By Cole Boehler, Editor
Montana Tavern Times
It was about 2 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon when the phone rang at The Den in Cut Bank. Proprietor Tippy Burtch answered.
"I'll be in Cut Bank about 8 p.m. tonight," the reporter said. "Can you give me an hour for an interview? I'd like to do a feature on your place."
"Uhhh..." Tippy said. "I'm flying to Dallas in the morning and need to do some packing... But, sure, drop in and I'll meet you."
Maybe it's that accommodating attitude that has made The Den a success; a willingness to say 'yes' to people; to put other people--perhaps people such as customers--ahead of your own immediate needs and desires.
It had been awhile since this writer was in Cut Bank. And though I once ran the weekly newspaper there for two months back in the late 1970's when it was being readied for sale, the town seemed mostly unfamiliar, and that included the exact location of The Den. But in a Class B town of 2,800, nothing is real hard to find.
The Den features a nice, but not fancy or gaudy, brick exterior facade trimmed with a bright red awning. Right next door is The TNT Casino, a brand new establishment completed over the summer by Montana Tavern Association stalwart Tanya Harper.
Tippy, too, has more than paid her dues in her licensee business association. She has served on the board of directors for years and was elected Sergeant At Arms at the recently concluded state convention. So if you don't belong at some MTA meeting, she will be the saucy brunette who shows you to the door.
The interior of The Den is spacious, modern and clean. The restrooms sparkle. On this Thursday night it has a fair crowd of working class regulars playing pool and foosball or visiting with friends at the long bar over cold beers.
Five big flat-screen TVs are strategically placed about the interior for customer enjoyment. And even though the next holiday is still three weeks out, the place has been extensively and tastefully decorated for the occasion.
It is clear this venue is a tavern, not a casino.
Island Oasis and Jagermeister dispenser machines sit atop the back bar, an indication that Tippy has her eye on the marketing aspects of the business as well as the operational ones. With 10 all-beverage and one beer and wine license in town, it is clear this must be an ultra competitive market where those who snooze will lose.
The Den sponsors pool teams and runs live poker games. There are 120 NASCAR Fantasy League teams who are pitched a big bash at the Den at the end of the season complete with food, buckets of beer, decorations and give-a-ways.
This fall The Den sponsored a silent auction for the Hi-Line Women Against Breast Cancer, helping to raise over $6,000. They do a Hawaiian-themed Pig Roast and have hosted the Border Patrol Christmas Party as well as numerous wedding receptions. A DJ or live music can be found there on occasion.
Just recently a new drink menu has been offered and it is "going over pretty well," Tippy says. Four beers are on draught and a good selection of craft beers is available.
"I stock what customers want," she says, "but there are so many new drinks available. The flavored vodkas are doing well. But we still do the best with 'down home' drinks" like a Black Velvet ditch, she adds.
So why in the world was Tippy heading for Dallas the next morning?
She explains she is a fan of all things Boston: Red Sox, Celtics and, of course, New England Patriots who were facing off with the Dallas Cowboys the coming Sunday. Her son, Shane, who is a third year student at the technical college in Havre learning welding and diesel mechanics, is a rabid Cowboys booster.
Tippy exploited some connections and had gotten them some prime seats. (Tippy was the luckier fan as the Pats drubbed the Cowboys 48-27).
Tippy says she was born in Shelby just to the east on U.S. Highway 2--the "Hi-Line"--but went to high school in Cut Bank, Sunburst and Browning.
"I was a 'construction brat,'" she says, as her father moved regularly following the available jobs. Her first connection with the bar business was established when her father bought Bart's Place in little Kevin, Montana, a few miles to the north. She started tending bar there when she was just 16, she recalls.
She attended college first at MSU in Bozeman, then transferred to U of M in Missoula where she graduated with a degree in business administration before taking up pre-law. This is where she developed her present day devotion to the Montana Grizzlies.
So what became of the law school ambitions?
"Well, I went through a nasty divorce about that time and that changed my view of the law," Tippy says wryly. So she went to work while she raised her young daughter, Maurya, who is now an X-ray technician. She tended bar in Colstrip, Hazen, No. Dak., Casper, Wyo., Longview, Wash., Whitefish, Bozeman "and several places in Shelby."
Tippy, who reverted to, and kept, her maiden name, met her current husband, John Horgus, when Maurya was just four. John operates a 4,500-acre grain farm near Sweet Grass, where he also lives. "That's why we're still married," Tippy says with characteristic caustic humor. "I stay out of farming and he stays out of here."
It was back in 1988 when a lawyer friend, Joe Hunt, now deceased 10 years, called her and said, "Let's take a look at a bar for sale in Cut Bank," Tippy recalls. "We bought it the next day".
Where did a working mom get the wherewithal to make a down payment as an equal partner in a bar business?
"I'm a saver," Tippy says. "Besides, we got in at a good price but we had to put a lot more money in: all new wiring, plumbing, refrigeration... We pretty much gutted it and started over. But, you know, I've never thought I made a mistake.
"Its been paid off five times," Tippy says, then explains, "Every time we got the debt paid down, we went back into debt to finance some major improvement or expansion," including a complete remodel of the interior.
The latest is a very impressive and well furnished meeting room at the rear of the saloon. She is now eyeing a new floor.
While it is clear The Den is a successful enterprise, Tippy lays much of the credit at the feet of an exceptional staff of eight, all part-timers and some who are single mothers, who she says she pays well. She also offers paid vacations, holidays, sick days and 401K retirement plans.
"You've got to take care of them," she says simply.
Perhaps accordingly, when Tippy is asked about her plans for the future she says first, "Bigger IRAs and better wages for employees."
"I'll probably still be here in 10 years," she says. "I need to stay busy. But I want to continue to upgrade the facility, too.
"Bars have a place in our society. We can make someone's day a little better. And living in smaller towns, we can get to know our customers."
"I have a very good crew so I can leave when I want," though she still puts in 40 hours or so every week. "I did take six weeks off once," she admits, to indulge her passion for travel.
She and husband John have a fifth wheel camp trailer that they take to their favorite outdoor spots for some fishing, and Tippy says she wants to continue to explore the U.S., though ultimately she has set her goals somewhat higher.
"I want to see Egypt--the Pyramids--and Moscow," she says wistfully. "I'll get there, hopefully in good health."
She also enjoys growing and working with flowers, and reading, mostly histories and mysteries. She likes horses and has used them on several backcountry pack trips.
What else?
"I want a Harley!" she says with a laugh.
"Life is good. It's what you make it. I'm lucky: I've got great kids, a good husband, great employees, a good business, good friends... And I get to live in Montana!"
What could be better?
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, December, 2007, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.