The Further Adventures of Truby’s Restaurant Krist in Voisin David Leishman
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By Mary Wallace Photos by alisia dawn photography
Everything new is old again and, much to the delight of the locals, Truby’s Restaurant is back in its original location in Whitefish! The popular restaurant, which first opened in 1996 in Whitefish, moved to Columbia Falls in 2006, and recently enjoyed their first month in the new expanded space at 115 Central Avenue in Whitefish.
Truby’s owner, Kristin Voisin, said the third time was a charm when she finally made the decision to jump back into the Whitefish scene. She was approached three different times to fill the void that was left when the previous eatery closed, and the first two times, she just wasn’t feeling it. The third time, it was David & Janet Leishman, the building’s new owners, who worked with her to consider the move and collaborated with her to tailor the arrangement in a way that worked for both parties. Once the decision was made, Kristin’s loyal staff and a handful of friends (along with the Leishmans) wasted no time in getting the new/old location ready for their soft opening in mid-June.
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David & Janet purchased the building, which not only contains the restaurant but also five rental condos, last March. David fondly recalled having dinner at Truby’s nearly every night long long ago, when he first bought the Bar W Guest Ranch and was commuting between the east coast and Montana. They had gotten to know Kristin, and they knew the loyal following that Truby’s has enjoyed. It just seemed like a good fit if they could work with Kristin to bring Truby’s back home to their original space. Additionally, the Leishman’s wanted to step up the rental activity in their new building. They renamed the condos the Whitefish Downtown Suites and started promoting them, and their vacation rental calendar quickly filed up for the summer season. “Janet & I will also do whatever it takes to help out to make this a success for Kristin & her team,” says Leishman. On the other side of the coin, one of the new restaurant employees is David & Janet’s middle daughter, Emily.
Dave credits his wife Janet (whom he lovingly calls the Supreme Allied Commander) with much of the success they have had with this new venture. “You buy a building with an idea in mind, and when it all comes together, it is positively AMAZING!”
Kristin has also felt amazed by all the help & support from the Leishman’s, from her dedicated staff, from a handful of creative, paint-happy friends, and especially from the community since they reopened on June 19th. “We opened the doors and it hasn’t stopped,” says Voisin, “It is just so fun being back in Whitefish!” Have there been any challenges along the way? “Of course!” laughs Voisin. Kristin is lucky that her amazing & loyal staff from the Meadow Lake location were glad to follow her back to the Whitefish location. But still, getting enough employees for this busy summer season has proven to be a challenge. Nearly all of the food and hospitality