Brick & Elm | May/June 2021

AMARILLO’S PREMIER LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

M AY/ J U N E 2 0 2 1

A M A R I L LO I S O P E N WILL WE EMERGE FROM A CRISIS STRONGER THAN BEFORE?

F I R S T LO O K AT THE BARFIELD K N I T BY I N N O VAT I O N

AMARILLO’S COMMUNITY HEALTH AMBASSADOR CHRIS PODZEMNY

H T A P W E N A D R A W FOR CARVING OUT THE RICK KLEIN T R A I L S I N S O U T H E A S T A M A R I L LO

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30 | cover story A NEW PATH FORWARD

Carving out the Rick Klein trails in southeast Amarillo

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PHOTO BY ANGELINA MARIE

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CA N’T MISS

The top things on our radar

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SO CIA L SEEN

Who did we spot at area events?

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SPOTLIGHT

High Plains Food Bank

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B IZ

Get up in the city’s business

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R ETA IL THERAPY What’s hot in local shops

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SPACES

Garden groupings with Pete’s Greenhouse

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THE CHA S E

Andy Chase Cundiff: former outlaw

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K ITCH

Still Austin’s new gin

36 | SILVER LININGS

44 | BUILT TO LAST

A stronger city emerges from COVID

The Barfield returns to glory

SUCCESS

An Amarillo business spins a new yarn

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46 | KNIT FOR

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PHOTO BY ANGELINA MARIE

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RENDERING COURTESY OF THE BARFIELD

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IN FO CUS

The Mason Jar

Photographer Joanna Robertson

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ROA D TRI P 48 Hours in OKC

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L I ST EN

Recently on the Hey Amarillo Podcast

B ACK WHEN

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PAPILLON KNITTERY

AMARILLO’S PREMIER LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

M A Y/ J U N E 2 0 2 1

A M A R I L LO I S O P E N WILL WE EMERGE FROM A CRISIS STRONGER T H A N B E FO R E ?

F I R S T LO O K AT THE BARFIELD K N I T BY I N N O VAT I O N

Sunset Center

AMARILLO’S COMMUNITY HEALTH AMBASSADOR CHRIS PODZEMNY

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FINISH

PATH A N ERWWA R D FO

Featuring Lisa Hoff Davis

CARVING OUT THE RICK KLEIN T R A I L S I N S O U T H E A S T A M A R I L LO

BRICKANDELM.COM

PHOTO BY ANGELINA MARIE AMARILLO’S COMMUNITY HEALTH AMBASSADOR CHRIS PODZEMNY

hhi i!! i itt’’ss uuss LO PR EM ER AA MM AA RR I LI LL O ’ S’ SP R EM I EI R T LY EL EMM AG L ILFI EF SE TS Y AG AA Z IZNI N EE

PU SH PU B LBILSI H ERER SS Michele McAffrey Michele McAffrey

mm@brickandelm.com mm@brickandelm.com

Jason Boyett Jason Boyett

jb@brickandelm.com jb@brickandelm.com

DD E SE ISGI G NN ERER Kayla Morris Kayla Morris

km@brickandelm.com km@brickandelm.com

BRICKANDELM.COM M AY | J U N E 2 0 21 B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

CO T IRBI U BU CO NN TR T ITNI N GG PH OTO G R A PH PH OTO G R A PH ERER SS

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Angelina Marie Angelina Marie Scott Thomas Scott Thomas Shannon Richardson Shannon Richardson Mason Dudley Mason Dudley Gray Gillman Gray Gillman

CO T IRBI U BU CO NN TR T ITNI N GG T ER WW R IRTI ER SS

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hen I look back over past few hen I look back over thethe past few months, feels like ages since I last months, it it feels like ages since I last wrote editor’s note, and then wrote anan editor’s note, and then other times weeks have flown atat other times thethe weeks have flown by.by.

InIn thethe middle January, seemed days typing middle ofof January, it it seemed mymy days ofof typing last-minute thoughts prior printing upup mymy last-minute thoughts prior toto printing aa magazine were over.

And then a miracle. magazine were over.

And then …… a miracle.

longtime writing partner Jason Boyett MyMy longtime writing partner Jason Boyett became new business partner and became mymy new business partner and Brick Elm was born.

This “hyper-local” Brick && Elm was born.

This “hyper-local” magazine was created meetings our magazine was created in in meetings atat our respective homes, and the compilation everything we’ve ever hoped respective homes, and it’sit’s the compilation ofof everything we’ve ever hoped aa Panhandle-focused publication could The community outpouring our new Panhandle-focused publication could be.be.

The community outpouring forfor our new project has been overwhelming the best way. friends and local businesses have project has been overwhelming in in the best way.

MyMy friends and local businesses have sent streams encouraging messages support.

Now I truly know what it means sent streams ofof encouraging messages ofof support.

Now I truly know what it means toto say cup overflows. say mymy cup overflows.

This the first many fantastic Amarillo-centric issues created a true dream This is is the first ofof many fantastic Amarillo-centric issues created byby a true dream team—Jason and the incomparable Kayla Morris.

I’m thrilled beyond measure team—Jason and the incomparable Kayla Morris.

I’m thrilled beyond measure toto share Brick Elm with you.

Thanks reading. share Brick && Elm with you.

Thanks forfor reading.

Chip Chandler Chip Chandler Andy Chase Cundiff Andy Chase Cundiff Wes Reeves Wes Reeves

TOS U SU BC SC B E: TO BS R IRBI E:

brickandelm.com brickandelm.com Print subscription: $14.94/year Print subscription: $14.94/year Digital subscription: $8.94/year Digital subscription: $8.94/year

A DV E S: A DV ERER T ITSI ISNI N GGI NI N QQ UU I RI IREIS: mm@brickandelm.com mm@brickandelm.com

Brick Elm Magazine published Brick && Elm Magazine is is published bimonthly Edgebow Media. rights bimonthly byby Edgebow Media.

AllAll rights reserved.

Reproduction whole part reserved.

Reproduction in in whole oror part without written permission prohibited. without written permission is is prohibited.

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ll the best parts career began ll the best parts ofof mymy career began Amarillo College Journalism inin thethe Amarillo College Journalism Department.

There, midDepartment.

There, inin thethe mid1990s, I learned write fast.

I learned 1990s, I learned toto write fast.

I learned toto edit.

I learned desktop publishing, design edit.

I learned desktop publishing, design and photography.

But what I learned most and photography.

But what I learned most that I really liked magazines.

I ended ofof allall is is that I really liked magazines.

I ended editor AC’s award-winning campus upup thethe editor ofof AC’s award-winning campus magazine, Current , and love with magazine, ACAC Current , and fellfell inin love with thethe process creating a publication, start finish. process ofof creating a publication, start toto finish.

Here I am again, more than a quarter-century later.

For years, Michele and I have Here I am again, more than a quarter-century later.

For years, Michele and I have worked together telling stories about our city. few months ago decided the worked together telling stories about our city.

AA few months ago wewe decided the time was right launch a new, sophisticated, independent magazine about Amarillo. time was right toto launch a new, sophisticated, independent magazine about Amarillo. feels appropriate that our first issue covers topics like trail-building, business It It feels appropriate that our first issue covers topics like trail-building, business reopenings, creative problem-solving and breathing new into historic structures. reopenings, creative problem-solving and breathing new lifelife into historic structures.

We feel like those are metaphors Brick Elm, and maybe print magazines We feel like allall ofof those are metaphors forfor Brick && Elm, and maybe forfor print magazines general. in in general. here’s fresh starts and a new way shine a spotlight the city love.

SoSo here’s toto fresh starts and a new way toto shine a spotlight onon the city wewe love.

Thanks reading.

We’re honored that you’re here with the beginning.

Thanks forfor reading.

We’re honored that you’re here with us,us, atat the beginning.

LOCAL PEOPLE. LOCAL BUSINESS. L O C A L C U LT U R E .

They say hometown media is dying. We say they're wrong—not here. Brick & Elm is dedicated to everything local, from our owners to our photographers to our printer and definitely our advertisers. You support local and buy local. Now it's time to read local. Get a full year for $14.94, delivered to your home or business.

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Subscribe today.

A M A R I L LO I S O P E N WILL WE EMERGE FROM A CRISIS STRONGER T H A N B E FO R E ?

F I R S T LO O K AT THE BARFIELD K N I T BY I N N O VAT I O N

AMARILLO’S COMMUNITY HEALTH AMBASSADOR CHRIS PODZEMNY

PATH W E N A D F O R WA R CARVING OUT THE RICK KLEIN T R A I L S I N S O U T H E A S T A M A R I L LO

BRICKANDELM.COM

co n t r i b u t o r s

KAYLA MORRIS

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

Kayla has been designing professionally for local businesses and nonprofits for more than 10 years. Kayla was raised in the Panhandle and graduated with a design degree from West Texas A&M University. When not designing she loves spending time outdoors with family and friends.

ANGELINA MARIE

Angelina Marie has been a photographer in the Amarillo area for 11 years. She specializes in food and drink, architectural, and creative portrait photography. She has a passion to capture the true character of the Panhandle in all its beautiful and unique variety. Angelina is the founder of the Amarillo Women’s Collaborative, which promotes local, women-owned businesses. See her work at shorteareddog.com or find her on Instagram.

SCOTT THOMAS

“Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies”—Diane Arbus. Scott says that’s exactly how he feels every time he pushes the shutter button, experiencing the excitement and wonder of capturing a moment of time. “After ten years of pushing that button, I still get excited, That’s why I love it,” he says.

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SHANNON RICHARDSON

Shannon has been a commercial/advertising photographer for almost 30 years. His work can be seen at shannonrichardson.com.

CHIP CHANDLER

Chip is the senior communications specialist at West Texas A&M University. A Canadian High School graduate and award-winning journalist, he has covered arts and entertainment in Amarillo since 1998 and is a member of the Amarillo Convention and Visitor Council arts committee.

He is a 2020 Golden Nail Award winner and a 2017 National Philanthropy Day award winner. He is a member of the national GALECA critics group, has seen every Best Picture Oscar winner and watches way too much television.

MASON DUDLEY

An Amarillo native, Mason has been shooting Amarilloarea events for the past 4 years. His interests include gaming, technology, nature and especially, his dogs.

WES REEVES

Wes was raised in the Texas Panhandle and has been a resident of Amarillo for almost 30 years.

He has been active in the Amarillo Historical Preservation Foundation for the past 15 years, and works in his spare time to bring history alive through historical preservation and engaging new generations in the appreciation of the region’s colorful history.

GRAY GILLMAN

Gray is a freelance photographer who was born and raised in Amarillo. He specializes in sports, cars, nature, and portrait photography. He loves taking on new challenges and getting to meet the people of the Panhandle.

digital

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

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rick streets and elm trees are tangible parts of our city, but Brick & Elm definitely has a digital component. In fact, there’s much more to this publication than the physical copy you’re reading now. We’re building a platform to provide the most comprehensive local coverage in the city, including the following:

BRICKANDELM.COM At our online home, we offer the e-version of Brick & Elm, accessible for subscribers to the print magazine ($14.94 per year) or those with a digital-only subscription ($8.94 per year). Even if you’re just interested in our print magazine, brickandelm.com is always worth a visit, because we will occasionally provide exclusive, digital-only content for subscribers.

SOCIAL MEDIA Yes, of course, you can find us on Instagram (@brickandelm), Twitter (@brickandelm) and Facebook (@brickandelmmag). Follow us for a glimpse of what’s happening behind the scenes, first looks at our photo shoots and features, and fun gift-card giveaways from local businesses. The print magazine is a finished product. Our social media lets you into the process—with personality.

BRICKLY This issue is packed with content, but we realize there’s a lot more happening in Amarillo than we can include in these pages. That’s why we’ve created Brickly, a free weekly email newsletter dedicated to Amarillo. Subscribe to it today for business and entertainment news, links to important stories, and updates from local businesses. (To subscribe, visit brickandelm.com.)

HEY AMARILLO While not technically part of Brick & Elm, one of our founders is the host of this popular local podcast. Every week since 2017, Jason Boyett has been interviewing the most fascinating people living in and around Amarillo, Texas—including in-depth interviews with folks you’ll read about in these pages. Find the show at heyamarillo.com or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

CENTER CITY WELCOMES YOU! DOWNTOWN SUMMER 2021

AMARILLO COMMUNITY MARKET 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Historic Bivins Mansion, 1000 S. Polk St. Local vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods, arts & crafts.

Live music, yoga & Zumba Free admission amarillocommunitymarket.com

PHOTOS BY RALPH DUKE

HIGH NOON ON THE SQUARE Noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday in June & July Potter County Courthouse Lawn, 501 S. Fillmore St. Free live entertainment Lunch is available for $8 centercity.org

can’t miss WITH CHIP CHANDLER

M AY/ J U N E

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B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

rom outdoor concerts to fundraisers, live theater to orchestral concerts, Amarillo’s entertainment scene is shifting back into high gear. Here are my picks for your sure bets over the next two months (just remember to be safe and considerate out there).

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AMARILLO SYMPHONY: The orchestra resumes its delayed live concert season with pianist Diego Caetano in the spotlight with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1, as well as Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 (the “Classical Symphony”) and George Walker’s “Lyric for Strings.” The orchestra will be back June 4 and 5 with a performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. (6 and 8:30 p.m. May 7 and 8, Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Buchanan St., 806-376-8782 or amarillosymphony.org) MATILDA: Based on the beloved Roald Dahl book, this energetic musical about the struggles of a gifted young girl against a tyrannical headmistress and careless parents finally opens after several delays. (May 13-23, Amarillo Little Theatre Mainstage, 2019 Civic Circle, 806-355-9991 or amarillolittletheatre.org) AMARILLO SOD POODLES: Amarillo’s Double-A team kicks off its home season May 18 with a six-game stint against the Midland RockHounds, then comes back to Hodgetown with series action against the Corpus Christi Hooks beginning June 8, the RockHounds again beginning June 15, and the Wichita Wind Surge beginning June 29. (Fans of college ball should watch for Amarillo Sod Squad Texas Collegiate League games throughout the summer, as well.) (May 18-23; June 8-13; June 15-20; June 29-July 4. 715 S. Buchanan St., 806-803-7762, sodpoodles.com) MUTTFEST: The annual fundraiser for Amarillo SPCA hits lightspeed this year with a Star Warsthemed bash. “May the Furs Be With You” will feature vendor booths, low-cost vaccinations, photo booths and more in a pet-friendly environment. (Noon to 5 p.m. May 23, Starlight Ranch Event Center, 1415 Sunrise Drive, 806-622-0555, amarillospcashelter.com)

TEXAS: The outdoor musical is reborn after the first dark summer in its 55-year history. (Nightly except Mondays, May 29 to Aug. 14, Pioneer Amphitheatre in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, 806-655-2181, texas-show.com) HIGH NOON ON THE SQUARE: Center City of Amarillo’s crowd-pleasing outdoor music series returns after a year off (sensing a theme?), with weekly music and food in downtown Amarillo.

(Noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays from June 2 to July 28, Potter County Courthouse, 501 S. Fillmore St. Lunch $8. 806-372-6744, centercity.org) 24 HOURS IN THE CANYON: After a year off, the red-hot fundraiser for Harrington Cancer and Health Foundation returns to Palo Duro Canyon.

Those interested in both fitness and giving back should also note Mission 2540’s Feed, Clothe, Love & Lift on May 14 and 15, featuring CrossFit legend Rich Froning (visit mission2540.org for more). ( June 5-6, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, 24hoursinthecanyon.org)

ly Visit brickandelm.com for Chip’s expanded event coverage and movie reviews.

Better yet, subscribe to our newsletter, Brickly, for breaking entertainment news every week!

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL: The Western Swing giants (returning June 5) are just one of the big acts lined up for concerts at Starlight Ranch Event Center. Also on tap: Parker McCollum and William Beckmann (May 7); Shane Smith & The Saints (May 22); Read Southall Band and Austin Meade ( June 4); Randy Rogers Band ( June 18); and hometown favorite Aaron Watson ( June 26).

(7 p.m., 1415 Sunrise Drive, 806-556-4456, starlightranch.com) AMARILLO COMMUNITY MARKET: Local producers will return to downtown Amarillo all summer for this popular event. Look for fresh produce, fun crafts, food trucks, live music and more, all back in the market’s original location around the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce building. (8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays from June 12 to Sept. 11, 1000 S. Polk St., 806-372-6744, amarillocommunitymarket.weebly.com) CRUELLA: Emma Stone stars as the dastardly dog (fur) lover in this live-action origin story for the 101 Dalmatians villainess. It’ll open simultaneously in theaters and, for a premium fee, on Disney+. Now that theaters are reopening, keep your eyes open for A Quiet Place II (May 28), Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights ( June 11) and high-octane sequel F9 ( June 25). (Opens May 28)

C H I P C H AN D L E R Chip is the city’s arts and entertainment expert, having covered area events since 1998. Stay up to date on local happenings with Chip’s Can’t Miss picks in every issue.

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

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MAY WE ALL SEE BEAUTY

EVERYWHERE We live in a beautiful place, and beauty is meant to be seen. With gracious service and superior eye care, we’ve been helping Amarillo appreciate beauty since 1929. Don’t miss out on the breathtaking world around you. Come see us today.

“IF EYES WERE MADE FOR SEEING, THEN BEAUTY IS ITS OWN EXCUSE FOR BEING.” — R ALPH WALDO EM ERSON

Blank Spaces

3408 OLSEN BLVD | 806.355.5633 W W W. E YECAREAMARILLO.COM

SADDLE UP AND SAVE A LIFE PHOTOS COURTESY OF HEAL THE CITY

Heal the City hosted its annual fundraiser, Saddle Up and Save a Life, at the River Falls Airport. Country artist Clay Walker performed at the event.

