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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2001)
January 5 . 2001 * J u t aaaftj j j flfíE T T T F T n S T In e w s S aucy S ynergy V r e together 24/7, and we love it.” Some people strive to keep their professional life separate from their person al life. But for Carl Smith and Telesforo Archule ta, owners of Starky’s restaurant and bar in South east Portland, that dividing line is gray at best. Smith, 53, and Archuleta, 51, will he life partners for 29 years in March. For the past 16 years, they also have been business partners. The two are together constantly, either at home in Alameda or at work in Starky’s. And they would have it no other way. How do they do it? “Diligence, hard work and— ” Sm ith begins. “And love,” Archuleta adds, punctuating the thought by leaning over tQ give Sm ith a quick kiss. The couple met in 1972 while working at a hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. W ithin a year, they had settled into their first and only rela tionship, sharing their lives and mutual interest in hotel/restaurant management. Since then, Archuleta and Sm ith have gained significant experience managing restau rants and taverns in Portland. Yet one of their goals always had been to find a space of their own, one that was a size they could afford to operate with only minimal staff. After scouting locations throughout Port land, Sm ith and Archuleta decided to acquire an existing establishment. They bought Starky’s with a third partner in 1984 and became the sole owners a few years later. Ironically, they didn’t even intend to make the place a “gay bar.” But as Starky’s was opening, the nearby gay establishment JR ’s was in the process of closing, Restaurant owners dish about being partners— at work and at home by T im o th y K rau se and its clientele wanted a new home. “All of a sudden, we were known as a gay restaurant,” Smith says. The Starky’s location at the comer of 29th Avenue and Stark Street works to its advantage. The friendly and comfortable environs that attracted jR ’s customers continue to draw a healthy mix of clientele from both the sur rounding neighborhood and the city at large— straight as well as gay. At first, the three original partners and one bartender ran the business. Now, the Starky’s staff numbers 12, in addition to Archuleta and Smith. Three years ago, the two men also bought the land and the building— a major advantage for them as business owners. “We were able to make improvements that a landlord wouldn’t let us make,” Smith explains. “We made the patio permanent, and we tore up the asphalt in front to put in landscaping.” Other changes not so apparent to patrons include new air conditioning, kitchen floor and roof. The only significant physical drawback to the facility, they say, is the lack of space that can be closed off for private parties, which are limit ed to the summer patio. “We don’t really change, we evolve,” Smith remarks. “Things are always in a state of transi tion. Things change, colors change, but I don’t think we change the overall tenor of the place.” Beyond the typical ups and downs of running any business, one of the greatest challenges for Smith and Ar chuleta has been to maintain an inclusive atmos phere while po litely discourag ing the stereo Telesforo Archuleta (left) and types associated with a queer bar. (Customers looking for a dark comer in which to make out would do better to head to the clubs downtown.) “The customer isn’t always right; the cus tomer just may not be in the right place. Peo ple come here to sit down, chat and have a pleasant evening. We don’t even have poker, and we’re still in business. Can you believe it?” Smith says, laughing. “No pool tables, no pin ball, no poker.” But Starky’s endures in good health, as does the bond between its two amiable owners. The couple say they do try to draw that line between their professional and personal lives and admit it doesn’t always work. But being together all of the time is just how this pair like it, and the key to their success is rooted in this synergy. For instance, the two opened a second restaurant on the west side six years ago. The arrangement didn’t last long, though, because Carl Smith they found they were spending more time talk ing on the phone than face to face. “Business was fine, but Carl and I didn’t want to be sepa rated like that,” Archuleta notes. Smith adds: “I don’t know what the magic solutions or formulas are, and I don’t think they probably exist. I have a feeling that for any other two people it would be a different thing that works for them than what works for us.” W hat apparently does work for this commit ted twosome, however, is their singular sense of partnership. j n located at 2913 S .E . Stark S t . , can be reached at 503'230'7980 or on the Internet at ivuw .starkys.com . S t a r k y ’ s , T IMOTHY KRAUSE lives in Portland and is managing editor o f a national trade journal fo r the recycling industry. 1RS TAX PROBLEMS ► The IRS has forgiven an incredible 8 7 % of tax owed by my clients. f CAM DO THS SA M E FOR YOUIf CALL NOW! For Your FREE Confidential Special Report. TT a \ / in L J A V ID P.C. \Y 7 tcs,r o G * re e « P ,Jm e s te t c 4 p A s.- TLjv o«© **3^ FoUsyty O " " " n a t i o n m a tu re c o n s e rv a « ** DANIEL W. ANDERSON, CPA 1 tc p (503) 295-7744 f^ w /cv W . U W b I s N O & ASSOCIATES serving the community since 1 975 A t t o r n e y s a t L aw David W. O w e n s Nell A n n e O ram * licen sed Brady M. Ricks * in O reg on FAMILY LAW ❖ WILLS & TRUSTS • Probate & Trusts • Conservatorships & Guardianships • Advance Directives • Domestic Partnerships • Formation & Dissolution • Adoptions • Divorce & Visitation ♦ REAL ESTATE • Home Purchase Reviews ❖ BANKRUPTCY • Advising Businesses & Individuals ♦ PERSONAL INJURY • Auto Accidents ♦ CRIMINAL Roger Gray an d W ashington 101 SW MAIN, SUITE 700 • Portland, Oregon 97204 ❖ Debra K. Hart When you buy or sell a home with m#, you*f? know your dollars are helping support a greater cause. 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