Owners Back Home In Tubs Cafe
Four months after Tom and Kelly Sullivan handed the Tubs Cafe keys to new owners, the little restaurant was theirs again - to the great relief of Tubs fans.
“Tom encouraged a family relaxed atmosphere,” says Sandy Gookin, who manages the Lake City Playhouse. “I’d call him after a show and he’d stay open for us.
I personally adore Tom and Kelly and this place.”
The Sullivans and Tubs attracted a following the day they opened on Coeur d’Alene’s Centennial Trail four years ago. They transformed an old shack into a funky coffeehouse complete with a copper bar, a jumble of antique furniture and paintings of balloon-cheeked Louis Armstrong on the faux marble walls.
Kelly was the artist, and diners marveled at her work. Tom was the host who knew everyone’s names and taste in music. They added an outdoor beer garden with a stage for live concerts.
The business grew, and so did the Sullivan family. Their second baby was on the way last year when Tom and Kelly decided to leave the demanding restaurant business for more stable credit card processing. Tom left reluctantly. Kelly wanted more time to pursue her art.
Last fall, they leased Tubs to Pat Stroud, with an option to buy. By January, they asked him to leave. He did, with his inventory.
Tom was relieved to have his restaurant back, but was counting on the sale to pull him out of debt. When the sale fell through, Tom declared a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
“We have five years to bring everything back to snuff,” he says.
“It’s a beautiful plan, and we’ll do it.”
Friends volunteered to help him reopen. Contractor Scott Stevens repaired chairs and walls. Restaurateur Tom Robb contributed inventory. Veteran television and stage actor Jack Bannon scrubbed the kitchen for days.
“I never went in again after Tom and Kelly left. It just didn’t feel right,” Jack says. “When I heard they had it back, I called Tom. They’re just really nice people, so gracious. Tubs has great soul.”
Sandy Gookin also called Tom as soon as she heard Tubs was his again. She proposed Tubs and the Lake City Playhouse collaborate on a production to raise money for the theater and promote the restaurant’s revival.
“Tapestry,” a live revue of Carole King’s music, will hit the beer garden stage July 28 and 29 and Aug. 4 and 5 at 8 p.m. Tom will slow cook a baron of beef over hickory smoke to sell for dinner along with beans and potato salad. Tickets are $8.
“Tubs is not for sale. I’m not going anywhere,” Tom says. “That four-month vacation made me realize what I’m missing.”
Weight’s worth
Forget the gimmicks and learn to balance weight from the experts. Kootenai Medical Center’s dietary and nutrition department is offering a healthy eating and weight management course, “Choose to Lose,” beginning Aug. 1.
The class lasts nine weeks. It will teach about fat calories and dispel some myths about foods to avoid. Participants won’t leave with diets but with healthier habits. For details, call 666-2840.
Iron kiddies
If the kids have energy to burn, pick up an application for the Coeur d’Alene Youth Triathlon. Depending on age, kids swim 100 or 200 yards, bike five to seven miles and run a mile or two. The tank is on empty after all that. The race is Aug. 12. Call 665-9393 for details and applications.