Shortbranch owner overcoming obstacles
By Cole Boehler
For the Montana Tavern Times
Perhaps this writer could be forgiven for mistakenly guessing Tami Carver must have been a model in a former life. She certainly has the stature and frame for it.
But alas, she has functioned primarily as a mineral and gas corporate secretary/treasurer (and still does), even while owning the Shortbranch saloon in beautiful little Lakeside, situated along Hwy. 93 below Kalispell on the west shore of Flathead Lake.
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| Tami Carver mixes a drink at the Shortbranch Saloon recently. |
She says she's a Salt Lake City native who received her education there. She earned a degree in nursing before moving on to McCall, Idaho, then heading to the Flathead country of Montana in 2000.
She bought the all-beverage-licensed Shortbranch from Jerry Walker and Sharyl Miller, she says, in 2006 and worked it 24/7, opening and closing and swamping in between.
As the business began to produce returns, she was able to hire additional staff, though we found her opening the place herself bright and early on a sunny morning recently. The Shortbranch now employs six full- and part-time workers, Caver says.
"I felt like I was running into a 'glass ceiling'," Carver said. "I thought I wanted to be my own boss. I looked at the business two years before I bought it," but wasn't able to come to terms with the owners, she says. Eventually, the owners felt additional motivation so Carver says she took another run at it and made the deal.
"I have no regrets," she says. "I'm still enthusiastic about it," despite some mighty challenges.
First, the smoking ban and recession put a dent in business income, though Carver says patrons have been getting used to the ban, and gaming and the bar are both up in 20011 compared to 2010.
The other major hurdle Carver leapt was a fire that ruined the interior in November of 2010, and this just after a major remodeling in 2007. She says an improperly installed fireplace insert allowed flames into the walls and eventually the ceiling and roof.
"The fire melted the wires of the fire alarm. The main ridge beam burned down to one-half inch," she relates, narrowly averting the entire collapse of the roof. All told, damage was in the $100,000 range.
The business had no fire insurance, a factor which would have tipped over many others.
However, Carver says with the help of good people the Shortbranch was remodeled and reopened by Dec. 23, "a 60- to 90-day job that was completed in 30 days."
The new interior features an up-to-date and functional back bar and vaulted ceilings. The kitchen was refurbished at the same time. The wood and stone exterior and the metal roof implies a clean and modern facility which still fits the "rustic country" ambiance of Lakeside. Its capacity is rated for 119 patrons.
"It's a very welcoming place," Carver says. "It's very friendly. We personally greet everyone. We stress customer service. We keep everything very clean. We try to have some class."
The full-service bar is complemented by an enclosed gaming parlor which Carver says receives the bulk of the promotional investments. The restaurant is mostly for customer convenience but is expected to be profitable, too. The Shortbranch is noted for its eat-in or take-out broasted chicken, Carver says. The off-sale package business is an important revenue component as well, she adds.
"We do outdoor music monthly during the summer," Carver says, as well as ladies' nights, show and shine car and motorcycle events and more. Incidentally, she rides her own Harley Davidson Road King, "but not nearly enough!" she says with a laugh.
She says fall seasons are slow and that summer is the "gravy" season. The substantial resort just across Hwy. 93 helps a lot, too.
As for 2011, Carver says, "It sure feels better than last year!"