Start of Restaurant Build

Start of the restaurant

As we owned the other side of the river, as kids we always swam, adventured, and fished at the waterfalls. Dad always talked about buying the other side and building a penthouse of glass down on the rocks looking back up the river at the falls. Not long After Ben passed the land came up for sale and he jumped on the chance to buy it.

Dad then decided to build a restaurant (do not know why but he just had a dream and vision of that is what he wanted to do). Many people have asked dad why you chose to build a restaurant? One of his answers was “to change a negative into a positive”. He enjoyed evoking emotions into people and wanted them to experience happy ones.

I wish I could have a view of inside that man’s head, as that is where he kept all the ideas, never wrote anything down, or sketched ideas, he just kept it all up there. Was a remarkable visionist.

After many BBQ with friends on the side of the hill a spot was chosen. I would have to say 99% of people he talked to or showed, could not grasp his vision and though him to be crazy…. “it would never work”, “couldn’t be done”, “No one would come”. All these doubters made him even more determined to make his dream happen. If you ever met my father you know that he is stubborn, when he makes up his mind, he will do it, crazy as it may seem to other, he would do it.

I have added some photos of the site being ready to build upon.

First photo is 1 of many BBQ had at “the spot”, Second is setting the detonators, next is checking the scene from the first blast followed by the check of the second blast. We had a bulldozer operator as crazy and fearless as dad, Barry McGwinney. As you can see in the following pictures, he is pushing the pad and track for the restaurant.