Patsy Clark’S Sold Landmark Restaurant To See Changes

It’s been the source of juicy speculation on the restaurant grapevine for months, but now it’s a done deal: Patsy Clark’s Mansion is under new management.

The Kirtland Cutter landmark, built for mining magnate Patsy Clark in 1898, will now be operated by Monty Danner, owner of the similarly named, but not related, Clark House on Hayden Lake.

“We’re going to do everything to bring it back to its former glory,” said Danner, whose son Mark, 36, will oversee the day-to-day operation of the Browne’s Addition restaurant that employs 40.

Danner declined to name the price he paid for the venerable restaurant (which sold for $1.2 million in 1995), but said it was “probably too much.”

Patsy Clark’s was considered Spokane’s finest restaurant when it opened in 1982, the place to celebrate special occasions. Former House Speaker Tom Foley brought Patsy’s enduring fame when he entertained President Bush there in 1989.

In 1995, the original owner - the late Chuck Quinn - sold Patsy’s to three Spokane businessmen. Less than a year later, one of the three, Steven Senescall, bought out his partners and became sole owner.

In the four years Senescall has owned Patsy Clark’s, there have been a number of personnel changes in the kitchen and the front of the house. Customers balked as prices increased to $20 to $25 for dinner entrees.

There was also an ill-fated attempt to tone down the swank surroundings. Recently, servers have been dressing down in denim to try to attract more casual diners.

“Senescall did a lot of nice things to the place. He sunk a lot of money into renovations,” said Jim Rhoades, Pasty’s general manager from 1986 until 1992, when he left to open Rock City Grill.

However, he said, “Restaurants of this magnitude should be run by restaurant people. People who haven’t been in the business soon find out it’s an extremely hard business to make money.”

Spokane’s fine-dining scene has also grown bigger since Patsy’s glory days in the ‘80s.

“You now have competition from places like Luna and Paprika (both on Spokane’s South Hill). There are just so many more places where people go for special occasions,” Rhoades said.

Danner has considerable experience turning historic places around. In 1989, he and his partner, Rod Palmer, purchased the run-down Clark House on Hayden Lake. They painstakingly restored the 1910 property and opened a bed and breakfast. A gourmet, reservations-only dining room opened in 1995.

The Clark House has since become a renowned destination, garnering attention in national magazines including Country Inns and Travel-Holiday. It will be featured in a Nov. 28 episode of Bob Vila’s “Restore America” on cable television.

Since signing off on the deal on Saturday and taking possession on Monday, Danner has already made one significant change by bringing back chef Everett Fees.

“Everett was there during the restaurant’s heyday, and he’s going to get the kitchen back up to speed,” Danner said. “The emphasis is going to be on the food, first and foremost.”

Fees, who has been the chef at the Clark House for the past two years, said it felt great to be back at Patsy’s.

“We’re going to be making changes to the menu starting next Monday, introducing the best quality items available,” said Fees, who will also run the kitchen at the Clark House. “We want people to feel like they’re getting the best value for their money here.”

Danner also has the service staff back in the more formal black-and-white uniforms.

“They wanted to attract a more casual diner, but this is a special-occasion place and we’re going to run it like the finest facility in Spokane, in the Northwest,” Danner said.

Rhoades, who said he was also recently approached about purchasing Patsy’s, said the elegant atmosphere has always presented something of a conundrum.

“When it comes to Patsy’s, it’s best asset is the Mansion and its worst asset is the Mansion,” Rhoades said. “People felt like you couldn’t just go in for a casual meal, and that intimidated a lot of people.”

Danner said the restaurant will continue to serve lunch and dinner daily, with evening entree prices ranging from $14 to $30. For now, there will be no cocktails or wine.

“It all happened so fast that we’ll be without a liquor license for the next three weeks,” he said. “But we’re working diligently to have everything in place in time for the holidays.”