Restaurateur Q&A with Judy Colegrove and Heather Gross
F
amily influences helped shape the food industry careers of local restaurateurs and chefs Judy Colegrove, 30, of the Tango Café, and Heather Gross, 37, of The Pie Hut. Both women grew up in northern Idaho and discovered their love of food and cooking in unexpected ways. Colegrove spent lots of time cooking with family while growing up in Bonners Ferry and recalls being particularly enthralled with the beautiful photographs in a family friend’s Bon Appetit magazines. Colegrove started working at local restaurants at age 16 – beginning as a dishwasher and working her way up – before she came across the opportunity to take over Tango nearly five years ago. Gross was studying graphic design at the University of Washington in Seattle when she discovered her passion for food and cooking while working in a restaurant. After moving back home to Sandpoint, things fell nicely into place after her parents purchased The Pie Hut and decided to hand over the reins to their daughter after just six months. Gross recently celebrated 10 years at the helm of The Pie Hut. –B.H.
JUDY COLEGROVE
& Drinks
PHOTOS BY BETH HAWKINS
Eats
Serving Sandpoint
HEATHER GROSS
How many hours per week do you work?
60 or so. I try not to count.
No more than the normal job, 40 hours. Except for holidays; those can get really busy.
What’s the bestselling dish at the restaurant?
The specials! Our Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocado is very popular; we use slow-roasted chicken. Also the Steak Sandwich.
Thanks to the movie “Chef,” our biggest seller right now is The Cuban. It’s a panini sandwich with slow-roasted pork and ham. The movie really boosted sales!
What’s your favorite dish?
To eat – I pretty much love food – but fried chicken is a favorite; to cook, everything on a Thanksgiving menu; and at Tango, definitely the Steak Sandwich – it’s simple and amazing!
It changes all the time; whatever I feel like eating is the special of the day! I do love soups, especially the Asian soups.
Biggest challenge of running a restaurant?
Paperwork! That, and keeping the customers happy.
Keeping good employees. Without them, I’d have to work way harder!
Hobbies?
Cooking with family and friends, hiking, snowmobiling, dirt bikes, four wheeling, and my dogs. I love my dogs.
Woodworking, painting, costumes – I spend a lot of time on my Halloween costume.
What would you do if not running a restaurant?
Definitely cooking. I would love to work in a 5-star restaurant.
Have a bed and breakfast on the coast, because that’s where I go for vacations. I love the ocean.
WINTER 2015
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
117