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 Photo Niis Bue / for The Daily News Jerry and Beverly Gravette are the new owners of the Pastime Saloon in Castle Rock. |
Saloon's new owners add flair with famous figures, 'some TLC'
Tuesday, October 9, 2007 6:56 AM PDT
By Niis Bue / for The Daily News
Printable version
E-mail this articleCASTLE ROCK --- Lifesize likenesses of John Wayne and Elvis Presley greet people in the Pastime Saloon, reflecting the new owners' admiration for the late performers.
Jerry and Beverly Gravette, who moved to Castle Rock two years ago, both are big fans of John Wayne but Beverly is the one who especially likes Elvis.
They don't plan major changes but the "Pepsi" part of their Pastime Saloon sign will bite the dust soon.
"John Wayne wouldn't come in here and order a soft drink, would he?," asked Jerry. "He wouldn't come in here and order a beer, would he?" Another question: "Would John Wayne come in here and order a sarsaparilla?"
The saloon started serving mixed drinks Saturday as well as beer and wine. John Wayne would be proud. Full-course meals will be available to meet the requirements of the new liquor license.
Jon Eslick and his wife, Jeanne, who live in Longview, bought the Pastime Tavern at 127 Front St. N.W. in April 2000, and changed the name to Pastime Saloon.
They finalized the $215,000 sale to the Gravettes on Oct. 1, Eslick said.
The new owners retained the staff already in place and plan "on not changing anything on the food, quality-wise," he said.
Jerry, 69, lays claim to serving "the best hamburgers in Cowlitz County," adding, "You'd be amazed at how many people come in here and eat. I was surprised."
Operating hours remain the same: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Mondays through Sundays.
Their list of future improvements includes refinishing the wood bar, replacing bar stools and tables, repairing the ceiling, cleaning up the knotty pine walls, and doing some exterior work out front.
"It needs some TLC in here, definitely," Beverly said, adding that they will proceed "slowly but surely."
Beverly will keep books for the saloon and continue to do wedding planning here and in Gresham, Ore., as well as taxes for H&R Block.Her wedding business is named A Moment to Remember.
"We met a lot of neat people up there," Eslick said. "I hope everybody gives Jerry the same chance they gave us. He's a real good guy. I hope he does well."
"We planned to work it (the Pastime) during retirement," Jon said. "It's just an oldtime saloon, which is what we wanted," he reminisced. The decor includes 95 sets of antlers, the oldest from 1933, and a set of longhorns hangs over the bar.
Jon, 59, sustained a serious back injury, which prompted the decision to sell.
What are his plans? "I'm going to get caught up on my yard and house work I haven't done for seven years, just work around the place, do what we want," he said. "I gotta get caught up."
He described his wife as "older than dirt." Actually, she's 60. Jeanne has retired as manager cook after 23 years with the Longview School District. "She wasn't going to let me be retired by myself," her husband said.
The new owners retired in 2003 and moved to Las Vegas from Portland, where they owned a restaurant and bar for 20 years.
They didn't like retirement and he was "just a cowboy falling off my horse," so they're back in it again, Jerry said Monday.
He's a gregarious guy who needs plenty of people to talk to, Beverly said. "He was always popular at our place in Portland --- he had quite a following," she said.
But grandchildren --- and a great-grandchild --- in Oregon and Washington probably drew them back to the Northwest more than any other factor.
After Beverly, 69, named the places where the little ones live, Jerry deadpanned, "I was 11 years old when we got married." They are looking forward to celebrating their 45th anniversary in April.
They are full of facts about John Wayne. "He played in 52 movies before he became a star in 'Stagecoach,' " Jerry said, confessing that he once said of the actor, "He ain't goin' nowhere."
He looked around the Pastime, then said, "The loggers in this town are bigger than John Wayne. Thank God, they're nice."
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