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

LISA LLOYD AND ALAN KEISTER

NOLAN AND LAUREN DAVID, AND ASHLEE AND KAITLYN PILLOW

KAREN MASON AND GRACIE THORP

CHRIS AND DEBBIE BRITTEN

ERNESTO AND MONICA SANCHEZ

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TODD BECKUM AND WENDI SWOPE

SAMANTHA HOLDER AND DONNA HARRIS

LULU AND STEVE COWAN

social seen HEROES & LEGENDS 2021 PHOTOS BY ERIN PALACIO, COURTESY OF THE BRIDGE

On March 31, The Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center hosted its annual fundraiser, Heroes & Legends. This year’s headliner was Herschel Walker, former professional football player, College Football Hall of Fame inductee, and International Sports Hall of Fame inductee. The event was held at the Amarillo Civic Center Complex.

GWEN AND ANDY HICKS WITH WALKER

WALKER AND PAUL EVANS WALKER

ERICK AND SHELLY BOHANNON WITH WALKER

Welcome

Brick & Elm!

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

TREVOR CAVINESS AND SON WITH HERSCHEL WALKER

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THE BRIDGE CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS KICKOFF PHOTOS BY MASON DUDLEY

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month kicked off on April 6 at The Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center’s Quail Creek campus. Area leaders placed pinwheels at The Bridge to honor the 1,109 children who shared their stories of abuse in 2020.

CHRISTOPHER FORBIS, BOB CRUMP, LACY MILLER, ANDY HUFFMAN AND JEFF HIGLEY

ROCKY, SHEPHERD AND PUP

SARAH SCRIVNER, AUDREY MINK AND JUSTIN SANDERS

KEN FUNTEK, MARTIN BIRKENFELD AND ERICK BOHANNON

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We‘re passionate supporters of the city‘s nonprofits! If you host an event that you‘d like to see in Social Seen, submit a press release and photos to mm@brickandelm.com.

ERICK AND SHELLY BOHANNON

SARA AND SUE HUDSON

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

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spotlight PROVIDED PHOTOS

HIGH PLAINS FOOD BANK

S TA G G E R I N G N U M B E R S , S TA G G E R I N G R E S P O N S E

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

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very dollar given to High Plains Food Bank provides six meals to someone facing hunger or food insecurity.

And over the past year, this organization has provided more meals than ever before.

“For us, the change happened in seven days’ time,” remembers Zack Wilson, executive director. “With kids not returning from Spring Break in March 2020 to the shutdown of our economy, almost instantly we had around 20 times more need for assistance—in a week’s time. We were struggling with that.”

HPFB distributes food to the top 29 counties in the Texas Panhandle, working through partner agencies like senior centers, churches, soup kitchens and emergency food pantries. In the early weeks of the pandemic, Wilson and his team wondered how—or even if—HPFB would be able to meet the incredible needs facing this area.

Pre-pandemic, the organization had already been assisting an average of 9,000 households every month. Then businesses shut down. Employees got furloughed or lost income. “Reality came crashing down hard,” Wilson says.

The growing numbers of food-insecure families weren’t the only issue, though. A perfect storm of challenges hit the area all at once.

The early uncertainty forced vulnerable individuals to stay home, unable to access food or safely visit grocery stores. On the supply side, national constraints caused other problems. The famous 2020 toilet paper shortage dominated the early days of COVID-19, but meat and other staples also began to disappear from shelves.

“The acquisition side was just riddled with challenges,” Wilson says. Then prominent distribution channels began to close as partner agencies paused their services. At the food bank itself and in hotspots like Nazareth, volunteers were coming down sick and staying home.

Familiar fundraising activities, like canned food drives, suddenly seemed like an impossibility.

This required an immediate pivot for food banks all over the United States, and Wilson and his team were quick to rethink their approach.

Working with agencies across the Panhandle, they set up drive-thru food distribution centers, where social distancing and no-contact deliveries could be done safely. HPFB gave away more food in April 2020 than any April in the organization’s history.

But with the national supply chain still clogged up, it required the rest of the Panhandle to step up to solve the problem. “Our local producers and agriculture came through,” Wilson says. “They began donating what they were producing—beef or vegetables or potatoes, dairy, cheese. Everyone came together.” More than three million pounds of food, much of it local, came into the food bank over a

matter of weeks.

In early May, HPFB partnered with these agriculture communities and Hillside Church for a temporary food pantry at Thompson Park.

Thousands of families lined up in their vehicles to receive food packs containing eggs, cheese, two gallons of milk, five pounds of ground beef and more.

The numbers continued to climb into the summer: After averaging 9,000 assisted households every month for years, the food bank helped 9,700 households in April. By July 2020, they were serving 11,000 households. “That’s the month we also distributed one million pounds of food,” he says. “It was tremendous going from where we were to where we are now.”

Today, the food bank still averages assistance to 10,000 households a month. Even though the supply chain eased up and the economy has largely reopened, the pandemic has created a new normal for the organization.

Wilson says the generosity of the Texas Panhandle is the reason his organization has been able to continue meeting so many needs during such a difficult time. “When we started seeing things come tumbling down last year, we were thinking, ‘How in the world are we going to do this?’ All of a sudden, resources started flowing in,” he says. Monetary donations. Food donations. “And it just hasn’t stopped yet. I relay this to my peers and colleagues from around the country and some are just amazed. It’s all directly related to the generosity of the folks here in the Texas Panhandle.”

All things considered, the crisis left the food bank in a better place, with new ideas, new partnerships and the capacity to meet more needs than ever before. But Wilson still dreams of additional volunteers. “One of those areas where we seriously dropped off last year was our volunteers,” he says. That outcome is more the fault of temporary closures and social distancing than a declining desire to help. But it has taken time to get that pipeline flowing again.

“With a decreased volunteer base, when it comes to getting donated food in our doors, that responsibility falls on our staff. Our volunteers are what make that happen,” Wilson says. “Our biggest need right now is for committed groups of 10 to 15 folks who’d be willing to come out and work a couple of hours. The time really goes by very quick.”

To learn more about High Plains Food Bank, make a financial donation, or sign up to volunteer, visit hpfb.org.

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:

{ADVERTISMENT}

Burrowing Owl RECOMMENDS

The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig

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etween life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself?

Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision.

Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

(Viking Press) The Midnight Library has quickly become a Burrowing Owl Books favorite and is recommended as a novel which will lift your spirits and help you view life from a different perspective.

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Locations:

34TH AND COULTER, SUMMIT SHOPPING CENTER AMARILLO 806.367.8961

BURROWINGOWLBOOKSTORE.COM

Burrowing Owl Books

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biz

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We want to hear from you! To highlight your business, promotions, awards and ribboncuttings in this section, email a press release or your business brief to mm@brickandelm.com.

usiness is booming in Amarillo right now, and growth means change. Here are a few of the ribbon-cuttings from the local Chambers of Commerce that have caught our attention lately.

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

R IBBO N-CUT T INGS

| VEXUS FIBER | | ACCENT EMBROIDERY 10TH ANNIVERSARY |

| BOOT BARN |

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R I B B O N - CU T TI N G S

| EL TROPICO CANYON |

| STÄ & CO. |

| CANYON RANCH |

UPCOMING EVENTS Look for the Brick & Elm booth!

→

AMARILLO

CANYON

BOOTS & BUSINESS — 2021 BUSINESS CONNECTION

TEXAS A&M CVMBS VERO & TVMDL GRAND OPENING

CANYON CHAMBER GOLF CLASSIC

Tri-State Fairgrounds May 20 373.7800

Canyon, TX June 3 at 10 a.m.

979.845.5051

Palo Duro Creek Golf Course June 4 655.7815

N AT U R A L LY S O OT H I N G

R

esearch shows that time spent in a natural setting is physically and psychologically good for us. Whether you’re hiking in Palo Duro Canyon or picnicking in a local park, time spent in nature can definitely be restorative. But what about indoors? Locals are finding plenty of ways to bring the sights and smells of the outside world inside the home. From herbal facial steams and aromatic sage smudge sticks to indoor plants and succulents, local boutiques offer plenty of botanical products to boost your mood.

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PHOTOS BY SHANNON RICHARDSON

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THYMES FRESH-CUT BASIL DISHWASHING LIQUID AND COUNTERTOP SPRAY $16 each: The Secret Place

LARGE SMUDGE STICK $40: The Brash House (inside From 6th Collective)

retail therapy

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LOS POBLANOS ORGANIC LAVENDER SKIN CARE OIL $36: From 6th Collective

23 SUCCULENT DISH $58: Windswept Prairie Plant Truck (inside The Nesting Place) FRAMED FERN LEAF UNDER GLASS $59: Moonwater Designs

SLOW NORTH HERBAL FACIAL STEAM $17: From 6th Collective

GARDEN GROUPINGS

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE THOMPSON

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s p a ce s THINK SUNLIGHT FIRST. “If you plant a full-sun plant in a shady area, you’re just never going to be completely happy with it. It could be leggy. It might not give you many blooms at all,” Jordi explains. On the other hand, a shade-preferring plant will wither in the mid-summer heat, especially if this summer brings us a span of triple-digit temperatures like 2020 did.

CONSIDER GROWTH RATE. “Don’t plant a really fastgrowing plant with a plant that grows slower,” says Jordi. “It can overwhelm. A sweet-potato vine can take over a whole pot.” Most plant labels will reference how fast a plant grows.

PHOTO BY JOANNA ROBERTSON

DESIGN FOR BALANCE. This means thinking about height, trailers, ground cover, dark versus light green, and different flower colors. When it comes to a container on a patio, Jordi also says to consider the viewer’s perspective. “It’s important to keep interest depending on where you put the pot. Do you need 360 degrees of interest or just 180?”

FERTILIZE, FERTILIZE, FERTILIZE. When combining plants, it’s particularly important to make sure they get adequate nutrition besides water and sunlight. “The roots get all tangled together, so make sure you feed them,” Devin says. “That’s why everything looks so good in the greenhouse. We feed our plants.”

T

here’s just so much visual interest,” says Jordi Velasquez, who owns Pete’s Greenhouse with her husband, Devin. “It’s so much fun to watch all these different things grow together.”

She’s talking about plant combinations. Pete’s is known for the creative container combinations Jordi and her team create. Whether arranging different plants in a patio pot or mixing them in a planted garden, varying the color and texture of plant groupings can turn a ho-hum outdoor space into a spectacular one.

“It’s one of my favorite things to do in the greenhouse,” Jordi says. “I love finding a good, new combination.”

However, those combinations take some thought. Flowers that need plenty of sunshine shouldn’t be planted with shade-loving shrubs. Tropical plants that are greedy for water don’t pair well with drought-tolerant succulents or cacti.

Every combination should keep in mind a plant’s characteristics, including color, height and more.

We asked Jordi and Devin for tips for pairing plants. They helpfully separated some of their favorites into categories—all of these will grow in Amarillo’s climate—and provided this additional advice: PHOTOS COURTESY OF PETE’S GREENHOUSE

WATER DEEPLY. For the same reason—intertwining roots and plants that grow to different depths— it’s important to water plant combinations all the way to the base. “Don’t just pour water on top,” she says. “Water down to the base.” Make sure your planter has a drainage hole. Also, don’t neglect the sides of a container, which can dry out faster in the Panhandle wind.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, GO WITH GERANIUMS. “I think everyone knows these are our favorites,” Jordi says. “We grow them every year. You get so much color for one plant—lots more bang for your buck.”

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DON’T AVOID EVERGREENS. These are essential to in-ground gardens. “Everyone likes the blooms and color” of flowering plants, Devin says. “But they forget what the bed looks like in the winter.” For year-long visuals, he recommends including boxwoods, hollies, junipers and/or other evergreens in your garden, alongside flowering annuals or perennials.

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PLANTS FOR shade pots

C al

FILLER:

ad

TRAILING:

ium

Impatiens Begonias Euphorbia New Guinea impatiens Shade Coleus

s

HEIGHT:

Begoni as

Ferns Spiralis Sansevieria Caladiums Elephant ear Hosta

Vinca minor Moneywort Silver Falls dichondra Lamium Fuschia

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(less than 4 hours of sun per day)

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PLANTS FOR shade beds

SHRUBS:

Hosta

Hostas Jacob’s ladder Heuchera Lamium Ajuga Sweet woodruff Campanula

PERENNIALS:

Dense yews Nellie Stevens holly Boxwoods Colorado holly Pencil holly

(more than 6 hours of sun per day)

SHRUBS:

Euonymus Nellie Stevens holly Boxwoods Abelia

PERENNIALS:

Karl Foerster grass Hameln fountain grass Pampas grass Russian sage Coneflowers Gaura Shasta daisies Dianthus Coreopsis

Barberry Butterfly bush Blue spruce Dwarf yaupon Hardy hibiscus Red hot poker May night salvia Fuhrman salvia Rudbeckia Catmint Gaillardia Sedum

sun pots HEIGHT:

Small grasses Dracaena spike Salvia Angelonia Prince Tut King Tut

TRAILING:

FILLER:

Geraniums Petunias Calibrachoa Sunpatiens Marigolds Portulaca Euphorbia Lantana

Moneywort Verbena Sweet potato vine Lobularia Lobelia Scaevola

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PLANTS FOR sunny beds

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PLANTS FOR partial sun pots

TRAILING:

Sweet potato vine Dichondra Plectranthus Moneywort Bacopa monnieri

b e rl y

Kim

Sunpatiens/impatiens Begonias Euphorbia Fiber optic grass Hypoestes

Hypoestes

Q u een Fe rn

Caladiums Coleus Kimberly Queen fern Dracaena spike Prince Tut King Tut Heuchera

FILLER:

HEIGHT:

the chase

I MUST BE A N O U T L AW

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O

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r maybe a ghost.

I mean, almost everything I did as a kid was either illegal or fatal, at least by today’s standards. It’s a miracle any of us survived long enough to breed.

If you check into my generation’s history, there’s dwindling evidence that we actually existed in the first place. My particular age group, too late to be “Baby Boomers” and too early to be “Gen Xers” is now being loosely called, by some academics, “Generation Jones”— believe it or not. Children of the ’60s, young adults of the ’70s.

Everything we did was incorrect, at least politically, also unhealthy and/or dangerous. But we did have good music.

As far as literature, the books that were so enthusiastically drilled into us back then are now thought of as taboo for one reason or the other. Seems like everyone, right down to Dr. Seuss, is in trouble these days.

There’s even a “new” math. The old one, apparently, somewhere along the line, turned out to be a failure. I am very confused about that. I could almost testify in court that 1+1 still equals 2.

Yes, we are those kids that rode without seat belts. Most of the cars that my family had when I was a kid either came without seat belts, or if they did have them, the things were so deeply buried in the seats that Indiana Jones couldn’t have excavated them. We were the ones who rode, like Old West buckboard riders, with no tie-down, no yee-haw rope, without those baby-carrier-lock-in-strap-downfacing-the-right-direction-according-to-the-latest-billion-dollargovernment-study things, and sometimes, as toddlers, even rode on Dad’s lap when he let us “drive.” I think that is probably a felony these days.

And Lord have mercy, we thought the biggest childhood kick of all was riding in the back of a pickup truck. This was a fairly rare and much-celebrated occasion, for several reasons. It had to be the right kind of day, not so hot that your rear end would fry on the metal bed of the truck, and not too cool to be out in the wind. The trip had to be in town, not out on the highway, had to be an errand that could be accomplished quickly and would not be hindered by children coming along. Still, there was usually a fair amount of begging involved.

Sometimes my dad or an uncle would put us cousins in the back with a snow cone and specific instructions on not standing up while the truck was moving. This always ended with trouble. Somehow the wind and a snack turn normal kids into little pirates. This is likely the reason those trips were so few and far between. It is actually still legal in the great State of Texas, with a few reasonable restrictions, to ride in the back of a pickup, but it is frowned upon by a lot of folks.

My brother and I had little or no regard for off-the-rack bicycles

with their chrome fenders and too-fancy baskets, so we, along with our pals, “customized” the bikes our parents paid their hard-earned cash for. First, we stripped off those annoying fenders, baskets, chain covers, and other unnecessary stuff while considering what kind of paint and tape with which to “redo” the finish. All this was simultaneous to the building of our Evel Knievel jumping ramps, and we were always determined to make a bigger, higher, longer jump than last time. And pity the poor kid that showed up with a helmet.

When we weren’t jumping our Evel Knievel ramp of death, we were trying to find the “Mosquito Man” truck that, quite literally, sprayed DDT into the air to keep down the population of insects. We gleefully rode our bikes along behind the truck, laughing and barely avoiding collisions in the fog, until we became a nuisance and someone ran us off.

Until I was in my twenties, there was no such thing as water in plastic bottles that I was aware of. Water came out of a tap, or if you were outside, a garden hose, which was just as safe to drink out of as it was to spray down your brother and sister (whether they asked for it or not). It never occurred to us that there might be something crawling around in the hose. I believe the common kid lore was “wait until the water gets cold, then it’s safe to drink.” That would be the only rule we went by. Some water tasted sweet, some not so much, but that was never enough to slow us down.

Cold water in the summer is good any time. To go inside to get a glass or cup to drink out of would have been a total violation of the kid AllThat-Is-Sacred code.

We were the ones that grew up to drive Corvairs, Pintos, Gremlins, and every other crazy dangerous AN DY C H A S E C U N D I F F car on those annoying little social Artist, singer-songwriter, music media lists, and lived to tell the producer and humorist Andy tale with a smile on our faces.

Chase Cundiff spent many years traveling the U.S. and abroad, Generation Jones. but calls Amarillo his home. A Yo ho ho.

Disclaimer: Brick & Elm recommends wearing seatbelts and bike helmets. Brick & Elm does not recommend letting toddlers drive motor vehicles, standing up in the bed of a moving pickup truck, riding bicycles in pesticide fog and/or other dangerous behaviors.

longtime resident, Andy’s house is on a red brick street in OliverEakle that is lined with elm trees.

BROKERED BY

We sell it Texas style!

