Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill: Brand Name

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Brand Name

HAYS, Kan (May 5, 2006) - A new Hays restaurant will have a familiar touch of home to the many farmers and ranchers who packed Whiskey Creek on Thursday evening at 3203 N. Vine.

The finishing touch was put on the decor with a bar-branding party. More than 1,000 invitations were sent out to members of the Kansas Cattlemen's Association encouraging them to bring their branding irons and have their mark burned into the bar.

Glen and and Nancy Stramel, Hays, were among the many people who turned out with their branding irons and got a taste of hamburgers and hot dogs cooked on the restaurant's wood-fire grill. The Stramels weren't responding to a letter, though. “We know employees,” Glen Stramel said. The Stramels brought two branding irons. One belonged to Nancy Stramel's grandfather, who raised cattle near Wamego. His brand was the J-bar. They also brought their own branding iron, which Nancy Stramel's father had made for them when they bought a cabin in southwest Colorado. That one is the Lazy S Bar Nothing. The cabin itself is branded with it, Nancy Stramel said. As she stood behind tape strung up to keep observers out of harm's way while employees carried in the heated branding irons and pressed them to the top of the bar, Nancy Stramel admired the other brands being burned into the wood surface. “What's neat is, some of these are really pretty,” she said.

On the north side of the restaurant, about 10 workers — trainers from other Whiskey Creek restaurants — heated the brands in a specially built propane-fired pit used just for branding parties. When the irons were hot, they carried them inside, calling “hot brand” as they walked to the bar and found the right place to sear the mark onto the wood. Some of the irons were so hot flames sprang to life as they were pressed to the wood. Others merely raised lots of smoke as they scorched into the surface. The owners of the brands were called to move in close and watch their marks get burned into the bar.

The Hays Whiskey Creek is the first franchise restaurant in the chain. The other 11 restaurants are company-owned and located in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Florida.

The three principal owners are Shannon Gnad, Tom Lovewell and Gary Weatherbee. Several others, including Gnad family members and associates of Weatherbee's primary business, Commercial Builders, are also investors.

Lovewell is a familiar face to Hays diners, having formerly managed the Golden Corral. He will be general manager of the restaurant. Lovewell will be assisted by Rick Patrick. Patrick was the general manager of the Hays ALCO store for 10 years and the finance manager of Lewis Chrysler for the last three years.

Extensive renovation was done throughout the building, which formerly housed Country Kitchen, to create the western ambience of Whiskey Creek. Gnad said the partners invested more than $1 million in the endeavor, considering the purchase of the franchise, the building, equipment and furnishings and renovation work.

Whiskey Creek will open its doors for business at 10 a.m. Monday. The menu includes sandwiches, soups, salads, steaks, chicken, shrimp and pasta. Meal prices range from $6.79 for a hamburger and side to $21.99 for a 20-ounce porterhouse steak with two sides.

Last summer, the partners operated House of Fire barbecue and catering. Whiskey Creek soon will offer catering services.

Reporter Phyllis Zorn can be reached at (785) 628-1081, ext. 137, or by e-mail at phylz@dailynews.net.

originally published in Hays Daily News, 5-5-06, By PHYLLIS J. ZORN

	...more Whiskey Creek headlines
	(February 15, 2008) DEERFIELD BEACH, FL — "Focus on America" to feature Whiskey Creek® Wood Fire Grill Platinum Productions TV is pleased to announce that Whiskey Creek® Wood Fire Grill will be featured on its innovative, educational television series, Focus on America. The organization will be showcased in a segment on “Be Your Own Boss” as part of the “Americas Best Franchise Opportunities” series
	(January 18, 2008) ROCHESTER, MN — Whiskey Creek Franchise Announcement Whiskey Creek Franchise Systems based in Kearney, Nebraska is proud to announce that the 9th Whiskey Creek® Wood Fire Grill franchise has been sold to Blazin’ Beier Ranch, Inc. and is set to open July 28th, 2008 in Rochester, Minnesota. Whiskey Creek® is the largest Nebraska-based steak restaurant chain with 15 restaurants open, and four more under construction, in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Florida, Minnesota, Arkansas, and Iowa. Rochester will be the 19th restaurant in the chain.
	(October 16, 2007) ALEXANDRIA, MN — Big Things Cooking at Country Kitchen: A familiar restaurant in Alexandria has closed its doors. But don’t despair, it will reopen in a few months with a new look – and a new name.
	(October 14, 2007) MASON CITY, IA — Country Kitchen to make way for Whiskey Creek MASON CITY — Jay Kvigne’s goal is to create what he calls “a whole new landmark” in the restaurant business in Mason City.
	(October 1, 2007) MASON CITY, IA — Whiskey Creek Franchise Announcement Whiskey Creek Franchise Systems based in Kearney, Nebraska is proud to announce that the 8th Whiskey Creek® Wood Fire Grill franchise has been sold to Kvigne Enterprises, Inc and is set to open April 2008, in Mason City, Iowa.
	(August 9, 2007) KEARNEY, NE — Whiskey Creek Franchise Announcement Whiskey Creek Franchise Systems based in Kearney, NE is proud to announce that the fifth Whiskey Creek® Wood Fire Grill franchise has been sold to KC Hospitality, Inc and is set to open November 2007, in Alexandria, Minnesota, at the site of the Country Kitchen Family Restaurant..
	(July 19, 2007) PORT CHARLOTTE, FL — Eating with the Parrot, Chef Marc I enjoyed eating at Whiskey Creek Steak House on Tuesday in Port Charlotte Florida (for those of you from Texas we are on the other coast of the Gulf). This is an American family restaurant that serves a Great Steak.
	(April 9, 2007) KEARNEY, NE — Whiskey Creek Franchise Announcement Whiskey Creek Franchise Systems based in Kearney, Nebraska is proud to announce the opening of its third franchise store, set to open May 21, 2007 in Joplin, Missouri.
	(Mar 1, 2007) THE VILLAGES — Whiskey Creek Makes Mark on Villages Sheriff Bill Farmer knew he'd witnessed something special Thursday evening as he watched the hot branding iron burn the charred image of his family's ranch mark into the wooden pine bar. Careful hands guided the hot poker to the spot on the bar that now permanently bears the family brand — WOF — in the Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill restaurant in Lake Sumter Landing.
	(Feb 23, 2007) WHISKEY CREEK PLAN INCLUDES 35 FRANCHISES "We wanted controlled growth from the start, and we followed that business plan," said company President Jim Gardner. "Our goals have changed a bit. Now it's time to take some bigger steps toward growth." Although the Whiskey Creek chain grew to include 11 stores in four states, the restaurants remained company-owned until last year, when the first franchise store, the 12th overall, opened in Hays, Kan. The Kearney-based company now is in the early stages of an aggressive growth plan that will include at least five new store openings in 2007 and as many as 35 in the next five years.