Family Roots Run Deep...Just Don't Know The Connection

At a local eatery (and there are not many of them where we live...), there's a plank of wood with branding on it. Under each branded symbol is a name showing, what I believe, is an evolution of a family crest, the May family. The board is not placed in a central location, more off to the side.

After decades, The Pie Dump Restaurant recently changed owners. Previously, there were dozens of things to see on the walls, everything from sports memorabilia to stuffed animal heads. The new ownership left a few things, but definitely cleaned things up...

But, they left the board.

When I attended elementary school, a family moved in from up north, from the area where we now live. Over the years, I became friends with the family, quite good friends, actually. The family name...May.

Families up here--as with many areas--tend to stick around. A word of advice was given to us after we arrived a few years back. "Be careful when you talk about people, because you never know who they're related to." Not talking about people is good advice in general, but here there are apparently several influential families here you don't want to cross. I'll bet there are several members of my friend's family still living in the area.

That's why I took notice of the branded board. Are the previous owners part of the May family? Or, is the information just interesting...interesting enough to warrant real estate inside the restaurant? I could have asked the new owner, but he was busy.

We're all related, if we go back far enough. In the Intermountain West, many of us share common ancestors. It makes for a close (at times...) community. I'm sure there's a connection between The Pie Dump, and the May family. I just don't know what it is.

Rules For Diving Into Donuts...The Pie Dump

 We have family visiting, which means, among other things, we've been eating out..

A lot.

There's a local eatery called The Pie Dump that we just had to take our out-of-town family to--they had to experience it. Yesterday I posted a picture of my daughter and a sweet role she bought. It was, in a word, huge. 

I noticed something as we left. On the wall were the rules of a contest...an eating contest...a contest that is called...

Diving Into Donuts.

Here are the rules:

The participant must give us permission to take photos and videos and post them on our Facebook page.

Challenger buys 6 doughnuts.

Challenger has employee or owner set timer.

Challenger gobbles doughnuts as quickly as possible.

If the challenger has time quicker than pervious WINNER their name is added to the top of the winner board and money is refunded.

I'm not a big eater, but I have respect for those who are. I don't know either Bryan McLaughlin or Tytan Allred, but I salute you both.

Maybe my kids will one day take the dive. Maybe not. It's fun to see a small local diner have some fun.

Anyone Want To Buy...The Pie Dump?

 I've only eaten there less than half a dozen times. It is the very definition of a small-town eatery. It's called The Pie Dump...

And It's For Sale.

I think you should buy it.

Of course, when I say "you," I'm not speaking to anyone specific. I could be talking to "me" when I say "you." Personally, I think buying a local institution would be extremely challenging, but also rewarding. If you bought it, would you change things? Would you keep things the same so the locals will still continue to come in?

Or, would you tear it down and put in a strip mall for insurance companies and mattress dealers to set up shop?

The area where I live is growing and is expected to explode in the next couple of years. People need places to eat up here. I think we would have eaten more at The Pie Dump but it's only open for breakfast and lunch. Still, even a place that does not serve dinner will be missed if it were to go away permanently. 

I'm sure much of the charm of the place comes from the family that runs it. When they go, no matter how much the new owners try to make it stay the same, it can't. Non-chain restaurants owe their uniqueness, in part, to their owners.

I have no idea what will happen to The Pie Dump. I do know it won't be me that buys it. I hope that whatever happens, people will be please with the results.