Café rises from ashes

Many of you have read of the trials and tribulations of Howard and Suz White and the Saddle-Up Cafe in Athol, which burned a couple of years ago.

Today, Howard can be seen daily rebuilding the dining area, one board at a time, plus adding a basement and a second story for a banquet room. It would appear that there just isn’t any quit in White. Currently, he is working out of his pocket without a loan. I caught him recently, holding a wet paint brush in his hand, having just completed the second coat on a trim board. Asked about how he was funding the rebuilding effort, he said, “One generous donation at a time.”

It was about 4 a.m., a fire broke out in the dining room, probably sparked by a space heater close to upholstery. Timberlake Fire District, just a few blocks down the street, answered the call quickly and limited damage to the dining areas, saving the kitchen, except for severe smoke damage. Armed with an insurance policy, the couple figured they’d need a few months to rebuild, then would be back at it. But the insurance paid off a loan on the historic building, leaving the Whites with very little.

That was Dec. 17, 2008. When it opened in March 2007, the Saddle-Up Grill fulfilled a lifelong dream for the Whites. Howie and Suz cranked out the first of many succulent smoked prime rib sandwiches, slathered with Suz’s secret barbecue sauce, along with what Howie called the world’s biggest and best burger: 12 ounces of choice ground beef surrounded by all the fixings. Out back is a 500-gallon smoker, where they turned out their food from scratch along with barbecue ranch-style beans.

Faced with a tough credit market that does not like the risks of restaurant financing, Howie and Suz spent two fruitless years beating on a wall of rejection. Following the examples of the many Horatio Alger books on poor folks succeeding by the dint of hard work and lavish prayer, Howard refused to lose all of the work and emotional energy it took to get back in business.

Squeezing a few bucks out of the budget and getting a little help from his friends, and some who were total strangers, he dug a basement, then framed and sheathed the new dining area. It will consist of a duplicated dining area on the first floor, storage in the basement and a banquet room covering the entire top floor. Five days a week he holds a saw or paintbrush. The other two doing what he does best, feeding the hungry. Rather than weep for an old crowded building, he thinks large and is still following his dream.

The funding of this effort is coming from Friday-Saturday benefits. Firing up his 500-gallon smoker, he is open for takeout with smoked pulled pork, burgers, hot dogs and many other things and there aren’t any prices or menu, just a donation bucket. Installed under a tarp is a wooden picnic table for those that can’t wait for the food to get home. He is serving this food for donations only.

Some underpay, but Howard doesn’t mind. He said, “People that are not doing well financially, will not drop much in the bucket, but then I would help those folks anyway.” Others, recognizing the need, overpay, which he says is kind of making up for the ones that can’t afford much.” Folks, this is North Idaho at its best.

You can find him bent over the smoker Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., feeding those who drop by.