The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

STARBUCK - Mary-Jo Sanderlin may have just the right attitude to make it as a business owner in Starbuck, "45 miles from anything."

She and her husband, Dan, were new in town just a few months ago when they arrived fresh from the construction business in Montana.

She's enthusiastic about snowmobiles, ATVs, quads and motorcycles. And at 29 years old, she's owned and operated a bar in Moses Lake and a power sports retail outlet.

Now she and Dan are opening Rawhide Bar N Grill on Baxter Street in Starbuck. The restaurant opens its doors Friday at noon.

"It's exciting," she said. "The whole town seems to be excited."

Of course, the prospect of anything new to do in Starbuck would certainly get folks' blood pumping. "There's not a whole lot to do around here," Sanderlin said.

The only other restaurant or place for people to gather in town is Huwe's Café.

But the country's beautiful, she said, and draws fishermen to the Tucannon and the Snake rivers, bikers who love the landscape and the winding roads, and hunters like you wouldn't believe, she said.

All of whom, in addition to locals, the Sanderlins hope to entice into their familyfriendly food and drink establishment.

"Maybe they'll stop in for a snack or to get a beer to go," she said. "Or maybe they'll pick up a sack lunch to take out with them."

They hope to pride themselves on their "killer" sandwiches and offer barbecue as much as possible, since they don't yet have all the kitchen equipment needed for a permit to cook inside the building.

"Which of course is disappointing," Sanderlin said. "And strange. They cooked in here before, I know."

The building has stood empty for some time, but it once housed the Starbuck grocery store. And knowing the benefit to having a few grocery items to hand in a place as out of the way as Starbuck, Sanderlin said she plans to stock a few simple grocery items as well - bread, milk, just a few things.

Down the road, she and Dan hope to offer organic, locally produced foods in their establishment, and perhaps help start a farmers market in the town.

They've already adopted a portion of the highway near town, and periodically they plan to round up volunteers for a clean-up crew - offering free Rawhide food and drink (no alcohol) as an incentive.

The Sanderlins, with the help of most of the town, have given the old building a complete interior remodel.

"We seriously have to thank everyone in town," Sanderlin said. "Especially ( Starbuck Mayor) Darcy (Linklater) and Verna (Foley). They're right next door at Darver Tackle. Without them, we never could have gotten this done."

The Sanderlins have built nearly a dozen wooden tables and even more benches, the long bar and other furnishings in preparation for opening day. With everything nearly in place and ready for Friday afternoon, it looks like the set for an old western show.

Weathered lumber, donated by a local man, has been tacked onto the bottom portion of the walls, and antler "sheds" adorn the place.

A giant, framed photo of Sanderlin's father, Tim Day, astride a horse and wearing a cowboy hat, sits in a place of honor in the restaurant. The Sanderlins named the bar Rawhide after her late father's touring operation in Arizona, Rawhide Land and Cattle Company.

A pool table and free darts offer visitors entertainment, while the Sanderlins hope to create interest in karaoke and the occasional live band.

"And children are allowed, which we're really happy about, so the whole family is welcome," Sanderlin said.

After all, Rawhide Bar N Grill is a family business, with Sanderlin's brother, Chuck Day, helping get the business up and running and then staying on as kitchen manager.

"We just want to make sure we provide for everyone," Sanderlin said. "Did I ever think I'd be opening a business in Starbuck? No. But when all the opportunities are there, and all the cards are in place, you just have to ask yourself, 'Do I want to take the chance or just let it pass by?'"

Sanderlin's not the kind of gal to just "let it pass by." Like those hardy pioneer gals who've made a go of things in Starbuck before she arrived, Sanderlin is tough and ready to keep things rollin'.