restaurant's "staple" item, and is served with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and a dinner roll. Archambault's confident enough in Archie's chicken that he gave a warning for Kentucky Fried Chicken.
"Look out, Colonel," he said.
Other menu items include appetizers like chili, chicken wings and ravioli, and entrées like burgers and sandwiches. Archambault said his crew tries to make everything from scratch.
"We're constantly peeling potatoes," he said.
He will work with his eight cooks (the total staff is at about 15) on adding Italian dishes, salads and more sandwich and burger offerings to the menu. He gave credit to his whole staff, which consists of employees of Arris and new employees, to the success of Archie's opening.
Archie's has a Sunday brunch and live music (a two-man acoustic band) on Friday and Saturday nights.
Archambault said he's committed to serving Fulton and Callaway County for years to come, and the proof of that is in the craftsmanship of his building and the quality of his product.
"When I built this place, I built it on longevity," he said.