REALTY

SABRE L. COFER

806-666-6306 (Office) 806-683-7026 (Mobile) Sabre.Cofer@exprealty.com LivingTexasStyle.com

PHOTO BY ANGELINA MARIE

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H T A P W E N A D R A W R FO B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

BOYETT

BY JASON

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The

idea started, appropriately enough, in the middle of a bike ride. Alex Fairly and one of his grown sons, Caleb, a former professional cyclist, were pedaling down 34th Avenue on the east side of Amarillo. They passed Caprock High School, then Grand Street, then skirted the north side of the Rick Klein Complex. On the north edge of this municipal park, a paved walking path cuts through the grass, dividing the street from a water treatment reservoir belonging to the city.

Behind that treatment plant, the property is wide open and mostly undeveloped. It’s empty, flat space, dotted with occasional trees until a thick line of them borders a creek bed on the southern edge of the property.

Alex and Caleb were headed east when they noticed another

cyclist riding toward them. It was Chris Podzemny. Formerly an environmental investigator for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Podzemny was himself an avid cyclist and a fixture of Amarillo’s outdoor community. In fact, he and the Fairlys had known each other since Podzemny was a teenager—“He was just blazing fast,” Fairly says—and the Fairly clan had begun getting into mountain bike racing.

The riders passed on the street, recognized each other, and stopped to talk.

“It wasn’t planned,” Alex Fairly says.

But it might as well have been, because at that moment, several unique, individual journeys began meandering toward each other. It almost seemed preordained.

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PODZEMNY AND SIX PACK OUTDOORS VOLUNTEERS WORK ON THE TRAILS AT RICK KLEIN.

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PHOTOS BY GRAY GILLMAN

The Trail Builder

“I knew the city was interested in developing Rick Klein,” says Podzemny, whose friends call him “Podz.” Despite a full-time job with the state, Podz had spent more than a decade of weekends building multi-use trail systems—dirt paths ideal for mountain biking, hiking or trail running—across the Texas Panhandle. It was entirely a labor of love. Podz is one of the founding members of Six Pack Outdoors, Inc., a nonprofit that coordinates mountain bike races and uses those event proceeds to build trails.

If you’ve ever spent time on popular Palo Duro Canyon State Park pathways like the Rock Garden Trail or Upper Comanche, then you’ve enjoyed the sweat labor of Podz, Six Pack Outdoors, and the Palo Duro Corps of Engineers, a volunteer team that has spent the past decade expanding and improving the canyon’s trails. Podz and his crew have also contributed to trail systems in Spearman and Dalhart.

They helped carve out the single-track Canyon Trails at Buffalo Hill.

They’re working on trails at Cross Bar Ranch, a 12,000-acre space overseen by the Bureau of Land Management north of Amarillo, and they’re building more than six miles of the Chad Allen Foster Memorial Trail System through the center of Borger.

Working on municipal, state and federal properties, Podzemny has an incredible amount of experience not just designing and building trail systems, but navigating the permits required to modify public land—something made slightly easier by his environmental background. “There’s a lot of red tape involved and multiple permit processes,” he says. Cities are the simplest clients, because typically they approached Podzemny and Six Pack in the first place, thanks to the team’s reputation for multi-use trail construction. But state and federal lands often require consultation with biologists, archaeologists and others to make sure trail-building doesn’t disrupt the historic and cultural value of the land.

For his part, Fairly already knew about Podzemny’s work organizing

races and building trails. In fact, he’d ridden those trails and participated in those events. “They’d done an incredible job with their races. They were very well-organized and really, really wellattended,” says Fairly. “But they were doing them on the weekend with shoestring budgets.”

Right before Podz encountered the Fairlys on Southeast 34th, he’d ridden out to the Rick Klein Complex to take a closer look at that property. The City of Amarillo owned it, but other than softball facilities on the west side, the property remained mostly unused.

Having spent years building trails in beautiful spaces outside Amarillo, Podz saw possibility. He had been thinking about proposing to the city a trail-building project at Rick Klein.

After recognizing each other on the road, the Fairlys and Podz stopped to talk. “He turned around and chatted with us for awhile,” says Fairly. Podz pointed to the nearby landscape. “He was like, ‘Can I show you something? This is really cool out here.’”

The three cyclists pedaled out to the undeveloped part of the complex and Podz began getting more and more animated as he told the Fairlys about his idea to build a network of running or mountain-biking trails at Rick Klein. “He was telling us his vision for what this could be,” Fairly says. Hearing the excitement in his voice, the Fairly Group CEO asked a question. “I said, ‘Chris, do you ever wish you could just do this all the time?’ And he said, ‘Man, that’s the dream of my life, but there’s just no way to make a living at it,’’’ Fairly remembers.

So right outside the fence of the property, the business owner made an offer to the trail builder. He said, “Chris, we have this idea.”

The CEO

Alex Fairly is the chief executive officer of the Fairly Group, a global risk consulting firm. Based in Amarillo, the Fairly Group has worked with massive construction projects, including several NFL and MLB

PHOTO BY ANGELINA MARIE

stadiums and other entertainment complexes and mixed-use venues.

Notably, Fairly proved instrumental in using his industry contacts to help bring minor league baseball to Amarillo, resulting in the Sod Poodles’ debut season in 2019.

As a way to give back to the Amarillo community, Alex and his wife, Cheryl, had recently started their own foundation. They had big plans for the Fairly Foundation, but it was still in its infancy as he and Cheryl considered the local projects and causes they wanted to support.

Fairly couldn’t stop thinking in particular about Podzemny’s efforts.

“It just dawned on me that all this incredible work came from their sweat and hard work and loving to do something that benefits a ton of people,” he says. “Palo Duro Canyon is known all around the state as a place to come ride your bicycle. [Events like] 24 Hours in the Canyon wouldn’t exist without all those trails out there that these guys have created.”

If Podz didn’t see a path toward pursuing his trail-building passion full time, could the Fairly Foundation help give life to that dream?

Podz was already waking up every day thinking about riding bikes and building trails, all for the benefit of people living in the Panhandle.

In fact, his efforts, and races like 24 Hours in the Canyon, had begun putting the Panhandle on the radar of the nation’s broader mountainbiking community.

“What if we gave you the opportunity to do this as a career?”

Fairly asked Podz that day as they looked at the empty space of the Rick Klein Complex. Like a blank canvas in front of a painter, the possibilities intrigued them both.

The suggestion caught Podzemny off guard. Podz is married, has four kids, and in his mid-40s. He was one year away from being fully vested with the State of Texas’ retirement plan. Though not particularly risk-averse on advanced mountain biking terrain, he greeted the idea of a potential career change with enormous hesitancy. “We had a lot of meetings before I really started

entertaining the idea, a lot of early-morning coffee meetings,” Podz says. “I would be walking away from what I thought I was going to be doing for the rest of my life.”

But he couldn’t stop thinking about that potential future. What if he could focus on trails and outdoor recreation full time? What could he create at Rick Klein, or across so many other untapped landscapes in and around the city? The more Podzemny and Fairly talked, the more they began to develop a shared vision: a network of outdoor recreation venues in the Texas Panhandle, all optimized for hiking, running and biking. “We would like it to become well-known around the country, that if you’re into mountain biking or outdoor trail running, you have to go to Amarillo,” Fairly explains.

To make that happen—and to truly launch his foundation’s reinvestment in the city that has been so instrumental to Fairly’s success—Fairly made Podz a job offer. The foundation would hire him full time to pursue that trail-building and race-planning obsession.

His official title? Community Health Ambassador.

Podz took the offer. The dream came true.

Under his leadership, Fairly hopes Podzemny will eventually build a robust trail system in and around the Amarillo and Canyon community so that adventure tourists can show up here with their mountain bikes, spend a full week riding, and never cover the same territory twice. “Some day there’s going to be hundreds of miles [of trails], and everyone in the country knows about Amarillo,” Fairly explains. “If Chris can wake up every day and this is all he has to think about and plan, what can we get accomplished?”

The first step in this ambitious dream is already underway: The Rick Klein Complex.

The Parks Director

Since arriving in Amarillo from the Metroplex to become the city’s director of Parks and Recreation, Michael Kashuba has been helping

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CHRIS PODZEMNY

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develop a Parks Master Plan to set the direction of his department for the next decade. In the process, he’s met with a number of committees, boards and interested citizens about the city’s needs.

“Obviously, our goal is to figure out what our community needs are and figure out ways to continue to meet those needs,” Kashuba says.

“Our first round of public engagement with the Master Plan made it clear that there was a need for more trails—walking trails and mountain bike trails.”

Podzemny was well aware that those trails—and the recreation potential he saw at Rick Klein—represented the place his passions collided with the city’s needs. “But the City of Amarillo doesn’t have the funds allocated for this, and they’re not in the business of building trails,” says Podz. So he put together a proposal for building a trail system on the unused part of the Rick Klein Complex, and presented it to Kashuba and the citizens on the Amarillo Parks and Recreation Board. “We just showed them what that would look like. We said, ‘Hey, we want to help build your trails and we’re not asking you for anything other than access.’ That made convincing the city very easy,” Podzemny says.

Kashuba immediately recognized the value of Podzemny’s plan.

“We have that whole portion of land and it was basically sitting there underutilized,” he says. Transforming it into trails could not only improve that space, but serve as a catalyst project for the city’s parks infrastructure. “It opens up a lot of other possibilities down the road, allowing for different user groups to go out there and enjoy nature,” says Kashuba.

He points to a 2018 community health assessment by the city’s Department of Public Health, which identified multiple local concerns.

Self-reported obesity rates in Potter and Randall counties were higher than the national average, and continuing to increase. One in four survey respondents categorized their health as “fair” or “poor,” which also exceeded the Texas and national average. And that was before the pandemic.

“We need to improve our health and wellness in this community, and activities like walking or biking are not something you have to be advanced in,” Kashuba says. “Anybody can go for a walk.” While the Rick Klein Complex has a few trees and the contours of a creek bed on

its south side, the landscape is mostly flat. The proposed 15 miles of trails there won’t be technical or particularly challenging—but they will be accessible. “It’s open prairie,” he says. While a flat trail may not be ideal for mountain biking, Kashuba and Podzemny see it as a gateway to experimentation with the outdoor activity. “It’s a great way to introduce people to the sport, people who aren’t ready for the more extreme options or advanced terrain at Palo Duro Canyon. This is a great way to learn the basics before you move to more advanced courses,” the director says.

It’s also an inexpensive way to make expert-level improvements to a city property. “They’ve got a history of doing these for other cities,” Kashuba says of Podz and Six Pack Outdoors. “This is their bread-andbutter. Obviously this is an undeveloped space, and we can develop it at almost no cost for us. We want to improve our facilities but obviously nobody wants to increase taxes.”

Podz and his crew have a history of relying on generous corporate sponsorships and community organizations to fund their work— limiting the financial obligations of cities like Amarillo and Borger.

With the support of the Fairly Foundation and other potential financial backing, the Rick Klein trail system is poised to benefit everyone, from nearby neighborhoods to the City of Amarillo itself.

The Big Bet

The 15 miles of trails at Rick Klein are on pace to be completed by the end of the summer, and while unfinished, are already accessible to the public. And despite being at the edge of town, the setting feels different. “I was out there marking the initial loop [in February] and when I was going through the trees, I saw tons of deer. I saw a little gray fox and several giant owls,” Podzemny says.

But beyond the visual allure of nature, Fairly sees the simplicity of Rick Klein trails—in fact, the entirety of Podzemny’s trail-building work—as an extension of the quality of life that draws so many to Amarillo in the first place. “We’ve just always been committed to being healthy and exercising and outside activities,” he says of his family. Instead of raising children glued to their devices, he and Cheryl prioritized being outside. “It’s just always been a big part of our life to get to be outside and be active.”

PHOTOS BY SCOTT THOMAS

The New Bentonville?

In recent years, Alex Fairly and Chris Podzemny have been inspired by the city of Bentonville, Arkansas, headquarters of Walmart and home of the heirs of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Over the past few years, the Walton Family Foundation has spent millions of dollars to build miles of natural-surface trails and shared-use paved paths across Northwest Arkansas. As a result, Outside Magazine has described the area as “Disneyland for Mountain Bikers,” making Bentonville a high-profile riding destination rivaling outdoor meccas like Moab, Utah.

The Walton Family Foundation reports that, in 2017 alone, mountain biking brought $137 million in economic benefits to the Bentonville area. That money and interest have helped revitalize the city’s downtown, with the national tourist influx boosting the local food scene. Meanwhile, elite races are attracting professional riders and racing teams.

That gets Fairly’s attention, who says his foundation will make a significant financial commitment to this area over the next 10 years.

At the same time, he hopes local trail-building efforts will take on more of a grassroots vibe than the work in Bentonville. The deep pockets of the Walton family mean those trails in Arkansas are being built by professional construction crews. But here in the Panhandle, Podz and the Six Pack Outdoors team depend on dedicated volunteers—which means local buy-in, local ownership, and the local pride needed to maintain trails.

“They have a massive budget, but that’s not quite our style,” Fairly says of the Walton’s efforts. “It’s an endless amount of work, but with Chris, people are getting involved and getting to know each other [during trail-building projects]. They’re invested in it.”

Amarillo won’t soon replace the slickrock trails of Moab within the mountain biking world. But the outdoor retailer REI recently referred to our area as one of the best-kept secret mountain biking destinations in the country, thanks to Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

The canyon’s highly technical trails and natural beauty are particularly attractive to Colorado riders whose favorite trails are covered in snow during the winter. Meanwhile, the lack of humidity in the summer draws riders from the Metroplex area and the Texas Hill Country.

“We’re a great central location and we have great trails,” Podzemny says. “Outside this area, we’re building a reputation as a destination for great mountain biking.”

For that community, the Texas Panhandle is already worth the drive.

If Podzemny and Fairly have their way, more and more riders will begin steering in this direction.

Coming soon: Listen to Chris Podzemny‘s interview on the Hey Amarillo podcast.

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

That came in handy during the early months of the pandemic, when The Fairly Group’s offices were closed, clients had paused their work, and Fairly found himself with extra time on his hands. “I would just be out riding at odd times, like on weekday mornings. The main thought I had was that all this chaos was going on in the world, people were afraid to get out of their homes or get near anybody, and none of us knew what to do. But out there on my bicycle, the world seemed normal. Nature didn’t know we had COVID. For two hours, you could forget that was going on.”

With the pandemic continuing to recede, Fairly looks a few months into the future and hopes new outdoor recreation options will have that same calming effect on families. “It’s for those people that would just like to hop on a trail and have a place to ride for 30 minutes, or maybe a family that brings their kids and a picnic and aren’t even on a bike,” Fairly says.

But he also envisions Amarillo continuing to evolve into a destination for mountain biking (see sidebar), with nationally known races and a well-constructed, intersecting trail system. And Podzemny, with his new Fairly Foundation role taking shape, is the perfect point man for that long-term goal. “It’s almost like his life—both his professional and personal life—had gotten him ready for this point,” Fairly says. “I don’t know how we could find anyone who could be this qualified ever to come do this.”

Together, the duo are making a big bet on outdoor recreation and Amarillo’s future, creating something that won’t just be enjoyed in the summer of 2021, but decades into the future. “This is a long-term commitment,” Fairly says about his foundation’s investment in the city. “And it really just started the day we looked over that fence and Chris said, ‘This could be really cool.’”

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PHOTOS BY ANGELINA MARIE

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KYLE CATO, CROSSFIT 806

CLASSES HAVE RESUMED AT CROSSFIT 806 AFTER THE GYM CLOSED FOR ALMOST 90 DAYS.

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E

[

DARK CLOUDS,

]

S I LV E R L I N I N G S

arly in the pandemic, Kyle Cato thought his dream might be over. He’d opened CrossFit 806, a gym near Western and Plains Boulevard, in late 2010.

One of the first CrossFit licensed gyms in the city, it quickly built up a passionate and loyal clientele. When the city shut down in March 2020, Cato closed his doors, too, sending his members home with kettlebells and free weights— loaners from the gym—and pledged to give them daily workout instructions.

But though he and his coaches kept in close contact with members, Cato worried. “Our doors were shut. Nobody used my gym,” he says. Uncertain about when he could safely reopen, Cato decided to try to make the best of a bad situation.

His gym was closed anyway. Why not use his time wisely? “I spent money. I knocked out walls to create floor space,” he says. “We were designed to have 20 people working out at once, but the big remodel made it to fit 30 people in a more organized way.”

BY JASON BOYETT

As virologists began announcing that outdoor spaces were safer than indoors, Cato also considered whether 806 could have a more prominent outside component as well. He installed a pull-up rig in the parking lot. “I wanted it to be a fairytale entrance when someone came back. I wanted that wow factor to be there at our opening,” he says.

Almost 90 days after closing, CrossFit 806 finally welcomed members back during the summer. They discovered a much more expansive workout floor, a better flow for group exercise, and a lot less chaos. “The gym is feeling more alive than it ever has,” Cato says today during an early-afternoon break between sessions. Membership has been growing rapidly. The outside equipment and inside remodel have allowed him to add classes.

“We’re running with it as the pandemic turns the corner. It actually made my business better. We’re a well-oiled machine.”

COVID was scary. But on the other side, Cato has seen unexpected benefits. “It made me a better business owner,” he says.

He’s not alone.

“The community is ready. Businesses are ready. There’s gonna be no doubt—we’re already seeing it,” says Jason Harrison, president and CEO of the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce.

He’s talking about the explosive reopening of the local economy as Amarillo and Canyon residents get vaccinated and businesses rebound after the uncertainty of 2020.

As businesses pivoted in response to the stop-and-start restrictions of the pandemic, this area fared better than many other parts of the state. Initially, the city projected a decrease in sales tax revenue, which funds municipal operations. Worried about potential budget cuts, the local government began planning for the worst.

But during 2020, the City of Canyon increased its sales tax revenue 14 percent over 2019. The City of Amarillo’s sales tax collections for March 2021 were up nearly 9 percent from the previous year. At a State of the Economy event in late March, finance expert Monica Mehta pointed out that Amarillo had weathered 2020 much better than many other cities.

