Take a look at the extra-long line snaking to the order window at My Father’s Place in McCall, and you might presume that iconic restaurant has fully recovered from the pandemic.
But talk to sisters Cosette and Tabitha Martineau who co-manage the eatery and they’ll tell you that sacrifice, ingenuity, strong family-ties and a huge customer base is a recipe for recovery.
“We decided to close for three-and-a-half months this past winter. It was scary, wondering what was in store,” said Tabitha Martineau. “But our bigger move was for this summer. Cosette made a very hard decision to be open.”
With some of the hardest workers in McCall flipping burgers and hand-scooping ice cream shakes, the sisters took a rare break to visit with Morning Edition host George Prentice to talk about their unique history, how they decided to work one strong, seven-day-a-week shift this summer, and why they wouldn’t trade McCall for anywhere else on the planet.
“Everybody knows everybody. It’s a good community. And our customers: they become our friends.”Tabitha Martineau
