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"It was 1994 and I had just gotten a promotion at my job that required me to move to Traverse City. My dad was afraid I would meet someone there, have kids, and never come back home to Grand Haven.
He knew that the owner of this business was ready to sell (it was called The Hangar at the time), so he called me saying, ‘Hey, I've got an opportunity to buy The Hangar. What if I bought it, you ran it for me, and then you could buy it from me when you’re ready?’
That was his ploy to get me to come back home. I wasn't in love with my job up there, and I wanted to be back home anyway. I love Grand Haven, so I agreed.
From there, my dad and I started JW’s Food & Spirits. Unfortunately, he and I were both very stubborn. He backed away from the business and said, ‘You’re on your own. You either sink or swim. If it goes down, that’s on you. If it succeeds, that’s up to you, too.’
I moved forward…and darned near ran the business into the ground a few times! I had never run a restaurant before. I had never run my own business before."
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