So while the outlook for the U.S. economy has already been improving, Amarillo’s low unemployment rate and booming economic development put it at the precipice of extraordinary growth.

“It’s a culmination of a lot of things,” the Chamber’s Harrison says about Amarillo’s current position. “There’s

more economic development going on than we’ve had in the last 30 years.” He points to the opening of a new one million-square-foot Amazon distribution and fulfillment center, the ambitious launch of Sharpened Iron Studios, the fall opening of AISD’s AmTech Career Academy and the inaugural class of the new Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo, all of which are driving local enthusiasm.

“Plus, there’s all this pent-up demand and excitement from consumers. They have more money now than they probably ever had,” says Harrison. For one thing, families tended to spend less and save more during the pandemic.

And secondly, the government’s stimulus checks deposited money directly into their bank accounts.

“They have money ready to spend and businesses are starting to open up,” he says. “With the vaccination campaign, you have peace of mind and excitement to go out and do things. People feel safe. People have money. The culmination of all those things are why we are so quickly able to rebound.”

Not every business survived the pandemic-related restrictions and closures, and Harrison is careful not to downplay that pain. “People went out of business, and those are businesses we may never get back,” he says.

But he does recognize that, as illustrated by the stories on these pages, many businesses found a way to adapt and change in response to the crisis.

“Amarillo has a roll-up-your-sleeve-and-get-the-jobdone mentality and you’re seeing that now,” he says. “They had to get creative and make it happen, and they’re in a better position now.”

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AMARILLO IS OPEN—AND POISED TO FLOURISH

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DISH FOR DISH, PLATE FOR PLATE

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Last spring, Ronnie Granger prepared to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Sunday’s Kitchen, a small, downtown Cajun and Creole restaurant now located on Sixth between Polk and Tyler streets.

He’d done steady business serving breakfast and lunch out of a small space. Four tables inside and four patio tables maxed out his capacity at 32 seats. Sunday’s Kitchen was increasing in popularity, however, and the limited space presented a challenge.

“We were packing them in and already turning people away,” Granger says. “The dining room was a choke point.” Then the pandemic hit. He was already a member of multiple Facebook groups in which local and national restaurateurs had begun sharing best practices as COVID landed on their doorsteps. So when dining rooms closed, Granger saw an opportunity.

It was time to put that choke point behind him.

“The restaurants that were successful, all they did was be willing to adapt. You had to. You didn’t have a choice in the matter. If you didn’t adapt, things got hard,” he says on a recent Tuesday afternoon between the lunch and dinner rush. So Granger changed the entire concept of Sunday’s Kitchen. “I knew we had a restaurant, but I had to stop treating it like a restaurant and start treating it like a food truck—a stationary Coming soon: food truck with a fixed location.”

Listen to Indoor dining restrictions last spring Ronnie Granger‘s interview on the forced restaurants to close anyway Hey Amarillo and offer takeout and delivery only. podcast.

Granger embraced the shift. “We started boxing [the food] up good, wrapping it tight, keeping sauces separate, all the expectations of a food truck,” he explains. “It wasn’t a hard transition but a matter of simplifying. But what happened is it leveled the playing field for me.”

In other words, he knew his eight tables would never allow him to compete with bigger restaurants. But at the time, those enormous dining rooms were in the exact same predicament. They were serving takeout only, and so was Sunday’s Kitchen. So Granger ran with it.

That meant changing not just how he got meals to customers, but the way he interacted with customers in the first place.

“That’s when we took our social media to a different level. We started posting more and changed the type of posts we made,” he says. In particular, Granger recognized opportunity on Instagram. “I can’t compete with a big dining room and a bar, but I’ll go up with you dish for dish, plate for plate. So that’s what happened,” he explains.

“Every plate, I said, ‘That plate needs to look like something you can take a picture of, something you can post.’”

He focused on creating visually appealing, Instagrammable food, one plate at a time, and relied on his growing base of customers to spread the word.

They did. Organically, local influencers and prominent civic leaders began to order from Sunday’s Kitchen and post about it. “Customers with big platforms were showing up randomly and ordering food.

People saw it,” he says. “I couldn’t have done it without those people with influence.” When Granger himself posted about a certain dish, it was likely to sell out. The steady business gave him the freedom to grow. Eventually, he added a dinner menu.

Today, Sunday’s Kitchen is fully open, but that food truck/takeout mindset persists. “We are definitely two different restaurants,” he says, comparing his pre-pandemic and current operations.

He estimates his business has grown five-fold over the past year.

“Customers want local, homestyle food. We’re thriving.”

CRISIS RENEWAL

Talk to any business owner who is still in business in 2021, as we approach the tail end of COVID, and you’ll hear similar stories to those of CrossFit 806 and Sunday’s Kitchen. We had to change. We couldn’t just wait it out. We didn’t know what we were doing, but we did it anyway.

The government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans definitely helped, combined with local banks’ hard work to get that money to customers. The community’s insistence on supporting local businesses during the crisis also played a huge role. But more than almost anything else, these small businesses discovered that their willingness to embrace transformation— and do it quickly—allowed them not just to survive the pandemic, but come out RONNIE better on the other side of it.

GRANGER, At 575 Pizzeria, owner Brent Kelleher SUNDAY’S closed his Civic location for muchKITCHEN needed renovations, upgraded his phone system to handle a barrage of takeout orders, and even introduced a new Take N’ Bake pizza (see sidebar).

At Brent’s Cafe, owners Brent and Heather Lancour hoped to retain as many of their staff as possible, even with the dining room closed. They started their own curbside and delivery rather than using a service like GrubHub. They also introduced $45 family meals, which proved incredibly popular (see sidebar on page 40).

Joshua Raef, the local owner-operator of the Georgia Street Chick-fil-A, doubled down on the delivery side of his business and focused enormous attention on his drive-thru. Even though his dining room is still closed—there’s a chance it could reopen in late May—his location has been busier than ever. He says his business has been “forever changed,” in the best ways (see sidebar on page 42).

For these businesses, the pandemic compressed several years of slow, necessary changes into a 12-month span. The transitions may have been painful—the pandemic was scary, the anxiety was harmful, the grief was enormous—but sometimes suffering leads to growth.

Academics call this process “crisis renewal.” According to this theory, devastating crises can sometimes be agents, in the long term, of positive outcomes. A destructive hurricane forces massive improvements within a city’s infrastructure. A local tragedy binds a community together like never before. A global pandemic ends up

Before COVID, 575 Pizzeria saw takeout represent around 20 percent of its business, according to owner and founder Brian Kelleher.

When the pandemic forced the closure of indoor dining, that number jumped to 100 percent. It stayed there for weeks.

Kelleher wasn’t ready for it. At the beginning, he thought his phone systems were capable of handling the the extra volume—until Kelleher called another restaurant and got a busy signal. He understood that the restaurant was busy. But at 575, when phones were busy, the caller just heard incessant ringing. “I realized our phones were making people mad,” he says. So late last year, 575 completely retrofitted its phone system, adding a busy signal and revamping how calls arrived. “It’s a work in progress, but it helps our ability to serve customers,” Kelleher says.

Had takeouts stayed at 20 percent, that upgrade may never have happened.

That wasn’t the only change. Early in the pandemic, Kelleher had decided to make use of the closures to remodel his original Civic location—a long-needed construction project. But the closure stressed his remaining kitchen on Hillside. “Trying to fit in all those [carryout] orders in a short amount of time was very challenging,” he says. Still, despite two-hour wait times for customers’ pizza orders, he wasn’t willing to change the quality of his product.

Cooking pizza faster wasn’t an option.

“We had the ovens we had,” he says. “We didn’t want to mess with cook times, so throughput wasn’t an area we could improve.”

As a solution, he introduced a brand-new product: Take N’ Bake pizza. These were the same familiar 575 favorites, but customers could pick them up uncooked, ready to bake at home. “We didn’t have to send those through our ovens. We could produce them quickly and in advance,” Kelleher says. This allowed customers to call in early, pick up their orders at their leisure, and even drive home without worrying their pizza was getting cold. Customers from Canyon and Bushland began to respond.

“This was a huge development for us,” he says.

“It allowed us to enlarge our range of customers.

It opened up a new product to more users.” Most importantly, it took strain off the pizza ovens during peak times. “If [customers] were willing to cook at home, it didn’t cost as much and it was more convenient than waiting in a long phone queue,” says Kelleher.

Since reopening fully, sales are up at 575, but Kelleher is still considering ways to streamline his operation, especially interactions between guests and their server. “You never want to see restaurants close and go out of business,” he says today. But begrudgingly, he still recognizes benefits of the moves COVID forced him to make. “Our staff has become a tighter team. They had to. They rallied together to face a lot of these challenges together,” Kelleher says. “It all came out of the pain and struggle we were feeling.”

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PHOTO BY JASON BOYETT

575 PIZZERIA: “A TIGHTER TEAM”

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HEATHER AND BRENT LANCOUR, BRENT’S CAFE

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BRENT’S CAFE: “WE FELT THE LOVE” Brent and Heather Lancour opened Brent’s Cafe in January 2019. Their Olsen Boulevard restaurant, known for its creative, farm-to-table dishes, was just hitting its stride in early 2020. “We were ready for a fantastic year.

Then all of a sudden, the brakes were put on everything,” Brent says. “That scared us.”

But like many other restaurant owners, Brent and Heather began communicating with their peers. “We were all giving each other tips so we could stay in business,” he says. “Restaurants were sharing each other’s posts. That was really great to see.”

The Lancours gritted their teeth and determined to make it to the other side of whatever was headed their way. “Our number-one goal was to support as many local producers as we possibly could. Our second-biggest priority was keeping employed as many staff as we could,” Heather says. That informed the changes that came next.

With the dining room closed, Brent’s added curbside and delivery services, relying on their own employees to deliver meals. (Now fully reopened, the restaurant has

partnered with a local delivery company.) They introduced family meals with large, shareable entrees at a very reasonable $45 price point. “Those have been so popular,” Heather says. “You know how busy families are nowadays.

They wanted to eat out but four different entrees, multiple times a week, isn’t always possible.”

Customers responded. Regulars increased their orders.

“They felt invested in our staff,” Brent says. Tips went up exponentially, “sometimes 30, 40 or 50 percent.”

Brent’s ended up having to let one employee go, but eventually rehired that employee.

When the dining room reopened, Brent and Heather removed tables to meet limited capacity requirements.

It turns out customers liked the extra spacing, and those extra tables still haven’t found their way back into the dining area. “I would love to seat another 30 people, but more important is to have a comfortable atmosphere where everybody can enjoy themselves,” Brent says.

Having retained their entire staff during the pandemic, they’re now hiring new employees to meet increasing demand. “More than anything, we’re just grateful to the local community,” Heather says. “We definitely felt the love.”

CRISIS RENEWAL: DEVASTATING CRISES CAN SOMETIMES BE AGENTS, IN THE LONG TERM, OF POSITIVE OUTCOMES. A GLOBAL PANDEMIC ENDS UP STRENGTHENING LOCAL BUSINESSES. BETTER MORALE, BETTER BALANCE

One local example is the External Relations Department at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, a communications shop that connects the organization’s multiple schools and campuses with the public. Prior to the pandemic, its 50 employees mostly worked out of a few physical offices spread across the state of Texas.

That’s not the case any longer. When the pandemic began, the department shifted to remote work, and discovered this not only improved communication, but also efficiency. “We saw that we could join a meeting via Zoom and be extremely effective,” says Mattie Been, Assistant Vice President for External Relations. “It was so accessible to get together and have meetings across campuses.”

Prior to that, she points out that a 30-minute, in-person meeting would often be accompanied by “the meeting before the meeting”—the chit-chat that happens when a team assembles— along with wrap-up conversations after the meeting concluded.

Then there were commute times, presentation and laptop setups, and other meeting-adjacent responsibilities.

“Now, a 30-minute meeting is actually a 30-minute meeting,” Been says of the new Zoom protocols. As communication improved, the interactivity helped eliminate duplicate work as well. But more than anything else, she saw her team members’ work quality continue, even though they had begun to enjoy the extra freedom.

It’s not just anecdotal to TTUHSC. One study in 2015 found that remote employees are more productive than in-office employees because they experience fewer distractions and have a quieter work environment. Escaping the cubicle helps them achieve more in fewer hours. They also tend to lead healthier lifestyles, which ultimately benefits their employer.

“People realized the value of that work-life balance. They saw what they were missing,” Been says. “It was just really beneficial for our culture.” So even when the organization decided it was safe to work together in person, her department kept the work-from-home option. Position by position, the department’s leadership team evaluated whether remote work could remain a perk of the job.

As a result, several employees are still completely remote.

Others, like Been, come to the office just a few days a week. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Been expects her team members to be accessible to jump on a Zoom meeting at any point. But apart from that expectation, each employee enjoys flexibility and freedom. “It’s OK if you’re not in the office sitting at your desk 8-to-5. There’s still a lot of work happening even if the person next door to you is not in their office. That doesn’t mean they’re not fulfilling their purpose and being effective,” Been says. “This respect for people’s time has shifted everyone’s mindset. It encourages people.”

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strengthening local businesses.

Kristina Drumheller, Ph.D., is a professor of communication studies at WTAMU and an expert in crisis communication. She explains that, when things are going well, businesses often end up on a form of autopilot. The status quo works and there’s no reason to shake up the system. “But when a crisis occurs, we find out there are other processes or other ways that we want to redefine our business,” she says. “[Small businesses] should embrace those as opportunities instead of just looking at a crisis in a negative light.”

With that mindset, businesses ask hard questions when a crisis disrupts the status quo: Do we need to adapt? Do we need to change our focus? Do we need to update our mission statement?

And then they allow those answers to drive action.

The dustbin of history is filled with examples of organizations that refused to change, or didn’t adapt quickly enough. “We see a lot of businesses where you have to stop and wonder what happened and why they aren’t the leaders [of their industries] today,” Drumheller explains. “Why aren’t we on Skype instead of Zoom? Why did Blockbuster not become Netflix?”

The answer is that they weren’t prepared for the transition in the first place, and when those shifts happened—when a crisis landed at their feet—they weren’t able to pivot. This concept doesn’t have to apply only to a pandemic. Drumheller says businesses should always be questioning themselves. “Even if it’s not a pandemic, how do I look forward at how a crisis could affect my business?” she asks. “How would I continue operating? How do I resume business if my building catches on fire?” The companies that address those questions and steer their business models toward survival often end up seeing better success when the crisis is in the rearview mirror.

Drumheller points to remote work as a perfect example of this.

Within some companies, individuals had spent years asking for the flexibility to work at home. Experts acknowledged it could increase both morale and productivity. But countless businesses were reluctant to offer it simply because they didn’t trust the nontraditional concept. Apart from a few tech giants, remote work made them uncomfortable.

“I would argue the pandemic has shown businesses that every time they said, ‘Oh, we can’t do that,’ the pandemic said, ‘Yes, you can,’” Drumheller says. “In any business where you don’t have an absolute reason an employee has to be there from 8 to 5, ask the question: Can they do work differently? Can you allow folks with families to go to a kid’s play or take care of their elderly parents?

Can you just say, ‘These are the projects that need done. I don’t care when and how you do them, as long as they’re done by this date?’ Companies who do that have employees with a better quality of life.”

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Not everyone is comfortable looking for the silver lining of a pandemic. Clearly, it has been a devastating year in Amarillo and around the world. As of last month, the virus had taken the lives of more than 700 people living in Potter and Randall counties. Imagine the devastation if a 737 airliner filled with Amarillo residents crashed upon departure from our airport. Now imagine it happening twice more over the course of a year. That heart-wrenching scenario represents the local death toll of the disease.

But as our area increases its vaccination rate and moves forward, certain businesses are benefiting from their willingness to make changes. “When we got to the fall and were facing uncertainty about whether we would close down again, people were wondering ‘Is this what life is now?’” remembers Jason Harrison, president and CEO of the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce (see sidebar on page 37). “It caused them to get creative with their business plans.”

Some businesses, like cleaning crews, found themselves doing better than they’d ever done and were forced to service the extra demand. Others, especially retailers and restaurants, had to find new ways to get their products to consumers so they could keep the doors open. But all found ways to adapt.

“Through that mentality and resilience and Amarillo work ethic, because of that creativity, we are now starting to see a big rebound,” Harrison says. “The proactive businesses changed their models and were very active. They went above and beyond, and that makes them a better business.”

It connected them more closely with their customers and cemented customer loyalty.

It delivered new products and revenue streams. It increased productivity and morale.

Because the world changed, these businesses changed, and a willingness to embrace that potential helped them wring something positive out of a global negative.

Business is coming back in Amarillo. It might just be better than ever.

PHOTO BY JASON BOYETT

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ABOVE AND BEYOND

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CHICK-FIL-A: “THESE ARE FOREVER CHANGES”

Local owner-operator Joshua Raef launched the Chick-fil-A on Georgia Street in the summer of 2011 and immediately built up a huge business. But despite having a high-profile corporation behind him (“I’m under no illusions about that,” he says), the pandemic initially left him reeling.

“For the first four to six weeks [after the shutdown], our business was almost cut in half,” he says. When he realized the pandemic was going to last longer than a few weeks, his thoughts turned to survival. “It was raw fear.”

But Raef knew his location had earned a reputation for excellent drive-thru service, so with indoor dining closed, he prioritized that side of his business. “It’s amazing what you can do when forced to focus resources on something,” he explains.

“We thought we were good at drive-thru already, but learned we could be a lot better about it. We got faster than we ever thought possible.”

He compares it to the evolution of pit crews in NASCAR, with a team of specialists planning ahead and layering expertise to reduce pit stops to mere seconds. “If you can put a lot of people with specialized tasks on the drive-thru, you can run it in record time,” he says.

Also, in the fall of 2019, Raef’s location had been one of

50 Chick-fil-As nationwide testing delivery services. That was a lucky break. “Overnight, that business quadrupled,” he says.

“It’s quintupled since then. The delivery business blew up and I don’t think it’s going away.”

