Northeast Oregon Now’s “Business Spotlight” highlights a local business in the greater Hermiston area. Know of a great local business in the community? Feel free to let us know about it at neonow@outlook.com
STANFIELD, Ore.-Gena and Brandon Clayton celebrated their first year of ownership of the Broken Barrel Restaurant in Stanfield in March.
For the husband-and-wife owners, it has been a labor of love, family and community that they hope to continue.
Gena started working at Broken Barrel for the previous owner about two weeks before COVID hit in March of 2020.
While the restaurant was able to stay open, mostly relying on takeout orders, two managers left within the year, and Gena sort of unofficially took over management duties as the owner considered selling.
“I had a five-year plan,” said Gena Clayton. “It didn’t really include management or ownership in my plans; I was going to retire.”
The previous owner wanted to leave Broken Barrel in good hands and when she “couldn’t find the right fit,” she encouraged Gena to consider buying the restaurant while she was on a cruise in 2023.
After their vacation, Gena and Brandon met with the owner in Bend and decided to buy the bar.
A family affair
Prior to buying Broken Barrel, the Claytons worked together managing Kentucky Fried Chicken locations in Central Washington and in Hermiston for ten years.
“It’s been challenging, but not as hard as I thought it would be,” said Clayton, of running Broken Barrel. “The lottery and the liquor were the hardest part.”
Working side-by-side as husband and wife, and now owners, the Claytons joke that they, “bought a bar and got nine more children.”
Indeed Broken Barrel is a family affair, with the Clayton’s son, a cook, among the restaurant’s nine employees.
“Staffing is one of the most important things,” said Clayton. “Getting the right people who mesh, our team all gets along and works well together.”
Clayton believes in taking care of her employees, so that they, in turn, can take care of the business and often rewards her workers with shout-outs and little gifts or cards.
“I’ve never had a boss quite like Gena,” said Phelicia Lepez, a Broken Barrel employee. “She’s amazing and fun to work for, she makes me want to come to work.”
Like a true family, the Broken Barrel team also rallies around their own, as evidenced when an employee was recently hospitalized and their co-workers rearranged schedules to ensure all shifts were covered
Community
“Broken Barrel belongs to the town,” said Clayton. “We’re not a bar, we’re a restaurant with a bar.”
That link to the community is evident on the restaurant’s menu, which includes fresh, natural beef from Pat-n-Tam’s in Stanfield.
“Our burgers are hand-pressed every day,” said Clayton. “We may pay a little more for it, but we believe in only serving the best.”
According to Clayton, the most popular items on the Broken Barrel menu are the Spicy Cowboy Burger and the Saturday Night Prime Rib Special.
“We provide friendly service,” said Clayton. “We want customers to come in and relax, to feel like family, like this is our house, not a restaurant.”
The community has embraced Broken Barrel’s familiar, personalized atmosphere, and that connection allows the Claytons to make specialized meals, if necessary, due to food allergies or other medical needs.
“The community has been great, they’ve really supported us,” said Clayton, of the enthusiasm for Broken Barrel’s food, events, such as raffles they occasionally hold, or a street fair outside the restaurant.
The future
Already a staple in Stanfield, Clayton hopes to grow Broken Barrel’s presence in the region.
“We want Hermiston to know we’re here, take the short drive and check us out,” said Clayton.
The ultimate plan is to keep growing, perhaps to the point where a manager is in place to run the restaurant so the Claytons can spend more time on the Oregon coast, and maybe even open up a Broken Barrel food truck on the other side of the state.
“It’s been really good, a lot of fun,” said Clayton of the first year of ownership. “We have the perfect staff and I love the community and our clientele.”
The Broken Barrel is located at 120 W. Coe Avenue in Stanfield.
