Twilla Hanson and Brad Field recently took ownership of the Stockman's Club in Broadus. We sat down with the partners last week to discuss their new venture.
"It's been my lifelong dream to own a restaurant, and I'm excited for this opportunity," Twilla said.
The Stockman's Club, formerly the Homestead, has been a longtime fixture for dining in Broadus, sitting in a good location along Hwy 212 at the south end of town. The restaurant and bar features ample parking for stock trailers or trucks, and a pleasant western themed ambiance for customers.
Hanson and Field purchased the Stockman's from previous owners Hattie and Jason Arithson, who owned the business for around 8 years.
Previous to buying the Stockman's, Twilla Hanson worked for 20 years as a travel agent, and has previous experience in cooking and bartending. She operated the bar and restaurant of the VFW in Vancouver, WA, cooked at the Padlock Ranch's working ranch lodge near Sheridan, WY, and operated a barbecue food trailer in Sheridan.
Hanson's partner Brad Field previously worked on ranches in Montana and Wyoming, most recently in the Volborg and Powderville area. Field has experience in ranching management, and he describes himself as a jack of all trades, handling the maintenance side of things at the restaurant while stepping into any roll that needs filled to get the job done. Previous to buying the Stockman's, Field operated a backhoe and trenching business.
Twilla and Brad are currently revamping the kitchen at the Stockman's Club, while the bar is still open, with drinks and pizza still available for customers.
The new kitchen will also feature a new menu, with a number of changes. The Stockman's will be open for breakfast, opening at 5 AM. Twilla plans to have fresh baked bread daily, including cinnamon rolls in the morning. Her previous experience in bbq will lend itself well to bbq nights, which are planned once the smoker is up and going. The Stockman's will specialize in quality steaks and seafood, with options including a variety of steaks, battered shrimp and fish. Half pound and quarter pound burgers options will also be available, as well as moderately priced appetizers.
"I love good food," Twilla commented as she described the tasty treats offered on the menu. "Besides the food, we want to offer a warm atmosphere that's family oriented. Another thing that's really important to me is cleanliness. We really want to offer a pleasant dining experience for our customers, while keeping prices reasonable."
The bar at Stockman's has undergone a few changes – a pool table and dart board are now available to play, and the number of gambling machines has been streamlined, with four video machines still available to play. The overall ambiance of the bar, with the brands on the wall and the shoulder mount of "Speckles" the steer still gracing the wall.
Hanson and Field plan to open the kitchen as soon as possible, hopefully before the rally in early August, with a grand opening planned soon after kitchen operations are up and going. Hanson said the bulk of the previous staff are still working, while they are also looking to hire for all positions.
Hanson commented: "We're really excited to be here, to be a part of the community, and to provide good service and good food for everyone in the community."
Stockman's restaurant hours will be 5 AM to 9 PM, with the bar open until close.
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