Meanwhile, thanks to app-based ordering, curbside service boomed. Stats and revenue increased across the board, and as of this month, Raef’s Chick-fil-A has still not reopened its dining room. Corporate would have allowed it, but the independent owners in Amarillo all decided to keep theirs closed for the common good—at least until vaccines were available for team members. Raef misses the community aspect of indoor dining, but knows the growth of drive-thru, delivery and curbside wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

In fact, reopening the dining room at all will be a challenge at this point. “Our delivery and mobile business are running out of a third of the dining room,” Raef reveals. His employees are literally using that space for meal assembly and delivery coordination. He’ll probably end up building interior walls to retain at least part of that staging area. “You can’t put that genie back in the bottle,” Raef says. “These are forever changes.”

The Georgia Street Chick-fil-A continues to flourish. To address a labor shortage and reward his existing employees, Raef increased hourly pay for his entire team. “We’ve hired 48 people over the last two weeks,” Raef said in early April.

“We’re busier than ever.”

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TOSCANA ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE

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BUILT TO LAST

LOBBY OF THE BARFIELD

BY JASON BOYETT

T H E B A R F I E L D R E T U R N S TO G LO R Y

fter a decade of discussions, more than three years of construction, and the chaos of pandemic-year supply struggles, The Barfield is scheduled to reopen to the public in time for Memorial Day weekend. Built in 1927 by fabled Amarillo businesswoman Melissa Dora Oliver-Eakle (see sidebar), the historic 10-story building was the city’s first skyscraper. It will reopen this month as a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel and the first true luxury hotel property downtown.

The new hotel features 110 guest rooms, along with two premier suites on the 10th floor, a farm-to-table Italian steakhouse called Toscana, a 1,200-square-foot ballroom and even a speakeasy hidden in the basement of the building. The total renovation cost was $35 million.

The development and construction team used federal and Texas state historic preservation tax credits, which required them to work closely with the Texas Historical Commission to retain as much of the building’s original character as possible.

“One of the reasons we’ve been so delayed is [renovation teams] get in there and they start realizing, ‘Oh, we didn’t know this was here,’” says Christy King, director of sales for the new hotel.

“So it’s definitely a much longer process than building from the ground up.”

For instance, the historical commission required at least one of the building’s floors to retain its original “bones,” and The Barfield team applied that rule to Floor 10. That top floor has remained nearly intact, including the paint, trim and original doors. “The marble wainscoting that lined the hallways is just like it was in the 20s,” says King.

Oliver-Eakle, the skyscraper’s original developer, intended her structure at the intersection of Polk Street and Route 66 to be the crown jewel of Amarillo. And it was. But until this project, the Barfield sat vacant for three decades, a downtown eyesore with boarded windows. It wasn’t quite crumbling—the solid concrete construction allowed it to stand up to the harsh Panhandle climate—but it was far from a jewel.

That’s why the building’s new life brings excitement to people like Beth Duke, executive director of Center City. “Saving a building like The Barfield is important because it is irreplaceable,” she says. Beyond its position in the Amarillo skyline, the landmark holds personal memories for Duke. “My dad had an office there for a while,” she says. “I remember that on one Saturday each year, we were allowed to go to his office and watch the Tri-State Fair parade. Those are the kinds of experiences that encourage my passion to keep downtown thriving so others will have great memories.”

Travelers and locals alike are already planning to create those memories as soon as the hotel opens. “People call every day to book rooms,” King says. Events are being booked in the hotel throughout the summer. “It’s just been phenomenal.”

The fine detail work was still being completed as of press time, but King shared renderings of a few Barfield highlights with Brick & Elm.

T H E LO B BY

Around 2,500 square feet in size, The Barfield’s lobby makes an immediate impression on hotel guests. “When you walk in from Polk Street into the historic lobby, it will look exactly like it did in 1927,” says King. The developers restored the original elevators, kept the luxurious marble floors and trim, and even retained a 1920s-era revolving door that allowed entrance from Polk Street. Rich mahogany wood throughout keeps the space warm and inviting. “It feels like West Texas—like the home of a West Texas woman,” says King.

While the main entrance to the lobby is along Sixth, the Texas Department of Transportation considers that street a “highway” because it represents the original Route 66. For that reason, valet parking will only be offered on Polk Street. “We are full valet but it’s complimentary with the restaurant or Paramount Recreation Club,” says King.

A complimentary Mercedes Benz shuttle will be available to ferry guests to and from the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport.

T H E R E S TA U R A N T

T H E TO S C A N A B A R

A “belly up” bar accompanies the restaurant with space for another 20 guests. “You can walk in right from Sixth Street,” says King. Rather than surrounding the horseshoe-shaped bar with barstools, the space is designed for people to just walk up and order a drink “without having to squeeze between chairs.”

Behind the elegant bar is a mural of Palo Duro Canyon, handpainted by the muralists Robert Solache and Brian Walsh. A skylight above spills natural light onto the painting.

T H E PA R A M O U N T R E C R E AT I O N C LU B

Ms. Oliver-Eakle was a polite member of Amarillo society, but she was also a no-nonsense West Texas pioneer. So she secretly carried a pearl-handled Derringer pistol, and her building—constructed at the height of Prohibition by Oliver-Eakle, one of the drivers of Amarillo’s temperance movement—hid a speakeasy in the basement. “We’re bringing it back to life,” says King. That original speakeasy was called the Paramount Recreation Club, and the new hotel is keeping the name. It has a mostly hidden marble-stairs entrance off Sixth Street plus other secrets built into the design, like a hidden room within the secret bar, accessed by a trick bookcase.

“It’s just added cool factor,” she says. The hotel wanted as much meeting space as possible, and the basement was originally going to be a board room. But the design team wanted to prioritize unique experiences. “That’s how all this got birthed. Let’s do the whole thing. There’s so much more we can do with it.”

Part of the basement extends beneath the street, and speakeasy patrons will be able to observe pedestrians passing overhead through a transparent walkway. Center City’s Beth Duke calls the speakeasy “a time capsule of the building’s history.”

THE ROOMS

The average size of an American hotel room is around 330 square feet. Due to the design of the original building, however, rooms at The Barfield average 400 square feet each. “They feel big when you walk in,” King says about the standard double-queen guest rooms. All have blackout shades, soundproof walls and a minibar.

“Everything in our rooms, anywhere you go, is all customdesigned for The Barfield,” she says. “Nothing came out of a catalog. A designer said, ‘This belongs in the Barfield,’ then sketched it. And then had someone create it.”

HOW THE DUCHESS MADE AMARILLO Completed in 1927, the Barfield Building was Amarillo’s first skyscraper. The original 10-story structure was known as the Oliver-Eakle Building after its owner and financier, Melissa Dora Oliver-Eakle. She arrived in Amarillo in the 1890s with an enormous personal fortune, having recently been widowed after the death of the industrialist William Oliver—the principal stockholder of Mississippi Mills, the largest textile manufacturer in the South.

She was sometimes known locally as “The Duchess” due to her wealth and elegance. By all accounts, “The Duchess” had more money herself than the capital of all the area banks combined, and used that money to help those banks and the city grow in those early years. It was unusual for a woman to wield power or prestige in the Panhandle, so she often used the name M.D. Oliver-Eakle. Many of her financial beneficiaries never knew she was a woman.

In addition to the skyscraper, Oliver-Eakle helped establish the Tri-State Fair and developed Amarillo’s Oliver-Eakle subdivision, including the land where Amarillo College and Memorial Park are today. Most reports indicate that she, more than anything else, helped keep local businesses afloat at the start of the Great Depression. She passed away in late 1931.

“Melissa Dora Oliver-Eakle was an amazing pioneer business woman,” says Center City’s Beth Duke. “She was a visionary to build a skyscraper in downtown Amarillo.”

RENDERINGS COURTESY OF THE BARFIELD

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

One of the design highlights of the Toscana Italian Steakhouse is the building’s original boiler plate, mounted to one of the walls. (It’s visible in the center-back of the rendering at left.) “It’s been fully restored and was a big ordeal,” King explains. The plate weighs 1,500 pounds and came from the original boiler in the building’s basement. “Just the process of figuring out how to mount that on the wall and make sure it doesn’t pull the whole wall down, that took several months. But it is now in place on our wall and it is beautiful.”

The restaurant will serve scratch-made pasta and dry-aged steaks. It seats 64 people, with a private dining room that can serve another 30 guests.

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KNIT for Success

Y

BY JASON BOYETT

ou don’t have to travel far in Amarillo to find a business transformed by the pandemic. Some changes, of course, were painfully negative. Others, as revealed in this issue, ended up being surprisingly positive. But one of the most dramatic and unexpected transformations becomes clear the moment you step into Marcella’s of Amarillo.

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

GROVE BAMBOO KNITTING NEEDLES BY LYKKE

DAWN BARKER’S CHASING RABBITS FIBER CO. ARTISANAL HAND-DYED WOOL

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PAPILLON KNITTERY

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Located in Wolflin Village for two decades, the former Marcella’s Furs & Leather—the business simplified its name last year—is no longer just a shop selling high-end clothing and accessories.

Since October of last year, a major portion of its interior has been dominated by another luxury product: yarn.

Marcella’s now shares space with a knitting business. And business is good.

Marcie Rea owns both Marcella’s and the new Papillon Knittery. The yarn side of her venture has become a knitter’s paradise, stocked with highly sought-after alpaca and sheep fibers, bamboo knitting needles and other specialty products.

Rea has always sold furs from all over the world, and now she imports yarns from places like Japan, Norway and Turkey.

“I specifically chose knitting because we have always carried natural fibers within the [Marcella’s] store,” Rea says. “Not just fur coats, but also cashmere and precious fibers. I had been thinking about the idea for more than a year, but when COVID hit, that solidified it.”

People were stuck at home, and like everyone else, Rea found herself longing for community.

“I wanted to bring people together and create a space for artisans. Knitters like to be around each other,” she says. It just so happened that the pandemic lockdowns had elevated knitting from a grandmotherly pursuit to an activity enjoyed by a broader population.

Maybe it was the extra time created by a lack of socializing. Maybe it was the repetitive, meditative motion of the needles, which keep the hands busy even while watching TV. Maybe it was just another pandemic obsession, the next stage after sourdough bread baking and TikTok scrolling. But

younger demographics don’t often frequent the fur business, but are central to the knitting scene. “We have a saying: ‘This ain’t your grandma’s knitting,’” she says, laughing. “It’s like a fever. These are really young knitters, especially in their teens and 20s or 30s. They love creating.”

And it’s not just locals finding their way into the shop. “Just the other day a woman was traveling to California on I-40 from Minnesota.

If you google ‘yarn shops,’ Papillon Knitters comes up. People going across the country stop and buy yarn here. They’re from all over the place,” she says.

The Papillon website has also fielded orders from far outside Amarillo. While Papillon and its products now take up around 40 percent

PERFECT FOR A PANDEMIC

“

WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS A BEAUTIFUL MARRIAGE OF THE GENERATIONS COMING TOGETHER ON THIS ... IT’S A PRECIOUS, PRECIOUS THING WE’RE WITNESSING.

”

— MARCIE REA

She came up with the name first. Papillon is French for butterfly, and the symbolism was intentional. “It’s an in-your-face COVID thing,” Rea says. “We felt like we were in a cocoon during the shutdown.” She dreamed of her business re-emerging from the pandemic “like a butterfly out of a chrysalis.”

Rea then created a website. “It took off from there,” she says. Before long, the shop was hosting a weekly, in-person knitting group, which then went virtual when cases began to surge this past fall. (The group now meets again in the store.) Rea hired Meagan Snyder, a local knitting expert, to lead classes. She partnered with Dawn Barker, an Amarillobased artist and independent yarn dyer who’s quickly developing a national reputation for her artisanal hand-dyed wool.

“It’s brought me a new generation of customers,” says Rea. She acknowledges that

of the shop’s square footage, Rea is already eyeing a new, standalone location. “It’s been the most pleasant surprise,” she says. “We determined in our hearts that we would emerge from this thing better. But I didn’t realize how good it was going to be.”

Beyond surprise, she’s inspired by the transformation. “Knitting has been around as long as the fur industry. It was considered something older people did,” she explains.

“But what we have seen is a beautiful marriage of the generations coming together on this—the older people teaching the younger people, and the younger knitters are loving it. It’s a precious, precious thing we’re witnessing.”

Like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly, it almost feels magical. And at the same time, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

The growth of knitting during the pandemic may be more than just a fad. Research indicates that the rhythm of knitting needles—and the concentration required to manipulate them and the yarn—has a naturally relaxing, therapeutic effect.

In fact, knitting is sometimes recommended by therapists for people who suffer from stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A Cardiff University survey of 3,500 knitters in the UK found that 81 percent of respondents reported feeling happier and calmer while knitting. The tactile, repetitive movement of the activity may have made it the perfect pandemic pastime.

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

knitting definitely had its 2020 moment, and a new generation of people began seeking out merino wool yarn, sourcing needles made from driftwood, and teaching themselves techniques like the “longtail cast on” or the stockinette stitch method.

“People first started coming to us wanting fur pom-poms for the beanies they were knitting,” Rea says. She wasn’t a knitter herself—she still isn’t—but she saw an obvious connection between the fur products at Marcella’s and the natural, high-quality yarns that are preferable to knitting with synthetic materials. “Knitters in this area didn’t have a place to get really good yarn. They are all about natural fibers anyway, so as a furrier it seemed an obvious thing to do,” says Rea.

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S

till Austin is known for its whiskey, but right now the company’s founder, Chris Seals—who splits his time between Austin and Amarillo—is excited about another product. This spring, the independent distillery introduced its newest spirit: The Naturalist, a 100-percent handmade gin. It’s the first rye gin made in Texas, and uses rye and corn grown by Texas farmers.

Jon Schrepel, the head distiller at Still Austin, says the unique rye base is complemented by the flavors of 12 botanicals, including juniper berries, citrus peels and coriander seeds. Like its flagship straight bourbon whiskey, the gin is enjoying national acclaim. Last year, the New York International Spirits Competition named Still Austin its “Texas Gin Distillery of the Year.”

The light, botanical flavors of gin make it a popular cocktail base during the summer months, so we asked Seals and his team to provide us a few of their favorite recipes using The Naturalist.

PHOTOS BY JAKE LARA, COURTESY OF STILL AUSTIN

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T H E N AT U R A L

kitch

Add Still Austin gin, lemon juice and honey syrup into a shaker with ice; shake until well-chilled.

TO MAKE HONEY SYRUP: 1/2 cup honey (adjust to taste) 1/2 cup water Add ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat.

Stir until honey is dissolved.

Allow to cool and transfer to an airtight container.

Refrigerate.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy responsibly!

Makes 1 cocktail B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

Bees Knees

2 ounces The Naturalist Still Austin American gin 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed 1/2 ounce honey syrup

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B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

50

The Outdoor Type

Creator: Jehudiel Barba 1 ½ ounces The Naturalist Still Austin American gin 1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice ½ ounce fresh lime juice ¾ ounce simple syrup

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake until very cold; strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a quarter moon of fresh grapefruit and sprig of fresh rosemary.

Makes 1 cocktail

French 75 1 ½ ounces The Naturalist Still Austin American gin ½ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed ¼ ounce simple syrup (optional) 2 ounces sparkling wine

Makes 1 cocktail

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

Combine gin, lemon juice and simple syrup into a shaker with ice; shake it like a Polaroid picture! Strain into a champagne flute, coupe glass or chilled cocktail glass.

Top with sparkling wine. Zest a twist of the peel and rub between your fingers over the cocktail. Drop right into glass to add extra lemony goodness!

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An engag ing exhibition that will reveal a vivid picture of what living, breathing dinosaurs were really like. This exhibition introduces how c urrent thinking about dinosaur biolog y has changed over the past two decades and highlights c urrent research by scientists from the A merican Muse um of Natural Histor y and other leading paleontolog ists around the world. Using a combination of major fossil finds, captivating computer simulations, and provocative models, Dinosaur Discoveries: Ancient Fossils, New Ideas introduces a dynamic vision of dinosaurs and the scientists who study them.

D i no s a u r D i s c ove r i e s : A n c i e n t Fo s s i l s , New I de a s i s o rg a n i z e d b y t he A me r i c a n M u s e u m o f Nat u r a l H i s to r y, New Yo rk ( w w w. a m n h . o rg ) , i n c o l l ab o r at i o n w i t h t he C a l i fo r n i a A c ade m y o f S c i e n c e s , S a n Fr a n c i s c o ; T he F i e l d M u s e u m , C h i c ag o ; t he Ho u s to n M u s e u m o f Nat u r a l S c i e n c e ; a n d t he No r t h C ar o l i n a M u s e u m o f Nat u r a l S c i e n c e s , R a l e i g h .

MAY 4 - SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 H ar r i n g to n C h a n g i n g G a l l e r y 2 5 0 3 4 t h Ave n u e • C a n yo n P a n h a n d l e Pl a i ns . o rg

LOCAL A

marillo is open for business! Our economy is looking up, but as we emerge from a difficult pandemic year, supporting local businesses remains just as important as it’s always been. Here are a few of the homegrown businesses providing local products, serving local people and investing in this community.

[ SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION ]

Amarillo National Bank How many years have you been in business? The history of Amarillo National Bank goes all the way back to 1892, when cattleman and early Amarillo settler B.T. Ware founded the bank that would eventually become Amarillo National. His descendants have kept ANB in the family ever since.

Who are the owners/key members of your business or team? Today, the fifth generation of Ware family members are managing the bank. Our Vice Chairman Patrick Ware and President William Ware are the great-great-grandsons of B.T. Ware. Their father, Richard Ware, remains the chairman of ANB. We are proud to be one of the largest family-owned banks in the United States.

What’s one thing that sets you apart from your competitors?

Being family-owned, with no outside shareholders, gives us the freedom to make decisions without worrying about Wall Street, quarterly earnings, or other external influences. This allows us to focus on the long term. The Ware family’s time-tested, conservative leadership means continuity and stability for our customers. It also allows us to keep focused on the things that matter most. We are known for exceptional customer service and for giving back to our community.

