“I fell in love with the place. I liked the atmosphere and the western style image. I liked the mounts on the wall. I liked everything about the place,” Bob Quackenbush, the owner of the Quarter Circle Saloon, smiles fondly as he recalls his first impressions of the Quarter Circle.
Quackenbush purchased the Quarter Circle from Glenda Hill 18 years ago. He had worked in Fort Collins, CO for corporate food services, big names like Marriott and Hewlett-Packard, and wanted a change. He began to look for businesses in the mountains, and when he found the Quarter Circle, his search ended.
Quackenbush truly purchased the Quarter Circle as the Quarter Circle. Unlike, many new owners, Quackenbush did not feel the need to change the décor or the name. The Quarter Circle carries the name of the brand of the original owners, Jodi and Sandy Hill. The brand was given to Jodi and Sandy when they were married. It was originally a DeBerard brand and had been in Sandy’s family for generations.
Quackenbush also carried on the tradition of placing photographs on the bar. The bar pictures over two decades of Kremmling history, and the bar itself has its own unique history. Both the bar and the back bar were originally in the old Pool Hall of Kremmling. When Jodi and Sandy opened the Quarter Circle in 1994, Jay Noonen hauled the old bar out of storage, traded a snowmobile for it, and gave the antique bar a new home.
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Visiting the Quarter Circle?
Be sure to enjoy these items –
* Fajita Burrito
* Green Chili
* Bison Burgers
* Teriyaki Steak Skewers
* Friday Night Prime Rib
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The Quarter Circle prides itself on its history and filling the needs of Kremmling. There are pool tables and video games for all to enjoy. It is a family friendly restaurant with a full bar. Popular menu items include fajita burritos, burgers, and the teriyaki steak skewers marinated in a special homemade teriyaki sauce. Prime rib night on Fridays is also very popular.
Quackenbush is comfortable in the kitchen. He will often cook and says one of his favorites to make is green chili. He also enjoys offering homemade daily specials such as lasagna, soup and specialty burgers. Over time he has tweaked the menu to include more sea food and bison burgers.
Quackenbush often extends his duties beyond cooking to include dish duty, bussing tables, waiting tables and ordering supplies and bookkeeping. He employs 18 people, and in a service that often has a high turnover, Quackenbush has been blessed to have Nicki Scholl assist him at the Quarter Circle. She has been with the Quarter Circle for the last decade and will often step-up to the helm to allow Quackenbush vacation time.
“She is on top of it,” Quackenbush says of Scholl.
Quackenbush jokes that adjusting to “mountain time” was one of the first challenges of Kremmling life. Locals would give him a time and may arrive days later. That aside, he says, “I love the small town atmosphere. I love knowing my regular customers.” He also highlighted his short commute to work as a perk – he lives in an apartment above the Quarter Circle with his wife, Leticia.
Earlier this winter, locals watched with anticipation as the auction sign was hung on the side of the Quarter Circle, but Quackenbush says, “There are no definite sale plans right now. We have canceled the auction.”
For those aspiring to be in the restaurant business, Quackenbush shares this goodnatured advice, “Be prepared to work long hours and not get rich.”
The Quarter Circle is located on Main Street in Kremmling on 106 W. Park Ave. Their contact number is 970-724-9601.
