My Biz: Lisbon couple finds recipe for success

LISBON - For Gwen and Gary Drahos, a normal workweek is 70 hours and involves cooking 45 dozen eggs, 300 pounds of red meat and 120 pounds of chicken.

Gwen began cooking for Hallmar Nursing Home in high school. She then cooked at the former Holiday House in Mt. Vernon, where she met three guys who taught her 'how to fry-cook and grill steaks.”

While cooking for the Last Straw bar in Mt. Vernon, she met Gary. They married and opened the restaurant in the building it occupies today.

'It'll be 33 years this February,” he said.

He named the restaurant for his wife and made the sign that still hangs on the building.

'When we opened, my Aunt Ellen came and taught me how to make a lot of those old-fashioned salads that we serve on our buffet line,” Gwen said.

Her aunt continued to cook breakfasts and make salads for the restaurant.

'She was 89 years old when she quit working for us,” she said.

The hours are early and long, with the doors opening at 5:30 a.m. every morning, and the cooking commencing at 6 a.m. Gwen's daughter, Jody, opens for her on the weekdays, and Gary does the closing around 10 p.m. every night except Sunday.

'We aren't open on Sunday nights for supper,” Gary said. 'That gives us a little break at least.”

Gwen carries the lead on food planning and preparation and supervises the serving. Gary handles all the back office administrative paper work and is in charge of all maintenance needs.

'I wouldn't do this without him,” Gwen said.

Gary nodded in return. 'It takes two.”

Everything served at their restaurant is made from scratch, using many of Aunt Ellen's recipes.

'Even our desserts, cookies and cakes are scratch made,” Gwen added.

In addition to the daily walk-in customers they serve, the couple added catering into their workload 12 years ago. May and June are the busiest times for them with graduations, weddings and alumni banquets. Gwen recently catered three alumni banquets and a wedding anniversary celebration all in the same weekend. They also cater funeral dinners for area churches.

'After you do it so many years, you pretty much know what it's going to take,” she said.

They close the restaurant only 4 days out of the year: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day.

Eight full-time employees that include family members and longtime employees keep the restaurant rolling. Part-time workers are brought in when extra help is needed with the catering portion of the business.

'Everybody knows what to do,” Gwen said. 'We've always had great help.”

'Know a manager or company in business for more than a year that would be ideal for 'My Biz”? Contact Chelsea Keenan at Chelsea.keenan@sourcemedia.net

At a glance

'Company

: Gwen's Restaurant

'Address

: 119 West Main St., Lisbon

'Phone

: (319) 455-2873

'Website: On Facebook