10/13/2025                                                                            
                                    
                                                                            
                                            I'm coming up on about 10 years of working in restaurants, and the thing that stands out for me the most is the relationships that you build. People are special. Whether you walk into a restaurant/bar once a week or all seven days - and whether you realize it or not - you become a part of a second family. I have huge pieces of my life in people that once were strangers, sitting on the other side of the bar. It is so interesting to me how strangers become friends. You get to know personal histories, you get to know spouses and kids. You care about what's going on at home. It's so much more than knowing what a person drinks or what types of food they won't touch. Our guests truly become part of our family.
Some of us have only been here at the Knotty Pine for about two and a half years. In that short amount of time, we've met incredible people. At the same time, we've lost some pretty special souls. Over the past year or so, we lost Bob Brooks, Jamie Diermier, and Kitty Schneeberger. Recently, and in quick order, Ron Brown and Jerry Coleman passed away. Of course, there have been others. Those losses are felt and although time goes on, their memory never really leaves the place. And it isn't just when people pass away. Currently and recently, we've had other friendly and familiar faces in and out of hospitals and nursing homes. Others have moved away. 
Regardless of the circumstance, we as servers and bartenders absolutely notice when we start missing members of our extended family. As special as it is to share a part of life with our guests, it's hard when situations change or when people move on, however that may be. 
I can't speak for all places, but I strive to make sure my guests at the Knotty Pine feel like family, because for me, they truly are. I want you to feel like you're walking into your living room when you walk into our small town bar. We have amazing, special people in our guests, and we are so grateful for all of them.