I thought we'd kick-off our Me & Billy blog with introductions! We opened our doors in November 2013 after two long years of planning, researching, finding the perfect location, and finally renovating the space. Downtown Davenport is the ideal neighborhood for our business and it's been exciting to see all of the recent growth!
I'm Fran, Boss Lady from behind the scenes. While I'm not physically here everyday - instead working in the corporate world during the week - I have a hand in most aspects of our family business, from menu creation to payroll to events. It's not always glamorous, but we get the job done!
From left: Sarah, Fran, Mary and Billy | Photo courtesy of Cassandra Monroe
The one who you're probably familiar with is my dad, Billy, the man himself! As our customers witness first-hand, he loves to greet everyone and have a nice long chat if you're so inclined. With over 20 years of experience in the bar/restaurant industry, he's in his element while interacting with visitors!
Then there is my mom, Mary. She spent 30+ years in the swimming world, both teaching lessons and coaching countless children. She works long hours, doing her best to keep everyone in line and overseeing the day-to-day operations.
We owe all our graphic design credit to my little sister, Sarah. She is largely responsible for the 'vintage industrial' design of our space - her heart is in interior design, but she lends her creativity to us when she's not working at Elements Interior Design.
You may have heard a variation of the story behind the name Me & Billy, but we want to make sure you know the full reasoning for our grammatically incorrect moniker. As told by Billy:
I’m one of seven kids, number six in the lineup. From Davenport, we were fortunate to have a home at Lake Okoboji, in northwest Iowa, where we spent many happy childhood summers. Oh those days at the lake! Our biggest concern each day was what activity we were up to: fishing, boating, swimming, water-skiing, playing on the beach – the options were endless. My little brother, David, and I were constantly looking for fun. His persistent question was “what are me and Billy doing today?” Our parents bought us a little boat, dubbing it the Me & Billy, to try to keep us busy. This photo shows the two of us enjoying a ride on the lake! I’m so thankful to my parents for the experience of those blissful summers at Lake Okoboji. I’ve been able to share my love of the lake with my family: wife, Mary, daughters, Frances (with her husband, Jordan), Tricia, and Sarah, and grandson, Luke.
From left: Billy and David on Lake Okoboji
So what do we have in store for this blog? We'll go behind the scenes to discuss our process for creating seasonal menus, preparations for big events, working with other local businesses and so much more. In addition to these topics, we're open to suggestions if you want to hear about a specific aspect of our business!
Before I sign off, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention our upcoming events. Our third annual Beer & Bacon Tasting is on the 28th of this month and you do not want to miss the menu we've created! Next up is Valentine's Day. Along with the special menu for the occasion, we're taking reservations, something we've been very hesitant in doing up to this point. We'll see how it goes!
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