Johnny Huston Walters

 

Born in Mississippi and raised in Selma, Alabama. Walters began his career as a barber, cutting hair for just $7-$12 a week, sometimes working 10-hour days. Eventually, he saved enough money and bought a pinball machine. Once that paid for itself, he bought another. And another. And another.

 

Since one play at a pinball machine was 5 cents, he was able to open his own coin machine business, adding jukeboxes to his lineup. Walters employed his son, Marshall, as a service repairman. He was sent all over the country - from Birmingham, Alabama to Grand Rapids, Michigan, - to learn how to repair the complex Wurlitzer Jukebox. Bub, as he was affectionately called, later became known as one of the top servicemen in the area, helping the business grow to success. 

 

Johnny Huston Walters continued to build on his entrepreneurial spirit from the coin machine business to operating a pool hall, two barber shops, a restaurant and taxi line. Then Walters got an itch. He sold all of those businesses and moved clear to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He bought some land and built a mobile home park, Playground Mobile Home Park, which is still in existence today. 

 

However, Bub remained in Selma, Alabama. With his father's love of self employment, Bub bought out half of a television sales and service shop. But when Johnny Huston became ill and passed away, Bub moved his family to the Florida Panhandle to operate his father's business and expand it. Eventually Bub sought retirement and that left Ken Walters, Bub's son. To commemorate his grandfather's legacy and embark down his own alley of self-employment, Ken opened Johnny Huston's Grille and Bar, located in Navarre, Florida in November of 2008.