New Kalispell eatery hits 'The Spot'

Dave and Elly Snyder’s recipe for starting a restaurant in downtown Kalispell boiled down to one simple strategy — doing things their own way.

“We took everything we hate about restaurants and threw it out,” Dave said, taking a brief break between burger orders.

The Snyders opened The Spot in February in the Emporium Building, 7 First. Ave. E. in Kalispell, catty-corner from Depot Park. While the menu offers a smattering of sandwiches, salads and rice bowls, the real claim to fame is the Snyders’ chicken wings and build-your-own burgers.

All of their sauces are homemade, as are the fresh-cut french fries.

“Nothing is battered or breaded,” Elly noted. “Our beef is 100 percent certified Angus raised in Montana and butchered in Billings; none of that pink slime stuff.”

Diners will notice an unusual mound of clear plastic in an open loft above the restaurant counter. What they can’t see are the assortment of peppers being grown in The Spot’s own makeshift greenhouse. The Snyders are growing their own Scotch bonnet, Trinidad scorpion and ghost peppers — some of the hottest peppers available — along with milder varieties such as serrano peppers.

Until they’re able to harvest their own peppers, the Snyders are using some commercial bottled hot sauces for a few of their wing sauces. With the bottled Trinidad scorpion pepper sauce, one drop is all it takes to set a mouth on fire, Dave assured.

Dave makes his own special “XXX” sauce by pureeing steamed, fried, smoked and sauteed habanero peppers.

Other milder wing sauces include an orange glaze, garlic parmesan, sweet and sour and teriyaki.

“A lot of customers want sauces mixed and matched,” he said. “We’re more than willing to come up with different sauces. All they have to do is ask.”

If repeat customers are an indicator, The Spot is headed in the right direction. The Snyders already have a loyal following.

“Everybody says we have the best burger in town,” Dave said.

The beauty of being a true “ma and pa” small business is the flexibility it allows, they said. If they know ahead of time, they’ll stay open longer for customers who can’t make it in before closing time. They’re also able to make menu changes quickly as they determine what works and what doesn’t. The Spot’s Facebook page keeps customers apprised of what’s on tap.

Being the sole proprietors and the sole employees is a daunting task, though, they admit. As they build the business, they hope to hire one or two employees. And a couple of their sons plan to help out during the summer months.

After five years in Alaska and a year in Las Vegas, the Snyders and their three teenage sons opted to relocate to the Flathead Valley, closer to family and Dave’s hometown of Libby.

“We wanted to come home, so we had to make a spot for ourselves,” Elly said. “We’ve both worked in restaurants and in management.”

Dave honed his customer-service skills working for Les Schwab Tires for many years. He opened several Les Schwab stores in Montana and trained employees.

The hospitality industry is no stranger to Dave. His grandfather owned Pine Ridge Tavern in Libby for years, and Dave spent time at the tavern as a boy. He’s always enjoyed cooking and the creativity it offers.

The vintage beer signs that decorate The Spot are from his grandfather’s bar. The other noticeable decor is a series of John Wayne prints.

“I like what he stands for, the American way,” Dave said.

The Spot just received a beer and wine license that will round out their beverage selection.

The Snyders are working on a food challenge for their menu that features a 1 1/3-pound burger on an 8-ounce bun the size of a dinner plate, a pound of chili-cheese fries and an order of wings. If the customer can eat the 4-plus pounds of food in a half hour, it’s free.

“We want to get ‘Man v. Food’ here,” Dave said, referring to the Travel Channel show that features unusual food challenges.

Dave’s mother, Lori Deshazer, makes the cheesecakes for The Spot.

“Everything about this place is family,” Elly said.

The Spot is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call 755-6003 or follow The Spot on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSpotinKalispellMT.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.