What do you love about doing business in Amarillo? As a family bank doing business in a place with strong family values, we are grateful every day for this city. Amarillo is such a big part of who we are. Recently, ANB has expanded into other communities across Texas, but Amarillo will always be the first part of our name. We also love the diversity of our community and economy.

Some cities our size become dependent on only one industry, but there’s such variety in Amarillo, from petroleum and agriculture to technology and education. That keeps our economy healthy.

What is your biggest takeaway from doing business during COVID? Amarillo is resilient and creative at every level. Being a bank has given us a multilevel perspective on the crisis, from individual families to the major businesses who bank with us.

So we’ve served busy parents trying to deposit checks while managing their kids’ remote learning. We’ve worked with small businesses to provide millions of dollars in PPP loans during a time of uncertainty. We’ve helped large businesses navigate supply chain disruptions and new regulations. We continue to be impressed by the people who live here.

How can the community best support your business, post-COVID? We are only as strong as this community, so the best way to support Amarillo National Bank is to support Amarillo. Keep going to local restaurants. Keep shopping at local businesses. Keep giving to the nonprofits that serve our residents. Keep volunteering your time to local causes. All of those things keep Amarillo a wonderful place to live, work and do business.

806.378.8000 | ANB.COM

LOCAL

[ SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION ]

Sabre L. Cofer, Realtor CLHMS, CRLS, GRI, SRS, TRLP

How many years have you been in business? 10 years Who are the owners/key members of your business or team?

Sabre L. Cofer, Realtor, Team Leader Racaan Calton, Realtor Mayra Lechuga, Realtor Rance White, Realtor Landi White, Realtor Sidney Homfeld, Realtor Brenda Reyes, Realtor Cassie Morrison, Administrative Assistant Jami Langeland, Operations Manager Amy Gossett, Sales Support Candace Cofer, Marketing What’s one thing that sets you apart from your competitors? At Living Texas Style Real Estate Group, we believe our client’s success is our success. It is all about YOU as our client. Our business is built upon relationships. We take our job seriously to help you to the best of our ability with full integrity and honesty. We understand this is one of the largest purchases you will make, and we want to be sure we give you the best information and service possible to help you make the best decision for you and your family.

What do you love about doing business in Amarillo? We’re so proud of our hometown and our community. Amarillo is growing and it’s no surprise! We tell clients who are moving here they can expect to be welcomed in a big way by our friendly community, where people are willing to help you with whatever you need. We encourage others to come and experience all Amarillo has to offer, from performing arts to Palo Duro Canyon to our local sports teams!

What is your biggest takeaway from doing business during COVID? Even in a pandemic, you can’t stop our people or our city! We experienced our biggest year yet in real estate! While taking the necessary precautions, people still need to move forward with their lives, and we are here to help.Together, we are a strong community. In Amarillo, you will find we support each other and our local businesses. It was a year of just that—supporting each other and helping our fellow citizens through hard times, whether that was a phone call to check on them, delivering a bag of groceries or toilet paper, or doing a friendly drive-by to wish a friend or neighbor a happy birthday.

How can the community best support your business, post-COVID? We greatly appreciate our community’s support of our real estate business, trusting us to help with the big decisions of timing on selling and buying a home, or even to find solutions for keeping their home after job losses and life changes. We are honored to be your Realtors with your continued support and trust as we move forward past a very difficult and tragic year. We’re certain that together we will grow stronger than ever before!

L I V I N G T E X A S ST Y L E R E A L E STAT E G RO U P B R O K E R E D B Y E X P R E A LT Y L LC 806.683.7026 SABRECOFER.COM LIVINGTEXASSTYLE.COM

LOCAL

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LOCAL

Neon Moon How many years have you been in business?

[Owner Jill Zimmer] For 30 years or more, I have had a presence in retail beginning at the Country Coop and Village Antique Mall. Finally, my sisterin-law and I joined Kasey Robinson Tam as Two Loons in The Nest on 6th. In 2011, my husband and I bought the building at 3210 SW Sixth and it became the new home for Two Loons. Six years ago, we bought the building that had housed The Mustard Seed for many years, and I expanded to Neon Moon.

I have always loved junking and collecting antiques. I combined gifts, home decor, and antiques in Neon Moon. My family has supported the dream of having my own place—or as it turned out, places. We joined From 6th Collective last November.

Who are the owners/key members of your business or team? I had a full-time job at Potter County until 2019, but always had a great staff working and managing in my absence. Leisa Collen, Andrea Davidson. Pam Thomas and Cindy Hawkins make up the present team.

What’s one thing that sets you apart from your competitors? We offer a wide selection of gifts and decor with price points that cater to everyone. We have new items coming in every week, and we are expanding our furniture and lamp selections.

What do you love about doing business in Amarillo? I love doing business in Amarillo because of the loyal customers that support us, as well as the visitors we get to meet on Route 66.

What is your biggest takeaway from doing business during COVID? As people were forced to stay home during COVID, they began redecorating and enjoying their homes more.

They were very supportive and sensitive to shopping locally to keep businesses open. We were delivering, shopping over Facetime, setting up private appointments, and shipping directly to our clients.

How can the community best support your business, post-COVID? People can best support our business by SHOPPING! Shop locally! We want to help our customers in any way we can and help them find whatever they are interested in. Give us a chance! Come shop with us; you won’t be disappointed!

3323 SW SIXTH AVE. | 322.0086

Purpose + Passion Boutique

LOCAL

DONNA WARD AND KRISTIN DERIGHT

How many years have you been in business? A little over 3 years.

Who are the owners/key members of your business or team? Mother-daughter team Donna Ward and Kristin DeRight.

What’s one thing that sets you apart from your competitors? When you shop with us you are shopping with purpose. We carry items that help provide food to those in need, donated funds to nonprofits and support systems to help end human trafficking, assist with pet rescue, build schools and orphanages around the globe and so much more. Your purchase makes a greater impact in others’ lives both locally and globally. What a great reason to shop!

What do you love about doing business in Amarillo?

Amarillo is the best city to have a small business. Our city is conscious and passionate about supporting the local boutiques, businesses and eateries in our city. I love how we have less chain retailers and more boutiques than most cities our size. At P+P when customers shop with us, we love that we are able to help give back, donate and support others in need in our own city. We have had customers traveling through that share how much they enjoy ‘boutique shopping’ and how Amarillo has the best there is, and we couldn’t agree more. We are proud of our city and the support they give to small businesses like ours.

What is your biggest takeaway from doing business during COVID? We recognized just how much Amarillo loves to support small businesses. We had a great year despite the circumstances and it is truly because of the endless support of our customers. When we did shut down (for 56 days), the outpouring of support and love our customers had for us was such a sweet reminder that we are ultimately all about building relationships with our customers; it is not just about a sale for us.

How can the community best support your business, post-COVID? Keep shopping with us, tell your friends and family about the boutique, shop our online store and follow us on social media. Word of mouth is the best way for others to hear about Purpose + Passion and how unique and different we are. It brings us great joy to hear customers share our mission with their friends and how passionate they are about our little boutique.

2 61 2 WO L F L I N V I L L AG E | 41 8 . 8 92 0 P U R P O S E A N D PA S S I O N B O U T I Q U E .C O M [ SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION ]

LOCAL

Reserve

by H. Reese Beddingfield Designs How many years have you been in business? We have been in business for 4 years. Reserve was created to showcase designer Reese Beddingfield’s unique aesthetic. Reserve enables the public to update their homes with his favorite design elements directly from the store.

Who are the owners/key members of your business or team? Reese Beddingfield, Owner; Britani Briley, Store Manager What’s one thing that sets you apart from your competitors? Fun service! It’s like shopping with a friend! We always say Fun Happens. We offer beautiful, eclectic selections and feature the work of local artists Nancy Walker, Lauren Sherwood and Mike Mahon and exclusive floral designs by Ann Beddingfield, along with an exquisite collection of Jo Latham fine jewelry. We have the biggest selection of coffee table books in Amarillo.

Our framed butterflies and bugs introduce a whimsical natural element into your decor, and an in-store experience not to be missed.

What do you love about doing business in Amarillo?

Every person on staff at Reserve is a Panhandle native.

We know that local businesses are so important to Amarillo and its economy; the success of local business directly affects so many people. We really enjoy other local business owners in Amarillo and support each other very well!

What is your biggest takeaway from doing business during COVID? The community really rallied to support local businesses during COVID. People were so thoughtful in their shopping choices! Other small businesses in the city formed a social media alliance to support each other during the pandemic, to brainstorm and share ideas for how they were continuing to operate despite the challenges. The relationships we formed in that group are priceless. We’ve learned so many things that will change how we do business forever.

How can the community best support your business, post-COVID? Please continue to support us, visit us frequently and share your experience with your friends and family. #funhappens

2614 WOLFLIN VILLAGE 367-5567 | RESERVEAMARILLO.COM

LOCAL

Rockwood Furniture Co. How many years have you been in business? We have been in business going on 14 years. Our first location opened at the entrance to Westgate Mall in August 2007.

Who are the owners/key members of your business or team? Rockwood Furniture Co. is owned by Jake and Stephanie Rempel, and Jake’s brother Henry Rempel.

What’s one thing that sets you apart from your competitors? We are proud to offer American made furniture, handcrafted by Amish craftsmen and other artisans. We have carried other lines throughout the years, but our featured craftsmen are consistently better than the rest. When we started our business, we vowed to have the best customer service around.

We have a great team to help us accomplish this and it will always be our goal.

What do you love about doing business in Amarillo? Locals know how to be genuinely friendly. We meet people from all walks of life, and love to welcome people into our store, strike up a conversation, and have them leave not only as customers, but also as friends.

What is your biggest takeaway from doing business during COVID? Our business was very blessed during COVID. While we all faced unforeseen challenges at home and work, we also learned the value of home. It is our sanctuary and we should fill it with people and things that we cherish. Many customers came to us over the past year to help them create a safe haven during the pandemic. We had a very busy year, and for that we are so grateful.

STEPHANIE AND JAKE REMPEL

HENRY REMPEL

How can the community best support your business, post-COVID? The community showed outstanding support by shopping locally during the pandemic. We always try to support locally owned businesses and restaurants whenever possible, and would encourage the public to continue to do so, especially as businesses begin to open back up. It takes the entire community working together to rebuild our lives after this pandemic, and we know we are all up to the challenge!

11570 I-27 | 358-8778 ROCKWOODFURNITURECO.COM [ SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION ]

LOCAL

WT Enterprise Center How many years have you been in business? The WT Enterprise Center was established in 2001 through a partnership with the State of Texas and West Texas A&M University. We are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Inspiring Innovation in 2021.

Who are the owners/key members of your business or team?

We are a department of the WTAMU Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business under the leadership of Dean Abdullat. Key team members include Kyla Frye, Debbie Holmes, Brian Enevoldsen and Megan Stutz. Entrepreneurs-in-Residence include Coco Duckworth and Lloyd Brown.

What’s one thing that sets you apart from your competitors?

Our mission statement, We Help People Build Great Companies, is the core of why our organization exists: to serve others. We serve, equip and educate business owners in our community to help them achieve their goals and dreams. We believe our spirit of serving others is what sets us apart. We try to go above and beyond to get business owners what they need to succeed. We also support entrepreneurs in every stage of their journey, from startup to succession to the next generation. We have the tools, connections and resources to help business owners validate new products or ideas, and roadmaps to help them take their business to the next level of growth. Over the past 20 years, 74 percent of our clients are still in business today.

What do you love about doing business in Amarillo? One of the most unique things about Amarillo is the amount of locally owned businesses that call our city home. We love the fact that our community supports entrepreneurship/business ownership and will do business with friends, neighbors and family before they go elsewhere. When business owners succeed, our community succeeds. We love being a part of that equation and contributing to our economic growth through supporting their endeavors in creating new jobs and bringing new revenue to the region.

What is your biggest takeaway from doing business during COVID? Business owners are resilient and Amarillo is one of the best places to be in terms of having community support. Limitation can oftentimes breed innovation and our entrepreneurs embodied this sentiment in 2020. They leveraged the pandemic to serve customers in new creative ways, while navigating uncertain times and new regulations encountered as business owners, leaders, family members and community members.

KYLA FRYE, MEGAN STUTZ, DEBBIE HOLMES AND BRIAN ENEVOLDSEN

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How can the community best support your business, postCOVID? Our community can support us best by supporting their friends and family who are business owners and sending them our way. If they know an entrepreneur in our community who could benefit by having a support system around their business to help them navigate the challenges of being a business owner, please tell them to give us a call or come by to see us! We have the business tools, assessments, mentors and connections to help them be a part of our 74-percent success rate. We have a passion for seeing Amarillo business owners succeed and grow their business in our community, and we want to help as many as we can.

2300 N. WESTERN ST. | 374-9777 WTENTERPRISECENTER.COM

THE MASON JAR

I

PHOTO BY SHANNON RICHARDSON

t’s a quiet little lunch spot tucked into the back corner of Moonwater Designs, Marci Abrahamson’s design and home decor shop on Sixth. But the café’s owner, Brian Mason, is no wallflower in the local restaurant scene. The chef behind the late, beloved BL Bistro, Mason is letting word of this new venture grow slowly. But the secret’s getting out.

SHOWN: WATERMELON & FETA SALAD, GREEN GODDESS CHICKEN & BACON, WALNUT BAR, AND COCONUT AND WATERMELON ITALIAN SODAS

The Mason Jar has a light, healthy menu that Mason tries to keep as close to whole food as possible, with fresh salads, sandwiches and more—the open-faced fig and goat cheese sandwich is a favorite, along with the spring berry salad. He offers a variety of gluten-free options and some of the best catered charcuterie boards and take-and-bake casseroles in the city. The Mason Jar opens weekdays for lunch until 5 p.m., and until 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

3313 SW Sixth Ave. 584-7100 themasonjarco.com

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

f+d

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ALDACO’S TACOS

AM AR I L L O 1887 SOCIAL HOUSE

The name refers to the year Amarillo was founded, but the atmosphere is way more modern than that. This dinner-only spot inside the downtown Embassy Suites specializes in small bites. There’s a full restaurant setting, but the spacious, trendy bar area gets the most traffic.

550 S. Buchanan St., 803.5504, hilton.com $$

B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21

575 PIZZERIA

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See p.39!

Owned by an Amarillo native, the two 575 locations serve the best pizza in the city. Locals rave about the incomparably thin crust, the way the thin-sliced pepperoni crisps up in the oven, and the fresh ingredients. Their easy to-go ordering includes craft beer and wine by the bottle.

2803 Civic Circle/7710 Hillside Road, Suite 700322.5575, 575pizzeria.com $$

THE 806 COFFEE + LOUNGE

Art meets coffee—and a surprisingly delicious vegetarian and vegan menu—at this locally owned, atmospheric shop on Sixth. (The brunch is especially good.) Time it right and you’ll catch live music or an art show. If you’re ready to ditch the minimalist coffee scene, start here. 2812 SW Sixth Ave., 322.1806, the806.com $

ABUELO’S

This longtime chain has its roots in Amarillo and an incredibly dedicated local clientele.

The Tex-Mex is flavorful but the true draw is nostalgia. Also: margaritas. As a bonus, Abuelo’s offers some of the best event room and catering deals in the city.

3501 W. 45th Ave., 354.8294, abuelos.com $$

THE AÇAÍ BAR

Don’t worry about how to say it. Just order one of these fruity, flavorful bowls or smoothies. They’re perfect for postworkout refueling or a light, nutritious lunch. The ingredients are mostly organic and the owners are local. Pro tip: It’s pronounced “ah-saw-ee.”

7306 SW 34th Ave., Suite 9, 367.9724, theacaibaramarillo.com $

Look, if your name rhymes with “taco,” then it’s pretty much just fate. Tucked away on Sixth street in one of those iconic, recognizable old Toot-n-Totum buildings, this is the spot for affordable, authentic tacos and tamales. 3623 SW Sixth Ave., 374.4945 $$

AMARILLO’S STOCKYARD GRILL

Open since 1904 inside the Amarillo Livestock Auction building, this historic restaurant feels like stepping back in time.

The down-home breakfast is legendary, but so are the steaks, burgers, and famous chicken-fried steak. It’s open MondayFriday, but on Mondays you can watch the auctions. 100 S. Manhattan St., 220.0484, amarillostockyardgrill.com $

AMERICAN MADE COFFEE HOUSE

It may be out of the way for a majority of locals, but they don’t know what they’re missing. American Made is River Road’s best-kept secret. The owner is known to offer free coffee to first responders, and the handmade sandwiches are belly busters.

Don’t miss the fresh-made sweets.

6402 River Road, 236.0005 $

ASPEN CREEK GRILL

This comfort casual chain has very few locations, but ours on I-40 is constantly busy. The appetizers are great for sharing and the popular Happy Hour is ridiculously affordable. Each location offers a signature menu. Try a Black Angus steak or the pizza.

4110 I-40 West, 398.2776, aspencreekgrill.com/amarillo $$

THE BAGEL PLACE

This beloved breakfast and lunch spot introduced bagels to the Panhandle years ago, and locals have been grateful ever since. Grab a fresh bagel to go and choose from a variety of cream cheese flavors. Or try the oversized homemade sweets. (Look, everything here is delicious.) 3301 Bell St., 353.5985, bagelplace.net $

BANGKOK RESTAURANT

In a city known for its Thai food, Bangkok is truly authentic—and a legit Amarillo

This is not a comprehensive list of local restaurants. From issue to issue, we will try to include a wide variety of dining options based on the space available. If you notice an error, please email mm@brickandelm.com.

Boulevard dive. Take it from patrons with experience: If they say it’s “spicy,” they mean it. Get ready, and make sure you’ve got plenty of water. 5901 Amarillo Blvd.

East, 383.9008 $

BANGKOK-TOKYO

The name should give you an idea of the Asian fusion available here. The dining area is very small—thanks, weird triangle roofline!—but you can get fantastic Thai food combined with even better sushi.

