HOGFATHER'S 'SMOKIN PIG & THE ADVENTURE RUN 4 KIDS 2006

SNEAK PREVIEW - Here's some shots of the Restaurant so far for all you curious folks who just know we have lost our FREAKING MINDS! and for the nest two blogs there's new stuff on the Adventure Run and how this has all come together in the past THREE WEEKS! There's much more to share...but I've been working on getting this done since the 27th...of July so don't hold your breath OK? Enjoy our latest Ride through life with us for a spell...




BELOW - Here is the office and storage area...not quite as nice as I am used to...but as long as there is a pile of receipts...it will be a happy office. lol The phone and fax lines are up and in but the fax machine is coming soon...



BELOW - This is the prep area, where lots of undercabinet storage is available, and there are other things not seen in these photos such as soup and sauce warmers, smokers, and much more. Actually, this kitchen is larger than many I have seen in much larger restaurants. Including the Gateway Lodge in Three Rivers...and at the Sequoia Cider Mill.

BELOW - From the Prep Area you can see the Second large fridge, and next to it a good sized top and bottom warming unit and beyond that a freezer..what you can't see is a second fridge with icemaker and shelves with lots of warming and serving trays.



BELOW - The deep fryer wasn't cleaned as of this photo, but it makes a good contrast to show what all the equipment looked like before the scrubbing team came in and went to work...mostly Allen and William...and Valerie before she went back to California...but also Ashleigh, Tom and John and Wendy and anyone else we could grab to help get it done before the Adventure Run. There's a large 6 burner gas range, oven, flat grill, second vented grill, commercial microwave, and the salad and condiment server shown as well...not to mention the hood vent etc.
BELOW - Looking through the pass through window (complete with bell) there's a see through fridge in the background, a salad and condiment cooler lower right and a rack of pots and pans.

BELOW - This view is looking from the storage area, and shows the three stainless steel cleaning sinks and the dish sterilizer at the very end. To the right are dishes enough for serving about 200 people although the restaurant area won't serve that many as it is designed now.
BELOW - In the very back of the place is a double door entry and storage area...John doesn't have some of his stuff out yet, but against the wall are two catering warmers we can use if we want to prepare stuff and take it off site.


It will no doubt appear that we have all gone 'bonkers' up here when I tell you that we are opening a restaurant along with everything else we are involved in, so I need to tell you what happened to prompt this sudden leave of our senses and let you decide how crazy we are (or not).

A month or so ago Allen, Will, Tom and John went down to the old Hogfathers to pack up and move all of the Biker inventory we had out of the garage we rented next to Carvers Chevron. For those not close to the issue, we were paying $600. a month plus (very expensive) utilities for a retail store that had no water, restrooms, or heat for the past several years. Several months ago, a heating system was installed but it heated four huge Bays and cost us a fortune to operate. In addition, the 'store' was exposed to considerable road dust which ruined product and we couldn't have any real designated parking or frontage since the Chevron Station had it all.

Allen pretty much gave up on the business when we bought the ranch a year ago...and worked here instead of there as it seemed a better bet, then with the heart problems and lack of income...Pat decided to go on his own as well...so for almost six months, we were paying to store the retail store in that garage until just a month or two ago when everything was boxed up and brought out to the ranch for storage.

It's hard to believe, but Faye and I have been in Oregon now for two full years...while Allen has been here considerably longer. When I came to Oregon...we had some specific plans that got sidetracked to accomodate Allen's dream of owning a "Bike Shop' with Pat. The "problem" became pretty clear to me early on that the 'dream' was not going to turn into a reality because both Pat and Allen have no clue as how to run a business...and I was banned for two years from participating in it because it was 'their business' and they made it pretty clear that they wanted to do things 'their way' and not mine...so the course was set and it just took some patience (and staying away from there) on my part for the inevitable to happen. They made no profit...but it was a hell of a hang out and clubhouse for the local Bikers.

