Recently, Inspired Woman sat down with Mary Pat Barbere, owner of Peacock Alley in Bismarck:

IW How long have you been the owner?
MB Since 1998. I came here in 1988 and managed it for Bill (Hixson) when he bought it.

IW Since this is the Historic Patterson Hotel, are there certain things you can and can’t do?
MB If there is anything we want to do structurally, we have to get an ok with the Historical Society. The floor, columns and all the windows are original. I can’t think of anything we’ve done besides the bathrooms and a door. It’s certainly a sound building. It’s fun to work in an old building – there are stories about ghosts, although I’ve never personally met one.

They used to have parties on the rooftop. And I’m trying to think how many days a year they could have done that because it is so windy on 5th street, like a tunnel. There is a picture somewhere of everyone up there hanging on to their hats.

IW Have you always been in the food/hospitality business?
MB Yes. I started at the Townhouse and after they were purchased by the Kelly Inn, I went to the Doublewood. I was in sales then. After Bill bought this he asked me to come down and manage it for him and I’ve been here ever since.
I think when my grandkids start asking me for a job it’s time for me to move along.
We have employed all of our children, nieces and nephews. It’s been a real family business. Everytime I talk about getting out or selling, our sons talk me out of it. They have a real sentimental attachment to the place and they don’t want me to get rid of it. They think it’s theirs!

IW You seem to have a lot of employees that have been with you for a long time.
MB We really don’t have a lot of turnover here. Service and bar staff stick around for four or five years, then move on to a career. In the restaurant, we have someone who has been here 18 years. My kitchen staff has been here years and years. I’m not a micro manager – they all know their job and get it done. If I treat them right, they are going to be fair with me. I think that’s critical. I treat them the way I would like to be treated. It takes years to build that trust between employees.

IW What is the busiest time of year for you?
MB Around Christmas, and then August with our Cajun Festival. We are busy during the Legislative Session, though not the way it used to be, since there is a cap on the lobbying money.
Our slow time is May and June, except this past summer was pretty good. I think it was because the weather wasn’t very good.
During the Christmas break, we have a lot of people meet here to catch up. It’s fun to watch them over the years. These kids that were trying to come in before they were old enough, now have kids of their own.

IW What changes have you seen over the years?
MB So many (eating) places have come in. When I was first here, the Gourmet House was still open, the Elks, East 40 and us. Look at the places that have come in since then. Everytime a new place comes in it cuts a little bit out, but then it gradually comes back.

IW Have you seen changes in what people are eating?
MB People kind of went through that healthy mode, and we used to do an Italian month before Minervas and Johnny Carinos opened. Now we just stick with our basic, signature dishes that we do well. There are people that still want what they have always had and so we give it to them.

IW What is your favorite thing to eat here?
MB For me, it’s the Pecan Walleye. I tell other people to have the Sliced Tenderloin with Brandy Peppercorn Sauce. That’s my kids’ favorite. They like Cajun Combo, too.

IW If someone were starting a restaurant, what advice would you give them?
MB I think they just have to be there, especially when you’re just starting a business. People want to get to know you and they want to see that you’re there. People like to come in and be able to talk to the owner and the employees need to know you’re there all the time.
So, I would say they have to invest the time. The food and beverage business is tough.

We are very fortunate to have this building and this place. It’s almost like it belongs to the people of Bismarck