Takeout orders are quick, and it also now offers an expanded gluten-free menu.

2413 S. Western St., Suite A, 353.4777 $$

BAR 3

This out-of-the-way spot is located south of town at Preston West Golf Course, but it’s got a loyal patronage. We might even say it’s worth the, um, long drive. Hit it on Taco Tuesday, or grab traditional bar/grill food the rest of the week. Regular drink specials quench your thirst. 9101 S. Coulter St., 353.7003 $

BEEF ‘O’BRADY’S

Amarillo is not exactly a haven for Irish food or drinks. But this family-friendly chain offers the closest thing to it—at Beef ‘O’Brady’s, the pub food is “Irishinflected”—all wrapped up in a sports bar atmosphere. There’s a sizable party room, too. 7306 SW 34th Ave., 358.0997, beefobradys.com $$

BELMAR BAKERY

This family-owned bakery is known across the city for its cookies and cakes, but the restaurant side has a passionate clientele of its own. Grab an enormous breakfast burrito with Roasters coffee. For lunch, try the soup or a panini. Belmar also has great box lunches and party trays. 3325 Bell St., 355.0141, belmarbakery.com $

BENJAMIN’S DONUTS & BAKERY

Local folks are serious about donuts, and there is definitely a “Benjamin’s donuts or no donuts at all” camp. Benjamin’s is familyowned and -operated, and you won’t find a bad option on the menu—from donuts to the pastries, kolaches, breakfast sandwiches

$ $$ $$$

Most entrees under $10 Most entrees $11 to $20 Most entrees over $21

f+d

and burritos. 7003 Bell St., 353.1100/ 1800 Western St., 803.1133 $

THE BIG TEXAN STEAK RANCH & BREWERY

Make Someone’s Day with a

This tourist destination is packed at all hours of the day. Everyone talks about the 72-ounce steak challenge, but other standouts include the popular “Mountain Oysters,” normalsized steaks, chicken-fried steak and ribs.

The onsite brewery recently added a hard seltzer to its menu. 7701 I-40 East, 372.6000, bigtexan.com $$

Lil ’ Sweet Grace!

CADA VEZ COMIDA MEXICANA

2612 Wolflin Village | Amarillo, TX 806.418.8920 purposeandpassionboutique.com

CALICO COUNTY RESTAURANT

This Amarillo favorite isn’t fancy—the rusty farm tools on the cabin-style walls make that clear—but the homestyle food is always good, from breakfast fare to chicken-fried steak. This is the kind of friendly place where you always order the same thing (and you’re happy you did). 2410 Paramount Blvd., 358.7664, calicocountyrestaurant.com $$

CASK & CORK

The rooftop patio in southwest Amarillo offers unparalleled views of Panhandle sunsets. It’s also a great spot for live music and cocktails.

And while we love the shareable apps, we’re most impressed by the attentive service here. Every employee seems eager to please.

5461 McKenna Square, Suite 101, 410.1113, caskncorkamarillo.com $$

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papillon

DELVIN’S RESTAURANT & CATERING

After opening in 2015, this North Heights restaurant quickly gained a diverse, dedicated clientele from across the city thanks to its generous portions and made-from-scratch flavors. (The buttermilk pie is worth a trip by itself.) The downtown menu is slightly smaller but just as good. 1300 N. Hughes St., 803.9111/ 701 S. Taylor St., 350.7441, delvinsrestaurant.com $

THE DRUNKEN OYSTER

The opulent, moody atmosphere of the Drunken Oyster feels like you’ve stepped out of the Panhandle and into the heart of

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#lightacandlefeedachild

This relatively new Town Square restaurant is already getting raves for its classic Tex-Mex fare. The savory birria tacos are wonderful, and so are the salsa selections—with 22 beers on tap and excellent margaritas to wash it all down. Try the weekend brunch!

9200 Town Square Blvd., Suite 1000, 418.6976, cadavezamarillo.com $$

Located inside Marcella’s 2611 Wolflin Village (806) 331-2002 papillonknittery.com Follow us on Instagram.

FINE YARNS AND ARTISAN TOOLS FULL-SERVICE YARN SHOP

the bayou. The Louisiana-style cuisine never disappoints, from the fresh oysters to the jambalaya and crawfish étouffée. It’s also a great spot for live music. 7606 SW 45th Ave., Suite 100, 418.6668, drunkenoysteramarillo.com $$

this small family-owned shop. Beyond the smoothies and fruit bowls, FAVs serves salads, sandwiches, wraps, soups and freshpressed juice. A true hidden gem in the Plemons-Eakle neighborhood.

706 SW 16th Ave., 803.9171, favstexas.com $

THE EATERY ON ROUTE 66

FRANK’S BAKERY

Located in the same building as Two Loons, this small cafe is just as delicious as it is quirky. We can’t get enough of the 50/50, an enormous beef-and-bacon-blended meatloaf sandwich. For a lighter option, order the Strawberry Fields Forever salad or a quiche. 3208 SW Sixth Ave., 322.0828, eateryonroute66.com $

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EL BRACERO MEXICAN GRILL

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This family-owned restaurant has multiple locations but this one on Grand is the original and legendary for authentic Mexican comida.

Appropriately, it’s painted red on the outside and green on the inside. We recommend the carne asada or spicy green chile enchiladas.

2116 S. Grand St., 373.4788 $$

EL CARBONERO RESTAURANTE Y PUPUSERIA Amarillo isn’t exclusively a destination for Tex-Mex food. This joint on the Boulevard offers authentic Salvadoran cuisine, including pupusas, plantains, Salvadoran sausage, and pan con pollo. If you’re into flavorful grilled meats—or Salvadoran beer like Regia Extra—this is the place.

1702 Amarillo Blvd. East, 373.1973, elcarbonerorestaurantamarillo.com $

EL MANANTIAL RESTAURANT

This Amarillo Boulevard dive is regularly highlighted by Hey Amarillo podcast guests as a favorite restaurant or ideal place to take out-of-towners. El Manantial serves the best chips in Amarillo, alongside fantastic salsa and a bowl of charro beans.

On weekends you’ll hear mariachi music.

3823 Amarillo Blvd. East, 383.1852, restaurantelmanantial.com $-$$

ELMO’S DRIVE-IN

Ordering a burger in this long-lived San Jacinto drive-in feels like stepping back in time—in all the best ways. You may wait a few minutes for your order, but the old-fashioned burgers and fountain drinks are worth the wait. One of the carhops has worked there for more than 30 years! 2618 SW Third Ave., 374.3566 $

FAVS

FAVs stands for “Fruits and Vegetables,” and that’s precisely the healthy focus of

A true French boulangerie (bakery) in Amarillo? Oui oui. Frank-o-phile’s have been rejoicing over this tiny shop since they began giving away a free baguette with every meal decades ago. The quiche, feuillete, croissants, crepes and sweets are perfectly Parisian.

Bring cash! 1923 S. Western St., 352.8089 $

FURRBIE’S

The owners at Furrbie’s are quirky and fun, the burgers are delicious, and the desserts are definitely worth the extra calories. But the best thing about this downtown lunch stop is the fact that they’ve figured out how to replicate Char-Kel’s cheese fritters from the 1980s and 90s. YES. 210 SW Sixth Ave., 220.0841 $

GIRASOL CAFE & BAKERY

We are huge fans of Girasol, where the weekly specials are always creative, filling and delicious. The Saturday brunch never disappoints either, especially in the new outdoor dining area on a sunny morning.

Girasol is lunch-only, so grab some baked goods or bread when you leave.

3201 S. Coulter St., 322.0023 $

GLORIA’S OYSTER BAR

One of the original Mexican seafood places in Amarillo, Gloria’s is known for its soups, oysters and traditional Mexican dishes like chile rellenos. In a city filled with quality Mexican food, Gloria’s stands out as unique.

And the capirotada (Mexican bread pudding) is incredible. 1300 S. Grand St., 373.2722 $

GREEN CHILE WILLY’S GRILL

This iconic location on I-27, tucked away between Amarillo and Canyon, is worth the short drive if you’re a fan of chicken-fried steak, country music, and a homespun family restaurant feel. The green-chile gravy is amazing, as are the hand-cut grilled steaks, burgers, and grilled chicken. 13651 I-27, 622.2200, greenchilewillys.com $$

HOFFBRAU STEAK & GRILL HOUSE

Locally owned for three decades, Hoffbrau is exactly the kind of steak place you’d expect to find in a city like ours—no-fuss and delicious. The I-40 location is both family-friendly and traveler-friendly, with

Texas steaks, comfort food, outdoor dining and a separate bar area. 7203 I-40 West, 358.6595, hoffbrausteakandgrill.com $$

HUD’S

Drive past either of the Hud’s locations before 10 a.m. and you’re likely to see a drivethru line that sometimes extends into the street. Customers are either clamoring for its famous limeades or breakfast burritos. Later in the day, the burgers and chicken nuggets are amazing, too. 7311 Amarillo Blvd. West, 351.1499/4411 Bell St., 331.4837 $

ICHIBAN NOODLE BAR & ASIAN CUISINE

If you want ramen in Amarillo, look no further.

Ichiban is so wonderful and … so rarely open.

Watch your food and noodles being prepared thanks to the open kitchen. Stop by for lunch.

It shuts down mid-afternoon but re-opens in time for dinner. (Most days.) Closed on weekends. 3309 Wimberly Road, 355.5031 $

IT’S A PUNJABI AFFAIR

Indian food is hard to find in Amarillo, but this hut across from Sam Houston Park takes a friendly, youthful approach to Indian-style street food. Our go-to orders include the butter chicken, lamb curry, and marinated and fried tilapia—plus options for vegans and vegetarians. 4201 Bushland Blvd., 414.2114, punjabiamarillo.com $

JOE’S PIZZA & PASTA

Technically, this venerable Bushland restaurant isn’t in Amarillo, but it’s absolutely worth the drive. You’ll be surprised at the quality of this Italian food, from the New York-style pizza to the hot subs, pasta, lasagna and even the steak. The sauce is homemade and you can tell.

19151 I-40 West, 356.8191 $

K-N ROOT BEER DRIVE-IN

This legendary, traditional drive-in opened in 1968. And while it recently lost its iconic covered parking in a windstorm, the wonderful burgers, shakes and floats are still around. And the root beer is served in a frosty cold mug! As the sign used to say, it’s “truly a bargain at today’s prices.” 3900 Olsen Blvd., 355.4391, knrootbeer.com $

KATHY’S KITCHEN

Breakfast is drive-thru only from 5 to 8 a.m., then the dining area opens at 10 a.m. for breakfast and lunch only. The northeast Loop location and homestyle food are perfect for drives up to Lake Meredith/Borger or northeast to Pampa.

Low prices and generous portions.

4517 Highway 136, 383.2513 $

LA FRONTERA

This neighborhood eatery has been open for more than 30 years and has a well-deserved reputation for extra cheesy Tex-Mex. Seriously: Everything’s covered in fresh grated cheese and that’s a good thing. (So is La Frontera’s generous community support.) Try the unique hot sauce! 1401 S. Arthur St., 372.4593 $

3313 SW SIXTH AVE. 806.236.1799

moonwaterhomedesigns.com

LUPITA’S

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The original Lupita’s tortilleria is home to the best tortillas, burritos and tamales in town— that means something in Amarillo—and this family restaurant has now expanded to multiple locations. Some are takeout only. All are good.

So good. For holiday tamales, order early!

4013 SE 10th Ave., 372.3537/ 3221 S. Western St., 350.7638/ 2403 Hardin Drive, 350.7637/ 1706 Amarillo Blvd. East, 350.7614/ 1901 SE 11th St., 350.7398/3309 Bell St., 350.7297 $

THE MASON JAR

Located inside Evole by Moonwater, this charming lunch spot is owned by a veteran Amarillo restaurateur. We love the emphasis on organic ingredients, fresh salads and supercreative sandwiches. The Mason Jar also caters some of the best charcuterie boards in the city.

3313 SW Sixth Ave., 584.7100, themasonjarco.com $

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MY THAI

One of the original Thai food restaurants in a city famous for them, My Thai has been family-owned since 1986 and is absolutely a local favorite. In fact, My Thai is probably the standard for comparing the quality of the rest of the city’s Thai restaurants. Lunch specials daily. 2029 Coulter St., 355.9541, mythaiamarillo.com $

NORTH HEIGHTS DISCOUNT & CAFE

If you’ve ever thought twice about dining inside a convenience store, this will change your mind.

This place serves some of the best soul food in the city. It’s known for huge portions—the nachos probably weigh three pounds—as well as its ribs, pork chops, fried catfish and breakfast items. 1621 NW 18th Ave., 418.6751 $

OHMS CAFE & BAR

The Fuller family has operated this eatery for more than 25 years, and it consistently offers Amarillo’s best fine dining. We love the bar area and outdoor patio, as well as its buffet-style lunch and weekly chef specials from Chef Josh

STO P IN A ND SH O P O U R SE L EC TIO N O F M EN’ S A ND WO M E N’ S ATH L ETIC SH O ES 2636 Wolflin Ave. • 353-2404 • randysshoes.com

Fuller. Pro tip: The Bar Burger is the best burger in town. 619 S. Tyler St., 373.3233, ohmscafe.com $$-$$$

PACIFIC RIM

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3323 SW SIXTH AVE. 322.0086

This long-time establishment on Paramount is one of our favorites, thanks to its excellent Asian-Fusion cuisine and huge portions. We love the build-your-own stir fry options and speedy delivery. Pay attention to the menu’s spiciness levels, though. Level 5 (“Hurting”) is no joke.

2061 Paramount Blvd., 353.9179, pacificrimam.com $

PAN-HANDLERS CAFE

The best restaurants never seem to shout their presence, and this applies to this tasteful lunch spot hidden in the basement of Amarillo National Bank Plaza One. It’s locally owned and has a fantastic salad bar, plus sandwiches and daily specials. It’s always, always good.

410 S. Taylor St., 352.2590, thepan-handlers.com $

PESCARAZ ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Remember to Shop Local

This locally owned Italian place is very involved in the community, has a full bar, and serves up the most irresistible free bread twists in the city. You’ll eat so many, you won’t be able to finish your pasta, pizza or calzone. In the evenings at Pescaraz, you’ll almost always hear live music. 3415-K Bell St., 350.5430, pescaraz.com $$

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PUBLIC HOUSE

Known for one of the best brunches in town, this southwest side hangout boasts inventive cuisine and an upscale, serviceoriented atmosphere. The Happy Hour menu is extraordinary, as are the whiskey and wine lists. Give one of the daily bar and food specials a try. 3333 S. Coulter St., 398.7777, publichouseamarillo.com $$

RED RIVER STEAKHOUSE

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It’s not hard to find a decent steak in the Panhandle, so when a local steakhouse earns a reputation for its hand-cut steaks, you pay attention. The Amarillo version of the owner’s original Red River Steakhouse in McLean, this old-fashioned establishment may be one of the area’s best-kept secrets. 4332 SW 45th Ave., 367.9732, redriversteakhouse.net $$

ROOSTERS RESTAURANT AND CATERING

401 S. Buchanan Amarillo, Texas 79101 (806)378 - 4297 www.amarillociviccenter.com

This coffee, breakfast and lunch stop near 34th and Bell is quietly one of the best dessert places in the city. (That apple pie: Whoa.) But the quiche, sandwiches, soups, and salads are also worth an order. Be advised: the dining

room fills up quickly for lunch, but we love the cute outdoor area. 3440 S. Bell St., Unit 110, 353.7309, silver-fork.com $

THE RUFFLED CUP KITCHEN

It all started with cupcakes, but now this beloved bakery also serves a daily lunch menu of straight-up comfort food, including soups, salads, and hot and cold sandwiches on freshbaked bread. Grab a to-go order, and don’t forget to order some of those cupcakes for dessert. 3440 S. Bell St., Suite 100, 318.3961, theruffledcup.com $$

SAM’S SOUTHERN EATERY

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This Louisiana-based chain has been around for more than a decade, but the Amarillo location is brand-new. The portions are big and the prices are low for shrimp or crawfish po’boys, catfish, crab, seafood platters, shrimp and more. Our city may not be known for seafood, but Sam’s is. 4317 Teckla Ave., 437.1349, samssouthernamarillo.com $$

SCRATCH MADE BAKERY & CAFE

Here’s all you need to know: The owner won an episode of “Cupcake Wars” and then moved to Amarillo. Scratch Made is her and her business partner’s downtown bakery, and it’s as good as you expect. The Saturday-morning brunch is one of our favorites. Share the BAC with a friend, with THE WORKS. 118 SW Sixth Ave., 731.4477, scratchmadebakery.com $

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SHARKY’S BURRITO COMPANY

When a national build-your-own-burrito place opened up in Amarillo, locals were largely unimpressed. Because Sharky’s is far better, and it’s been here way longer. Besides, the owners are very community oriented. Sharky’s catering is one of our favorites for large groups.

1612 S. Georgia St., 359.7330, sharkeysburritocompany.com $

SHI LEE’S BARBECUE & SOUL FOOD CAFE

We love this place. One of the owners calls his chicken-fried chicken the “comeback kid,” because if you order it, you’re guaranteed to come back. He’s right. But everything on the menu is good, especially for takeout given the small dining area. (The portions are always big, though.) 1213 SW Third Ave., 220.0032 $

SINALOA HOT DOGS AND MEXICAN FOOD

If you’ve never had a Mexican hot dog, then stop reading and head over to the Boulevard right now. This is a small place but the flavor is huge. We also love the fire-grilled chicken, tacos, tortas, carne asada, quesadillas,

C O NVE NI E NT PI C KU P A ND D E L I VERY !

DOWNLOA D O U R NEW USE R- F RI E ND LY A PP TO S C H ED UL E SE RVI C E , VI EW YO U R D RO P- O F FS A ND M O R E!

Five locations to serve you | uscleanersamarillo.com

burritos, and mulitas. But that hot dog! (You’ll need napkins.)