As money continued to be poured into the business...for no return of any significance, there came a point where I had to 'shut off the money' or take an active role in treating the business 'like a business', so finally both Pat and Allen agreed to let me try to turn it around or get it in a position to sell it with a promise that they would do things 'my way' for six months.

That lasted two weeks when Pat decided to do his own thing as a mechanic for our customers...and Allen had his first episode with the 'heart thing'....which pretty much carried on until the last month or so when he was able to recover and get back in the race to try to help make a living for our family.

We had looked at buying the building where the Smokin' Pig was located, but I am very weary of buying commercial property knowing how long it can sit on the market unsold as our commercial building did in Visalia for two years...so another buyer from Modesto came along and purchased the building for far more than we were willing to pay for it under the circumstances.

That was good news for us, and even better, John...who owned the Smokin' Pig was looking to share his space as he was interested in just doing 'catering' rather than running a restaurant anymore. Several weeks went by as the new Owner of the building John was renting closed escrow and got his bearings.

We were going to rent some space from John to try to sell the remainder of our thousands and thousands of dollars of inventory before it was forever lost in the lower barn and forgotten about...so when the new owner came to town...we met with him and John down at the site several weeks ago...and John announced that he wasn't going to be in business anymore...got a job as Chef for the Embarcadero Resort...and would sell all of his kitchen equipment for what he still 'owed' on it.

I know how expensive professional equipment is...and inquired as to what he would charge for it? When he said, "$5,000. for everything", I jumped on it. Even if we were a miserable failure...we could sell the equipment in a heartbeat for twice or even three times that amount...so, being able to rent the Restaurant for $650. a month...complete with two bathrooms...running water...etc. and buy tables, chairs, display counters, credit card machine, signage, Fountain equipment, and a ton of kitchen equipment for $5,000. was an offer we just couldn't refuse.

So, now we have a place to sell the Biker equipment, and establish the Motorcycle, ATV, Scooter and Dirt Bike Dealership for VENTO products...and have a restaurant in one convenient location. I'll share more about the plans for the Restaurant in another Blog...but the big challenge was getting the place clean and ready to host the Adventure Run's final leg...which introduced the Bikers to a place where they can buy Gear and Custom Chrome.

Needless to say, it has been an extraordinarily busy time getting things transferred over, working on getting Food Handlers Licenses, permits etc. but both John and his wife Diane are going to be around to help us get going...and we have Valerie (one of our adopted kids) who ran the restaurant at Sierra View Golf Course in their family business for years...who is coming up soon to help us get going as well. She wants to be in Oregon for the Summers and then parts unknown in the winter months...and it will be the Summer months we will need her the most.

I can't wait to tell you how we are going to structure the Restaurant aspect of the business...but we already have the locals begging us to open soon. There are a few restaurants in Toledo...but most of them are not open after 2:00 p.m. since Sue's Hometown Cafe decided to only do breakfast and lunch recently.

So, opportunity is knocking...and we hope to be able to 'answer it' as soon as we can!

Let me know what you think of the 'Latest Adventure' we've gotten ourselves into?




Leading the Toledo High School Cheerleaders in the Parade is Tom driving the Hummer. The "Boomer" or Beaver on the Top is the School Mascot. Poor Tom had to get up at dark thirty on the day of the parade, get down to the staging point with the Cheerleaders...defend his Grammie's directions that NO PAINT OR TAPE could be put on the paint of the Hummer because of the heat that day...and listen to complaining all the way by the 24 year old Coach.

When driving in the parade...the Coach ordered Tom to 'watch the girls so he could stop when they stopped' and it was almost the last straw Tom was willing to deal with. He replied to the Coach, "I'm driving a VERY expensive car that belongs to my Grandma...and I am going to watch the road and where I am driving...YOU watch the girls and then YOU tell me when to stop." She did, and the Team ended up winning the 'Best Sprit' award in the Parade Competition. I have only shared a fraction of the entrants in the parade that day. It was pretty impressive for a small town activity. Good job Tom and good job cheerleaders. OOOO RAH!