The tradition continues for Harrisville landmark restaurant
After 38 years, longtime Harrisville residents Dave and Carolyn Carr, the former owners of the Family Tradition Restaurant on Route 8 in Harrisville, are starting a new tradition.
Relax and enjoy life, Dave said.
In fall 2022, he and his wife, Carolyn, sold the restaurant to Mark Claypoole of Boyers. Claypoole asked if they would stay on for a year and oversee the transition.
The year is up Sept. 9.
The Carrs bought the Spot Restaurant from Pearl Phillips in August 1985. Carolyn, who worked at the Spot, remarked that Pearl would say that one day Carolyn would own it, but she never gave it much of a thought as neither she nor Dave knew anything about running a restaurant.
Dave had a career in the mining industry as a foremen at Adobe Mining Co. By the 1980s, however, the industry and the company were experiencing substantial changes, prompting Dave to look at his options.
Dave decided to approach Phillips, who was in her early 80s at the time, about selling The Spot, and they came to terms.
Shortly after buying the Spot, Dave, Carolyn and Jeff Kelly, Carolyn’s son from a previous marriage, were sitting in the kitchen thinking about a new name. Dave recalls a song by Hank Williams Jr. called “Family Tradition” came to mind.
At that time, the restaurant was open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. There were two employees: Carolyn and Loera Russel, who became a longtime employee.
“We took orders, cooked, served, washed dishes, cleaned, bought food — we did everything,” Carolyn recalled, adding that she soon called Kelly and said “help!”
Kelly also did not have restaurant experience. Looking back, he said it was on-the-job training for every aspect of the business.
Starting in the kitchen, he learned to cook. Eventually, he went on to learn the management side, buying food, bookkeeping, employee staffing, maintenance and equipment.
All three said that over the years they have been fortunate to have had dedicated, reliable employees that helped make the restaurant a success. Peak employment was close to 40 people.
It takes a lot of hard work to build a tradition, they said.
The restaurant required major renovations, new equipment, a new menu and rebuilding of the customer base. It was a big list, Dave said.
After two weeks into ownership Carolyn recalled saying, “What have we done!”
Receiving help and guidance from suppliers and vendors, the business was reinvigorated step by step.
New traditions arose. As a décor idea, the Carrs put six teapots on a shelf. Not too long after, customers began giving them teapots to add to the collection. It’s now up to 306 and displayed on shelves surrounding the dining areas.
Dave said the same thing happened with automobile license plates. He put up a few, and people started giving them to the restaurant. He doesn’t know how many are displayed now.
When chicken wings started to become a popular menu item, Dave saw an opportunity. As far as he knew, they were not available in the immediate area. It was decided to add them to the menu, and they became so popular that one year, the restaurant bought 75 tons of chicken wings, he said.
A catering business was added in the 1990s and was so successful it required, three trucks and numerous employees. The COVID-19 pandemic ended the catering service in 2020.
Not every restaurant has a resident ghost, but apparently The Family Tradition Restaurant has one.
Phillips, a widow, lived in the backroom of the restaurant. Her mother-in-law, Thelma Phillips, passed away in the room.
One night according to Dave, he went into the backroom, now a storeroom, and encountered an elderly woman in a shawl. He said they made eye contact for a few moments before she vanished. Friends of Thelma told the Carrs she always wore a shawl.
A number of employees over the years have encountered the ghost.
Dave had the tale printed on the back of the menu.
There has never been any incident of concern say the Carrs. Nonetheless, Carolyn said she is never the last one in the restaurant when it closes for the night.