2618 Amarillo Blvd. East, 367.8935 $

SUNDAY’S KITCHEN

Frito pie and green chile stew. Plan ahead: Most menu items sell out. 3301 Olsen Blvd., 331.2271, tylersbarbeque.com $$ See

Everyone loves Chef Ron, but p.38! they especially love his West Texas twist on Gulf Coast and Cajun cuisine. This downtown dive is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Friday, and lunch only on Saturdays—and don’t miss the Sunday brunch. Try the Pit Master Mac & Cheese.

112 SW Sixth Ave., 418.6477 $$

TACOS GARCIA

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The Veloz family has operated this extremely popular Ross St. restaurant since 1999. It’s consistently one of the highest-ranking TexMex stops in the city, whether you’re into the family-friendly atmosphere or the full bar.

(The house batch margaritas are legendary.)

1100 Ross St., 371.0411, tacosgarcia.com $$

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TAQUERIA EL TAPATIO MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Most locals assume the most authentic Mexican food is on the city’s east side, but this joint serves authentic Jalisco-style Mexican food near 34th and Coulter. The menu is huge, but we love the breakfast, massive parrillada meals and seafood.

(There’s also a Dumas location.)

3410 S. Coulter St., 331.6248, tapatiotx.com $

TEDDY JACK’S ARMADILLO GRILL With a vast, no-frills menu, this regional restaurant concept was created by former NFL safety and Texas Tech standout Curtis Jordan, who turned to the food biz after retiring in the 1980s. The outdoor area is great and so is the brick-oven pizza.

A fun place to watch the big game.

5080 S. Coulter St., 322.0113, teddyjacks.com $$

WESLEY’S BEAN POT & BBQ

River Road restaurants aren’t always on the radar of every local resident, but Wesley’s has been around forever and deserves its legendary reputation. Loyal customers return again and again for the genuine Texas-style barbecue, especially the baby-back ribs, brisket and—yep—the beans.

6406 River Road, 381.2893 $

YCSF CRAFT

It started as a “food truck without wheels” and now this street food experiment is one of the city’s favorite restaurants, and one of the only vegan/vegetarian places in town.

Definitely try the animal fries and diablo shrimp tacos. The burgers, craft beer and wine list are all wonderful. 2916 Wolflin Ave., 353.9273, yellowcitystreetfood.com $

YOUNGBLOOD’S CAFE

An Amarillo classic, where you can grab a hearty breakfast starting every day at 6 a.m. or wait a few hours to try its illustrious chicken-fried steaks. Our favorite thing at Youngblood’s? It’s gotta be the free banana pudding for dessert (while supplies last).

620 SW 16th Ave., 342.9411, youngbloodscafe.com $$

X– STEAKHOUSE

The name is a play on cattle brands—say “X-Bar”—and this newish Town Square steakhouse definitely knows beef. It’s locally owned, has a full bar, and the prices are extremely reasonable for such a swanky atmosphere. We hear great things about the weekend brunch, too.

9181 Town Square Blvd., Suite 1311, 322.4227, xbarsteakhouse.com $$-$$$ Canyon Ranch

TOOM’S RESTAURANT

Experts know that a lot of “Thai” food actually has origins in Laos, and that fusion is on display at Toom’s, one of our favorite spots on the northeast side. The family owners are super friendly, the space is incredibly clean, and the authentic flavors pop. Get the sticky rice and beef jerky. 3416 NE 24th Ave., 381.2568 $

TYLER’S BARBEQUE

Amarillo has no shortage of authentic Texas barbecue, but Tyler’s always seems to be residents’ first choice. Maybe it’s because he’s got a reputation all over the Lone Star State. Or maybe it’s secretly because of the

C AN YON CANYON RANCH STEAKS & SPORTS

Classic steakhouse fare in what was once home to Imperial Taproom. Locals love the daily promotions and specials at this family-friendly sports bar, as well as its reasonable pricing. There’s a full bar, and we hear rumors live music and karaoke may be happening there soon.

410 15th St., 452.7269, canyonranchsteakandsports.com $$

BUFF’S

This small, locally owned spot advertises itself as an “old-school diner with a new school touch.” That’s a great description.

The college crowd and Canyon families love the homestyle comfort food, including burgers, sandwiches and daily specials. Try the breakfast burritos. 2201 Fourth Ave., 655.2833 $

CREEK HOUSE HONEY FARM AND HONEY BUZZ WINERY

The honey is made onsite from Creek House’s hard-working bees, and those fresh, sweet flavors find their way into homemade items from cheese boards to salads, sandwiches and baked goods. Check social media for daily specials, and definitely try the impeccably brewed mead. 5005 Fourth Ave., 381.3446, honeybuzzwinery.com $

FAMILY SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT Probably Canyon’s best-kept secret, this soul food joint offers traditional, homemade family recipes like chicken-fried chicken, fried ribs, catfish, cheesy meatloaf, and amazing cornbread. Look for the daily specials on social media and don’t forget about the rotating dessert menu.

1205 23rd St., 463.4686 $

HUDSPETH HOUSE COFFEE HOUSE

Georgia O’Keeffe once lived in this historic boarding house, and the newly opened coffee house has become a beloved weekday spot for light breakfast items, quiche, baked goods, sandwiches and soup, and even afternoon tea. The scones are almost as amazing as the history here.

1905 Fourth Ave., 655.9800, hudspethhouse.com $

RANCH HOUSE CAFE

Every bit what you’d expect from a smalltown, home-cooking restaurant. This is comfort food at its best, with all-day breakfast, chicken-fry and steaks, Tex-Mex specialties and desserts made from scratch.

You didn’t hear it from us, but whole pies are available to order. 810 23rd St., 655.8785, theranchhousecafe.com $

SAYAKOMARN’S RESTAURANT

This traditional Thai and Laotian place is extremely popular with locals, who mostly have given up trying to pronounce the name and instead call it “Soccer Moms.” (It’s … close.) We love the pretty dining area and separate to-go pickup entrance. We also love the boba tea. 421 16th St., 655.2698, sayakomarns.com $$

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WEEKEND GETAWAY: 48 HOURS IN OKC

O

klahoma City is known as the Modern Frontier—where authentic Western heritage meets thriving modern metropolis.

Whether you show up in cowboy boots or a business suit, there’s more common ground in Oklahoma City than you might think. It’s hard to fully experience the city’s rich culture in just one weekend, especially given the four-hour drive from Amarillo. But there are several ways to spend 48 hours in the Modern Frontier and make your trip exactly what you want it to be.

CHEF ANDREW BLACK, GREY SWEATER

road trip Where you stay sets the tone for the trip. From a restored motor inn to glamping under the open sky, there’s a wide variety of unique lodging experiences and historic hotels in OKC. Located in the hub of downtown OKC, the Skirvin Hilton is a sophisticated hotel with luxurious amenities, comfortable furnishings and beautiful décor. The Skirvin Hilton features a charming on-site restaurant and a lavish cocktail bar where you can enjoy live music a few nights a week. The Skirvin is just a few blocks from the Bricktown Entertainment District where you’ll find a mix of dining and retail options lining the Bricktown Canal, plus OKC’s nightlife hub.

If the Arts District is calling your name, 21c Museum Hotel in Oklahoma City will welcome (NOT AMARILLO. you with contemporary art and excellent THAT’S WHY amenities. 21c occupies the historic Ford YOU TRAVEL.) Motor Company Assembly Plant and is home to Mary Eddy’s Kitchen x Lounge where you can enjoy new American cuisine favorites and craft cocktails to please all palates.

From 21c, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art is only a few steps away. At the museum, you’ll find three floors of traveling installations and permanent exhibits, including one of the largest collections of Dale Chihuly glass in the world and the renowned Samuel Roberts Noble Theater that screens international, independent, documentaries and classic films year-round.

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art puts you just a short walk (less than five minutes) or one streetcar stop away from the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. Yes, the topic is an emotional one, but you will be amazed at the beauty the city has managed to reclaim in order to pay tribute to the victims and survivors, honor the volunteers and first responders and celebrate the city’s resilience and determination. Access to the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial is always free.

From the Memorial, you can walk over to Automobile Alley, just two blocks east, and spend the afternoon in one of the city’s original districts. Shop for souvenirs at Plenty Mercantile, Shop Good and Tin Lizzies then grab a snack or craft beverage at the Parlor, Sidecar Barley & Wine Bar or Twisted Spike. You’ll also discover ADVENTURE DISTRICT

one-of-a-kind art experiences: Factory Obscura and Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center.

Dinner at Vast is a must. The wine list is spectacular and the 49-story view is unmatched. As OKC’s leading AAA Four Diamond restaurant, Vast offers fresh fare and inventive cocktails. Dine 726 feet up in the Devon Tower and raise a toast to the best view in OKC.

DAY TWO

On day two, start with breakfast at Oklahoma’s oldest continually operated restaurant—Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in Stockyards City.

The diner by day, steakhouse by night concept has been around for more than 100 years and celebrities like John Wayne and Ronald Regan have dined there.

Locals especially love it for breakfast—steak & eggs and chicken-fried steak & eggs are two of the favorites.

Spend the afternoon exploring the Adventure District in all its glory. The district is home to many can’t-miss museums and attractions such as the Oklahoma City Zoo, USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, Oklahoma Railway Museum, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and more. It’s easy to find plenty of ways to entertain the whole family!

Enjoy time outdoors at one of downtown OKC’s urban parks. The beautiful Myriad Botanical Gardens features a wide variety of plants, music stages, a children’s garden with interactive features, a lower pond with koi, duck, geese and water plants, and the outdoor grounds are always free. Nearby Scissortail Park offers paddleboats, playgrounds and year-round programming, plus it’s the perfect spot to catch one of OKC’s showstopping sunsets.

Finish up the night with an unforgettable dining experience at Grey Sweater. Each night, Chef Andrew Black crafts a rotating tasting menu that highlights the freshest and most unique flavors from all over the world. Dinner spots fill up quickly so be sure to make a reservation before you visit. For after-dinner drinks, stop by Ludivine then head next door to R&J Lounge & Supper Club for perfect classic cocktails.

Fall in love with all that OKC has to offer in just 48 hours or less!

Content and photos courtesy of VisitOKC.com

OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER

OKC MUSEUM OF ART, DALE CHIHULY

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listen RECENTLY ON HEY AMARILLO

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ur co-publisher and editorial director, Jason Boyett, is also the host of the popular Hey Amarillo podcast, a weekly interview show featuring Amarillo people. If you haven’t yet subscribed, here are a few recent episodes you may have missed.

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DEETRESS PEOPLES MARCH 22, 2021 A resident of Canyon and employee of WTAMU, Peoples is known for her local activism, including the “Black is Beautiful” book project in February. In this episode, she shares about her upbringing, driving for Uber in Amarillo, and why uplifting the local community of Black residents in Amarillo and Canyon is so important to her. “What struck me in our conversation is how driven Deetress is by her desire to transform ugly cultural narratives about race,” Jason says. “From prejudices against Black teenage boys to the ongoing stereotypes about single moms, she’s investing in her community as a way to challenge those narratives.”

JON REVETT MARCH 29, 2021 Besides being a tenured WT professor and talented artist whose art has been shown nationally, Revett is an expert on Robert Smithson’s Amarillo Ramp—a world-famous work of land art that’s practically unknown by locals. Revett speaks about his career path, the unique Amarillo art scene, and his connection to the complicated legacy of Stanley Marsh. “Amarillo Ramp fascinates me, not just as a piece of land art, but also for how limited the local awareness of it is,” Jason says about this conversation. “People literally travel here from all over the world to see it. But this was probably the first time most of my listeners had heard about it.”

ALONI NDIHOKUBWAYO APRIL 5, 2021 Ndihokubwayo arrived in Texas after having grown up in a series of refugee camps in Tanzania. In this episode, he shares about his Burundi family and the culture shock they experienced upon coming to the United States. He tells Jason about how the “melting pot” of Palo Duro High School propelled him to pursue big dreams today, including the launch of his own clothing business, F8TH Industry. “A few months ago, the Amarillo High basketball team was

playing a big rivalry game at Palo Duro. I remember looking across into the stands, and it felt like half the Palo Duro students were already wearing Aloni’s gear. That’s when I knew he was creating something really special,” Jason says.

MELANIE EGGLESTON APRIL 12, 2021 When the pandemic shut down her massage therapy practice, Eggleston took advantage of the opportunity to educate herself on a unique new career path. Today, she serves as a death doula, a caregiving role in which she supports individuals who are facing terminal illnesses. “As Melanie describes it, the role of death doula isn’t bound to any one thing,” Jason says. “One week she can be helping a client tie up details with a funeral home or an estate attorney. The next week she might just provide emotional support and listen to her client tell stories from the past. It’s a fascinating, life-affirming career and that made this one of my favorite episodes of the year so far.”

MICHAEL HANING APRIL 19, 2021 A serial entrepreneur, Haning launched multiple businesses in Lubbock before putting down roots in Amarillo as the president of Diversified Industrial Service Company (DISCO), a machine shop and fabrication company. He’s also the founder of Acton Academy, a “learnerdriven” education model that takes a very different approach to traditional public schooling. “Michael is a fascinating guy, and I love how he is applying his entrepreneurial bent to industrial business and the hands-on trades, and then also to education,” Jason says. “Plus, I also think local listeners will appreciate how he contrasts Lubbock to Amarillo.”

Subscribe and listen to Hey Amarillo across a variety of podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher, or visit heyamarillo.com.

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JOANNA ROBERTSON

W

e live in a beautiful place, so it’s no surprise that the Texas Panhandle attracts photographers.

JoAnna Robertson is a fine art portrait and wedding photographer whose evocative images never fail to capture our imaginations. The photos she shares in this issue were taken on her mediumformat film camera, a Contax 645, while out on location shooting client portraits.

“We are surrounded by beauty—deep canyons, native plants, vast blue skies, and lots of wildlife and livestock,” Robertson says. “I love capturing little vignettes that paint a small picture of the Panhandle’s personality. While I am shooting a portrait session, I am always looking for interesting subjects to photograph and add to my RanchHaus gallery.”

Learn more at joannarobertson.com or browse her curated collection of Western photographs at From 6th Collective or online at ranchhaus.com.

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J OAN NA R O B E R T S O N JoAnna is a fine art film photographer, specializing in weddings and portraits. In addition to her photography business, JoAnna operates RanchHaus, a gallery featuring her travel photography, vintage finds and home goods. JoAnna resides in Clarendon, Texas, with her husband Jeff, and their four children.

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RENDERING BY PLAYA DESIGN GROUP

back when WITH WES REEVES

PHOTOS BY WES REEVES

It was moms dissolving inside of Sears or Penney’s while dads smoked Kents and listened to baseball on KGNC in the car.

Sunset Center was everything fun and hip, then it wasn’t. And now, after many attempts to find relevance in a changing cityscape, Sunset Center is weaving its way back into our story again.

Amarillo’s first shopping mall got its name from M.T. “Hap” Johnson’s Sunset Golf Course that opened in 1941 on Plains Boulevard near Western. Then Gerri Von Frellick, a Denver developer whose bonafides included Denver’s Lakeside Center and the Big Town Mall east of Dallas, saw a higher purpose for this patch of land as Amarillo boomed in the 1950s, and he laid plans for a mall.

Sunset opened in 1960 with seven acres of retail space and 21 acres of parking—like another downtown without the icy wind or chewing gum stuck on your shoe. It was a hit for more than two decades until Westgate Mall came along in 1982.

Then, when the big names moved west, Sunset Center was 28 acres of not much.

We can thank Ann Crouch for eventually giving Sunset new life as an arts mall. Those First Friday Art Walks could draw a crowd almost as big as a Penney’s polyester pant suit sale. But Ann’s death in 2017 and the rising cost of upkeep emptied Sunset Center once again.

But this place is just too much a part of who we are to be forgotten.

The Ann Crouch Foundation recently announced a $6.5 million project to resurrect a section of the mall as a home for the Amarillo Arts Institute. Add in the $5 million Amarillo College plans to invest in the Penney’s building for its First Responders Academy and Amarillo Independent School District’s $54.4 million AmTech Career Academy in the old Sears building, and you’ve got a $66 million sequel to Sunset’s never-ending storyline.

Or maybe it’s a whole new story altogether, but it’ll always be Sunset Center to me.

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CLIPS FROM NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM

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unset Center was old Amarillo, bucking and snorting through the city’s postwar boom years.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF WTAMU

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LISA HOFF DAVIS UNIVERSITY EVENTS OFFICE FOR PHILANTHROPY AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS, WTAMU The best advice I ever heard is ... If you have time to do it wrong, you have time to do it again.

My three most recommended books are ... To Kill a Mockingbird, Little Women and Emily Post’s Etiquette!

To me, success means ... living a happy life and helping to make this world a better place for everyone.

People who know me might be surprised that I ... am a St. Louis sports fan. It’s my hometown, and I grew up attending Cardinal baseball, Cardinal football (dating myself) and Blues hockey.

My biggest pet peeve is ... tardiness.

Everyone in Amarillo needs to experience ... our revitalized downtown! Downtown is an important historic and economic asset in our community that continues to grow more robust.

If I could change any one local thing it would be ... nothing. I am a transplanted Amarilloan of more than 30 years. The people are amazing. Amarillo is a great place to work and raise a family. I have made both professional and personal relationships that are invaluable to me.

This city is amazing at ... sunrises and sunsets.

My favorite place in Amarillo is ... anywhere outside on a summer evening.

A local organization I love right now ... is Hands On Amarillo. HOA is an online volunteer center for the nonprofit community of Amarillo and surrounding areas. HOA connects volunteers to agencies that are appropriate for their passions.

Whether it be helping children, senior citizens and everything in between, HOA provides an important and valuable service to our community. (handsonamarillo.org)

F I N D YO U R N E X T H O M E T U C K E D A W AY I N N AT U R E

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THOMASON SCOTT 3335 Bell St. 340.7330 thomasonscott.com TISH & RICK THOMASON