- Sense of Business & Sense of Humor
- Local Restaurateurs Make Sense of Both
- by Jennifer Emmert
- Reprinted with Permission from Cascades East Magazine
- Twentieth Anniversary Edition, Fall 1996
-
Within the first few minutes of our meeting, business
partners John Bushnell and Robert Holley warned me that they were a couple of jokesters.
They leaned in close, as if to tell me some crucial bit of information, and told me
I’d have a hard time getting any straight answers from them.
BUSHNELL: Half of what we
tell you is going to be untrue......which means that half is going to be true.”
CASCADES EAST: “Well
that’s better than no truths.”
HOLLEY: “That’s
better than Wes Cooley.” (local politician who was a notorious liar in the mid 90's)
But, when I told them I was an easy target, they reassured
me that gullibility is a sign of intelligence. I said I always thought so, too.
Thus, my interview began with these two characters, also known as the restaurateurs
of the popular Tumalo Feed Company and most recently Niblick & Greene’s at Eagle
Crest Resort.
Bushnell and Holley purchased the familiar yellow restaurant
in Tumalo, just northwest of Bend, in 1991. Then, it was called the Tumalo Emporium
and had suffered years of roller coaster success and a handful of (mostly unsuccessful)
owners. At one time, however, during the ‘60’s the restaurant was a favorite
among Central Oregonians, while under its original owner---a real “tinker”---
who started out with a little curio/antique shop that also served hamburgers. Over time,
he created a full-scale, family-style restaurant. Using scrap wood from local mills, he
added on to the c. 1910 building, eventually constructing a 7,000 square foot structure,
which serves as the restaurant today. According to Holley, it was a simple “twist of
fate” that brought them to Central Oregon (yet it’s really a bit more
complicated than that). They began to unweave the tapestry of their story:
BUSHNELL:
“Actually, Robert answered an ad I put in the paper that said I wanted a partner for
a restaurant business”
HOLLEY:
“That wasn’t exactly the ad he put
in.”
BUSHNELL:
(laughs) “It actually said: “Lonely Man......”
In reality, both had worked in the restaurant business since
their teens; Holley as a fast-food worker and Bushnell a dishwasher. In
the mid-70s, they met while employees in a popular steak house in northern California.
After a time, the two travelled separate roads until, in 1985, after receiving a
promotion within a well-known California restaurant, Bushnell recruited Holley to
work as its new manager. They reflect on what clinched the job:
BUSHNELL:
“Robert was the only available restaurant manager in town at
that time.”
HOLLEY: “It was a
town of seven, and the other six were in jail, so.....”
It was during a 1990 family vacation in Bend when Bushnell
discovered the quaint yellow restaurant and after some inquiries, that it was (once again)
on the market. Back at home, he couldn’t get the Tumalo Emporium-- or lovely Central
Oregon - out of his head; it was his dream to own his own restaurant one day. With the
help of Holley, who owned a private plane, they made several trips to Bend.
Ultimately, Bushnell asked Holley to join him in this
business venture, and Holley said yes. “The chance to get into the business that we
loved for ourselves was really a dream,” says Holley. At that moment, they shook
hands and decided that they would do whatever it takes to make it work. And they
did. They sold most of their possessions and spent their last savings to supply the
restaurant for its opening night, Valentine's Day, 1991. "We felt very strongly that
this deal was fated, " says Bushnell.
After purchasing the Tumalo Emporium, Holley and Bushnell
knew that big changes were in order, if they were to regain the community's confidence.
First, the name changed to the Tumalo Feed Company Steak House and Saloon, followed by
decor alterations, emphasizing a western working ranch theme and specializing in great
steaks and hand cut beef. They believe that atmosphere is more than half the fun of
dining out, and it's their philosophy that guests, like guests in your own home, should be
entertained, from the atmosphere to the servers. "We want to make a place
that's interesting and enjoyable and comfortable to be in, and lively....." says
Holley. On that first night of business, they did an amazing 190 dinners, and the success
has continued to grow remarkably each year. Just this year, the size of their business
doubled.
Since then, Holley and Bushnell have involved themselves as
business owners in other areas. For a short time, they opened a small burger joint on
Bend's West Side, Betty's Burgers, that did quite well. But a learned dislike for the
fast-food industry led them to take an offer on the place that they couldn't refuse.
Most recently, they purchased the restaurant at Eagle Crest
Resort in Redmond and were open for business as Niblick and Greene's, again, on
Valentine's Day, 1996. Coincidence? A "calculated accident,"
according to Holley. The Valentine's Day-Presidents Day Weekend is a busy time in Central
Oregon.
Unlike the Tumalo Feed Company, Niblick and Greene's
features a traditional Scottish golf theme that ties in well with the resort atmosphere.
They explained the unusual name to me:
HOLLEY: "John's
grandfather was Arthur Niblick, and he was from Kalispell, Montana....and that's
about as much of that story as I can tell."
BUSHNELL: (grinning)
"He's lying."
HOLLEY: "No, that's
right. John's grandfather was Arthur Greene. (laughs)
They explained that each diligently worked up 25 possible
names:
HOLLEY: I used
Robert's Place, Robert Holley's Place, Holley's Place....."
BUSHNELL: "I had John's,
Johnnie's, Jonathan's, John's Place, John's Tavern..."
Actually, a niblick is what golfers of the early
1900's termed a wedge, and greene is a take-off on putting green. Put together, they
are meant to sound like a couple of golfers, e.g. Mr. Niblick and Mr. Greene.
Apparantly, people had a funny reaction to the name, admits Holley. He jokes,
"What? Kibbles and Bits? Giblets and Cream?"
Aside from the restaurant business, both Bushnell and Holley
are actively involved in the community, either through the local Rotary Club, Chamber
activities, Little League, fundraisers, or donations to local groups. "We very
much believe in giving back to the community that has been so kind and gracious to
us," states Holley.
As business partners, they don't always see eye-to-eye.
"I'm a little taller," says Holley. Rather, they benefit form their different
strengths, monopolize on their similarities, and completely respect one another. This
enables them to work compatibly, side-by-side. According to Bushnell, he has been very
blessed in life: "I have a wonderful family, and met the right guy to be a
business partner with."
When I asked what is their key to a successful restaurant,
they said they could tell me, but they'd have to kill me (I should have seen that coming!)
They softened a little and explained that they focus on three
basics: quality of product and service; consistency of that product and
service; and the "event" or hospitality of the establishment. Says Bushnell,
"You have to be absolutely dedicated to making sure that every customer in your door
is getting that 'experience.'" And guests will see them at the restaurants,
greeting customers and making certain of their promise to serve well.
Even after all the success, both men hold most dear their
families and each other. For Bushnell, his four sons make him the proudest and having a
wonderful, dedicated partner in Holley. For Holley, his family, too, is a great source of
joy and also working with a "partner of integrity". They can't deny that hearing
the townsfolks' high reviews of the restaurants and seeing the same visitors year after
year put smiles on their faces; they know that they have "put themselves in people's
hearts," says Bushnell. Holley concludes, "It's a lot of effort, a lot of
luck, and a lot of blessing...we've been smiled on very graciously." I think
it's safe to assume there are no untruths there. -Jennifer Emmert
