Dale Murphy wanted to own a restaurant the same way lots of people want to own a restaurant.
The difference between Murphy and most everyone else, aside from a retired Braves number and two-time National League MVP nods, is that he now has that restaurant.
"Probably like most people (I) thought it'd be fun and interesting," he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday, the same day the eatery announced its soft opening on Twitter.
Manager Paul Moody said the staff is still working out hiccups and would probably hold its grand opening sometime next week.
What is set is the menu, which features sandwiches along with salads and burgers.
Murphy, who jokingly referred to himself as “official taste-tester,” said there are some early favorites.
“I love the buffalo shrimp.”
And then there's his off-menu upgrade — "it's a secret so don't tell anybody" — he tweeted out of ordering the classic burger "Murph's Way" with a fried egg and pepper jelly.
Here's how to find a replica of Murph's 1982 Silver Slugger and other Braves memorabilia at SunTrust
The eatery is located inside the mall area of the Cobb Galleria in a former Buckhead Pizza across from the Braves' new SunTrust Park.
The move sparked the idea of the restaurant about five months ago, said Murphy, a part-owner.
“If it weren’t for the Braves, I wouldn’t be here for a number of reasons,” he said.
Credit: William Berry
Credit: William Berry
The former outfielder was chosen by the Braves as the fifth pick in the first round of the 1974 draft. After debuting two years later, he went on to earn four Silver Slugger awards, five Gold Gloves and became a seven-time National League All-Star team member.
His jersey number, 3, was retired in 1994. A board with that number hung in Turner Field until the Braves' move to Cobb County.
Now, No. 3 hangs in Murph’s.
Other Braves legends who have retired numbers like Chipper Jones and Bobby Cox have posed for pictures with Murphy and the number in his restaurant.
Other memorabilia like pictures of Murphy as a bat boy at age 6 or 7 are also in the eatery.
“We want to make a place where people are comfortable and see some pictures that spark some memories and have some good food,” he said.
In other legendary-Braves-player news, watch Andruw Jones fall off a mechanical bull named after him:
