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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2010)
community Birkenfeld Store and Café and said, ‘Did you see the store is for sale?’ and one thing led to another,” said Mike, when asked how a former phone company lineman ended up as the pro- prietor of a country store. Mike is originally from San Di- april13 2010 9 continued from front page of the café.” The café has been successful serving breakfasts and lunches and fea- tures hand-pressed burgers, hand-sliced meats for their sandwiches and real milkshakes as well as a nice selection of northwest beers and wines. “We’ve tried to make the area a destination and cre- ate an atmosphere here, offer- ing good quality foods,” says Mike. “You have to be able to change. And of course, this year we’ve branched out into the music and started bringing bands in.” That live music on weekends has been an added feature that has grown in pop- ularity, from just a handful of The deck at the Birkenfeld Store and Café. people to a packed room on some nights. Birky’s can seat ego and is retired from Northwest Bell/ about fifty people comfortably and still Quest. He currently runs the day-to-day leave room for a band and a small dance operations of the store while Wendy is floor. “Lock, Stock and Barrel” have be- getting ready to retire this year and join come regular favorites and Birky’s has him. Mike had lived and worked in brought in a nice mix of other perform- Eastern Oregon outside of Hepner for ers. “The music sounds good in this old about twenty years before finding his building,” says Mike. “It has a nice tone way to Birkenfeld. Wendy grew up in and the bottles on the shelf don’t rattle,” the Vernonia/Jewell area. laughs Mike. “Jack had started to dabble in Mike says he’s encouraged that the restaurant end of things when we more small local establishments in the took over,” explained Mike about how Vernonia area are taking the risk and Birky’s has changed since he and Wen- providing live entertainment. “People dy took over. “He had more of a deli. out here like to have live performances, And we saw the potential for it to be but they need to know it’s risky for the more than just that, so we turned it into owners to pay someone to come out and a café-- put in the grill, changed some perform,” he says. “People need to re- things around and then started adding to member that if they want these kinds of the deck. We started decorating because things, they need to support them.” Jack was kind of funny that way-- he didn’t like a lot of stuff on the walls. Of course, we’re country folks, so it has a nice country feel. We’ve tried to keep some of the character of the store without changing too much.” The Ingrahams have expanded the café space and cut back on the store space, giving them more versatil- ity with what they can do. “We’re trying to develop some different facets that can be changed at a moment’s notice,” says Mike. “We’re going to do a wedding this summer and we’ve been ap- proached about doing private parties out on the deck, and Two members of “Lock Stock and Barrel” performing an acoustic music set. we can do some catering out For Lease or Rent – 4 Bedroom, two baths, completely remodeled home. Beautiful new kitchen, Pergo and tile floors throughout the house, utility room with washer/dryer hook-up, central gas heating and air, shed, new privacy fence, landscaped, new paint, new insulation, closet organizers, mini blinds, and more. This house is raised and did not flood in 07. Rental Home available in Vernonia! Kitchen & Bath Remodeled in 2005 This bedroom makes for a great home office. Rent is $1,200 per month with water and sewer included. Pets are negotiable. If you are interested, please call: 503-556-0005 to schedule an appointment to see the house. Being in such a remote area offers the expected challeng- es-- business is slower in winter, and generally has a smaller base of customers to pull from, but there are also positives. “With the log- ging industry having its challenges, those become our challenges too,” says Mike. “We’re all neighbors out here, we all work and play to- gether and the economy is just tough right now. The locals want to support us and they do as much as they can. We feel fortunate that we’re in an area where all our cus- tomers know us and we know all of them by name.” Summers bring a whole new perspective with motorcyclists, people on their way to the beach, other travelers and road trippers and visitors to Fishhawk Lake-- which is just down the road. “We get people out here from all over,” says Mike. “We’ve had people stop in from Germany, Australia, Ja- pan... You never know who you’re go- ing to run into out here.” Mike has also gotten involved in a few side projects in the summer months. The Ingraham’s have a large piece of private property a few miles down the road where they have played host to “Run 21,” a large gathering of motorcyclists that is organized by the Southeast Chapter of A.B.A.T.E. That event includes national name musical acts. Mike and Wendy also organized the “Birkenfeld Blues Revue and Festi- val” last Labor Day weekend. They are planning to organize that music event again this year, which is a fundraiser to help local timber workers and their fami- lies and last year brought in performers through the Cascade Blues Association. Mike says he appreciates the support his business has gotten from around the region, especially from Vernonia-area businesses. “Everyone around here tries to help each other out and I really appreciate what we all do for each other.” The old Birkenfeld Store and Cafe continues to survive and find ways to reinvent itself. Whether you’re in the area for lunch, live music, or just picking up supplies for the weekend, you will al- ways be welcome at Birky’s.
