Business
By Word of Mouth
Published
7 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBig Sky’s bistro
By Jessianne Wright EBS Contributor
BIG SKY – A small bistro tucked in the Westfork Meadows near Big Sky Town Center, By Word of Mouth (BYWOM) will celebrate 22 years in business this year. Located in the same building and operating for more than two decades, BYWOM has seemingly perfected what they do.
Step through the glass door and you just might feel time take a breath. BYWOM offers casual lighting, a song drifting through the air, candles, white plates, crisp napkins and a menu offering burgers, sushi, lamb, fondu and even pork osso buco.
Co-owner Pam Flach will seat guests at a table, all smiles, before serving neighboring diners their selections from the menu. Meanwhile, her husband, John Flach, is in the kitchen preparing items to cook or performing the finishing touches on a dish.
It is a familial atmosphere and, accompanied by the good food, it keeps people coming back. Pam takes pride in the menu, one that offers a taste for everyone. John routinely updates the offerings, but several popular dishes just won’t go away. One particular favorite, the Flachs explained, is the tuna katsu, which can be ordered as an appetizer or as a small entree. In this dish, ahi tuna meets nori, vegetables and sushi rice, all flash-fried with panko and sweet soy syrup.
The tables are often filled with skiers, locals and passersby, and familiar faces turn up at the restaurant bar. John described the setting in a few words: “Dirt bags with duct tape [on their clothes] sitting next to fur coats.”
Pam and John met while working at Buck’s T-4 Lodge in Big Sky, and in 1995 they purchased BYWOM as a deli and catering service. The business was already named By Word of Mouth, so the Flachs kept it. Later, when customers started calling it BYWOM, the acronym started to take hold.
In the early years, the space was nearly one-third the size it is today. Since then, the couple has expanded BYWOM several times, adding a bar and pub, as well as a dining room. Now the bistro can seat 30 in the dining room and another 30 people in the pub.
The couple had been in the restaurant business long before purchasing BYWOM—Pam started waitressing in college while John began his career in the kitchen at 15 years old. Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, John cooked while in high school, but it wasn’t until working for Kurt Sanborn, the former executive chef at Big Sky Resort’s Huntley Lodge, when he started on his first formal cooking job.
“I don’t think we’ll ever get rich having a restaurant,” Pam said with a slight smile. But for her and John, the benefits of running their own flexible business in a beautiful place like Big Sky certainly outweigh the challenges.
The parents of three school-aged children, Pam and John have been able to set their operating hours in a way that works for the family. For the first few years of operation, BYWOM served only lunch.
However, when Pam and John had their first of three children, the duo focused their attention on dinner so that Pam could stay home with the kids. Now, with all three children in school, the Flachs are serving a variety of dishes for lunch, in addition to dinner.
Pam describes their employees as a family, noting the relatively small turnover rate and the way everyone works together to make BYWOM a warm and friendly place for their customers. However, she also noted their continuous staff shortage in the kitchen.
“John and I feel lucky to have a restaurant in Big Sky mainly because it is such an amazing place for our kids to grow up,” Pam said. “The opportunities for them are endless—academically, artistically and recreationally.
“We may not ever make a million [dollars], but most times we feel like we do,” she added. “We truly chose Big Sky for a place to live, and make a living, because we love it here.”
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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march, 2024
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February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
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15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
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Verge Theater
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during their regular Toddler and Preschool Storytime on Wednesday, March 20, at 10:15 a.m. The free program, presented by the Bozeman Symphony is especially for children ages 3 to 5. Children will be able to listen to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks actor Emma Rather, who will be joined by Bozeman Symphony Bassoonist Sam Macken. The goal of the program is to encourage a love of music, literacy, and discovery. Additional programs are scheduled at the Library on April 10 and June 12. For more information, visit www.bozemansymphony.org or call 406-585-9774.
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(Wednesday) 10:15 am - 10:45 am
Location
Bozeman Public Library
626 E. Main St, Bozeman, MT