This Chef Accustomed To Work Behind Bars Former Prison Cook Now Runs Kellogg Eatery, Watering Hole

Diners share certain expectations, said chef Jason Durham, whether they’re at a state prison or a fine restaurant.

“It’s surprising how food affects people,” said Durham, 36, who recently transferred his skills from California’s Pelican Bay State Prison to Fred’s, a cornerstone Kellogg eatery and bar.

“The inmates had three priorities: food, mail, and family visits - in that order. As long as we provided them with quality food, we had a much lower violence rate from the population,” he said.

Silver Valley residents weren’t exactly clamoring for better food when Durham took over at Fred’s, now Fred’s Snowshoe Inn, in mid-May. But his reputation has spread. Last weekend, he served more than 50 dinners without even advertising that he was open.

At Pelican Bay, Durham prepared 14,000 meals per day. But he took the time to garnish the entrees with parsley and tour the dining room during meals to make sure his clientele was content.

“Each plate is a picture. People eat with their eyes no matter where they are,” he said.

And then, of course, there’s the quality of the food.

“We look forward to expanding the Valley’s culinary expectations,” said Durham, whose offerings range from teriyaki top sirloin to chilled strawberry soup.

A Spokane native, Durham wanted to be a chef even as a child. Inspired by a visit to a Las Vegas hotel, he went to work in a Spokane restaurant at the ripe old age of 11.

“I chose my career path early,” he said, grinning.

Durham went on to be certified as an executive chef by Chef de Cuisine, a recognized chef’s association, and worked for several large hotel corporations before taking the job at Pelican Bay to “get his breath back.”

Ten years later, he decided it was time to return to private industry. After touring the West, he settled on Kellogg. “It was the only area I found that combined ground floor opportunities with growth potential. I think it was a wise career decision,” he said.

Fred’s, a self-styled soup, sandwich and salad joint, wasn’t on the market at the time. That didn’t stop Durham.

“In the course of a light conversation, he asked if the place was for sale,” said George White, a former owner. “I said, anything’s for sale, including my wife, if the price is right.”

White and his partner, Paul Robinson, were already fielding more than enough work. Robinson owned KWAL, the local radio station, while White served as sales manager. Both were both well-known, long-time locals, and Fred’s drew a regular crowd.

But White predicted early on that Durham could make Fred’s a continuing success.

“Neither Paul nor I had any experience in the food business,” he said. “Jason knows it. He’s one heck of an addition to the community. He’ll make it go.”