Living on the job
story by Sarah Simonis
At five years old, Gloria Shull had a vision of herself giving food to people from all over the world.
“Jesus, I’m just a little girl,” she remembered praying. “How can I feed all these people?”
But 12 years ago, Gloria and her husband Stu came up with the answer – Gloria’s World Village, an international grocery store and restaurant on North 15th Street.
The couple lives above the restaurant, which was converted from a 1928 colonial home. A small sign marked “Private” provides the only evidence that one of the rooms near the upstairs dining area is actually a bedroom.
But Gloria said most of her patrons know the Shulls live there, so she does her best to make them feel at home too.
Restaurant customers can count on Gloria stopping by their table to visit. If things are slow, she and Stu might both pull up a chair and chat.
“This is like just having friends drop by,” Gloria said.
And the Shulls are always diligent hosts. Stu runs the kitchen while Gloria takes care of the guests, often making special drinks and desserts for them to sample.
Running the restaurant all by themselves makes for long days, but the Shulls don’t mind.
“We may not have much in some ways, but we have a warm bed, good friends, and good food,” Stu said.
There is no doubt for either of them that this business is their destiny.
“We’re supposed to keep going because this is what God called me to do when I was little,” Gloria said.
Gloria and Stu Shull opened their restaurant and grocery store in a former college dean's home across from Murray State University. The couple lives on the second floor of the house.
Gloria Shull chats with customers at the restaurant she and her husband Stu opened 12 years ago. "I like everyone, when they come, to feel like they got something special," she said.
Stu Shull gets orders ready at the restaurant he and his wife, Gloria, have run for the past 12 years. Stu stays busy cooking in the kitchen every day, while his wife waits on customers.
Lisa Yates, center, laughs with Gloria and Stu Shull in the kitchen at Gloria's World Village, 214 N. 15th St. "We don't hire normal people here, because they don't fit in," Stu Shull said jokingly. Aside from their daughter, Julie Sears, Yates is the only other help they have at the restaurant.
Customers leave Gloria's World Village on N. 15th Street in Murray after having lunch there. Gloria and Stu Shull opened their restaurant and grocery store 12 years ago. "Financially it's very hard, but we love what we do," Gloria said.
Stu Shull lifts weights at 5:30 a.m. in the grocery store he and his wife, Gloria, run in Murray. The couple live on the second floor of the home where they opened Gloria's World Village 12 years ago. Shull starts his days at 3:45 a.m. so he can go grocery shopping, work out, and get the kitchen prep done before the restaurant opens at 10:30 a.m. "I think the Lord gave me a lot of energy," he said.
Gloria Shull gets ready for the day above the restaurant she and her husband Stu run on N. 15th Street in Murray. "We live a very different life than most people," she said. "This is our life."
Stu Shull takes a break from cooking to have some of his homemade chicken vegetable soup at the restaurant run by Shull and wife Gloria. He said he generally looks for an empty dining room to eat so he doesn't bother the customers. "I'm getting to do something I don't normally do - sit down and eat," he said.
Gloria and Stu Shull relax above their restaurant after a long day. "Sleep will come easy tonight," Stu said. With only their daughter and one other employee, the couple work long hours to run the store and restaurant.