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For Idle Hour owners, everything's turned up roses

From staff reports
July 15, 2010

Gene Rosenberger and his wife, Rhonda, have owned and operated the Idle Hour Cafe & Steakhouse for the past 25 years.

There used to be an informal seating chart arrangement at the Idle Hour Cafe & Steakhouse, a configuration that would remind one of a junior high dance.

Boys on one side, girls on the other.

“It was unique,” said the restaurant’s owner and operator, Gene “Rosey” Rosenberger. “It used to be that all the men would sit at the bar and all the ladies would sit in the restaurant side.

“Then one day Dana Calloway comes in, points to this side and says, ‘Hey, I’m going to sit over there.’ That kind of broke the ice.”

No matter where they sit, however, customers can count on receiving a warm welcome from Rosenberger and his wife, Rhonda.

They’ve operated the Idle Hour for the past 25 years, and to celebrate the landmark anniversary, they’re offering specials, such as two tickets to ‘Wine Tour 2011,’ two tickets to the restaurant’s wine trade show, to be held in October, and drawings for complementary meals.

“Also, we’re coming up on 65,000 hamburgers that I’ve cooked here,” Rosenberger said. “We’ll be keeping count, and the person who orders the 65,000th burger will get a free burger every month until the end of the year. It’s just something a little different.”

The Rosenbergers took over the business in 1985. For 10 years it was known as the Spud Shed tavern.

“We bought the place, cleaned it up and opened July 10, 1985,” he said. “We wanted to offer a different type of environment. We served food that a typical tavern wouldn’t have. Some of those things that were on the tavern menu are still on my lunch menu.”

In 1995, the Rosenbergers remodeled the place and gave it a new name.

“It’s been a good 25 years,” Rosenberger said. “Of course there’s been some ups and downs, and with this economy, things have been interesting because prices are volatile. You have to have something for everybody who walks in through that door. I’ve had to adapt. Two years ago you would have never seen a burger on our dinner menu. Now it’s there.”

Rosenberger, who grew up in Rock Island, attended Eastmont High School and Central Washington University and worked as an educator in Forks, Ephrata and Quincy before buying the restaurant, has always had an interest in cooking, which helps to explain his career switch.

“I like trying to come up with different dishes to match up with different wines, see what complements what,” he said. “It’s a challenge, but it often works out very well.

“We did a thing with Maryhill Winery where we matched tacos with their wines. It went over well and the customers liked it, but the winery couldn’t believe what we were doing. I really enjoy doing fun events like that.”

He also relishes the opportunity to interact with his customers.

“It’s been great,” he said. “I honestly do not want to live anyplace else. I love the community and the friendships that we’ve made. There’s an ambience in the area with the farming and now the technology.

“At dinner time, I’ll get out and see who’s out there and talk to them. I like to meet the customers, find out where they’re from.”

Rosenberger also prides himself on serving some of the area’s best wines. Currently the restaurant’s wine list includes about 50 local bottles.

For its efforts in promoting local wineries, the restaurant has been given several awards, including the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers 2006 Restaurant of The Year Award.

“The wines have been a fun ride for us,” Rosenberger said. “I think it’s important to support the local industry.”