Though Gena and Brandon Clayton, who have 30 years of experience as restaurant managers between them, did not set out to own a business, they are excited for the future.
The couple took ownership Friday, March 1, of the Broken Barrel, a restaurant and bar on West Coe Avenue, Stanfield. Gena, 54, has been manager for a few years, and Brandon, 50, has been helping with maintenance during that time, so the former owner, Martha McClusky, thought it would be a natural next step for the couple to take over.
An official grand reopening of the restaurant will take place on March 9, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., though it really will last throughout the weekend, the new owners said.
“We just want the community to know that we’re here and that, you know, they can come in and meet us and meet our great staff,” Gena said. “Everybody that comes in, they can put a little ticket, fill their name out. There’s gonna be some drawings.”
Prizes include gift cards to Broken Barrel and some other businesses in town, with a grand prize of a tabletop grill set.
Although the walls will have different art, the shelves will be red instead of wooden and the staff will have new uniforms — including shirts with a new slogan on the back saying “small town vibe with a big city taste” — the staff and food they serve remain the same, with the same ingredients and same recipes.
“In the near future, hopefully by summer, we’re gonna add a few different burgers to the menu and maybe some more salads,” Gena said. “So, slowly but surely, we’ll add more things. But we want to keep it simple.”
The Claytons said many people in the area incorrectly believe the restaurant, which opened in October 2016, is a bar that has some food. In reality, Gena said, “It’s a restaurant that happens to serve beer and liquor.”
The pair are working on making the place brighter and more family friendly by increasing the hours that underage people are allowed and bringing in more lighted signs for the walls.
“We want people to feel like they’re at home, not just in a restaurant,” Gena said. “We try to keep it fun.”
Part of the way they plan to do that is to make sure their customers know they care about their opinions. The owners take new burger suggestions for their “Burger of the Month” tradition; they’re open to trying to make new cocktails if someone has an idea. March’s burger is topped with potato chips to add a crunch.
“We always treated it like it was ours,” Brandon said of the business. “It’s just like our baby, and that’s why we wanted to buy it.”
Family focus
When he’s not doing maintenance for the restaurant, Brandon works evening shifts with UPS to ensure he and his family have medical insurance.
“We don’t have to work 60 hours a week if we don’t want to, as long as we have staff,” he said of taking on his new role as co-owner. “I mean, it is a small place, so we do have to work more, but until summer hits, then we don’t have to be here as much.”
Overall, the goal is for them to work less once they’re settled in, since they like to travel. They also hope to grow their business, which will eventually pass to their three children.
“When I say grow, I don’t necessarily mean a bigger place,” Gena said. “But, you know, have more options and things (on the menu). We could go to different events around the communities around here. That would be something to look forward to in the future.”
One of the benefits of being a small local restaurant is it’s easier to be flexible and make things fresh for customers. It takes a little longer and might cost a little more than fast food, Brandon said, but the taste is better.
The couple sources the restaurant’s beef from Pat-n-Tam’s Beef, a local cattle ranch, for homemade patties for the burgers they serve. Many of their appetizers and almost all their condiment sauces are homemade. Only the ketchup and mayonnaise aren’t, Gena said.
“We try to have fun, because I feel if my crew’s having fun, the guests are going to have fun, it keeps them coming back, and so that’s what we pride ourselves on,” she said. “It’s fresh food. It’s not fast.”
All of the restaurant staff — not just servers — share tips.
“We found it makes everybody accountable because those servers are not going to get good tips unless that food is coming out hot, fresh, looking good, you know, proper everything,” Gena said. “And (the servers) have to be presentable, too, and talk.”
The sense of camaraderie is important to the Claytons, and is a central part of their approach to business.
“Without them, we can’t do it, you know? So it’s not about us. It’s about them,” Gena said. “As long as they’re happy, that’s what makes it go round, and the customers will keep coming in.”
