FEBRUARY 4, 2010 ISSUE
Business Spotlight
Troy’s 105 Diner—Quality Casual Dining in a Family Atmosphere
Troy’s 105 Diner co-owners Sandy and Troy Byrum take a moment to smile with their sons, 15-year-old Matthew (left) and 14-year-old J.B. (right). Photo by Corinne Saunders“People like it because it’s comfortable,” said Sandy Byrum, who co-owns Troy’s 105 Diner along with her husband Troy.
“It’s like a family,” Troy said of the restaurant staff, and customers, too.
Truly, with the loyal customer base of Troy’s 105 Diner —some of which frequent the restaurant five or six times each week—it would be difficult to argue otherwise.
“We’re willing to do whatever we can,” Sandy said. “We really want people to have a friendly atmosphere where they’re comfortable [and] leave happy and wanting to return.”
“We always try to accommodate special requests,” Troy added. “The customer comes first.”
And regular customers are accommodating in return.
“The staff gives that to customers, [but] they give back ten-fold,” Sandy said.
The couple noted that they have had customers help bus tables, get menus for customers if the staff is really busy and that some regular guys at the bar will even occasionally roll silverware with the waitresses.
The family-friendly eatery does not serve alcohol, Troy said, but it serves food that is “a little bit more upscale than most diners.”
The soups, chili, meatloaf, spaghetti sauce and chicken and dumplings, to name a few items, are all made from scratch, he said.
“We cut our own greens. We patty the hamburgers ourself [and] they’re 100 percent Angus,” Troy added. “Quality is one thing I look at first. If you start with a good product, you can finish with a good product, [but] if you start with [something] mediocre, you end up with a mediocre product.”
Nonetheless, a satisfying meal and beverage will cost less than $10, Troy noted, and daily specials for each day of the week change with the seasons.
Tuesdays in the winter, for example, feature a chicken and dumplings special.
With years of fine dining experience under Troy’s belt, the casual restaurant experience of the diner for the past 4.5 years has been a new challenge for the couple.
“We had always done fine dining, [and] wanted a change,” she said. “We jumped in with our eyes wide shut. We had never done casual dining before. We thought it was going to be easier, [but] in reality, it was much harder.”
Sandy, who formerly managed a restaurant in Maine, is in charge of front-of-the-house operations while Troy, a chef by trade, heads up the kitchen.
“It’s a very fun place to own, [but] the work here has been staggering on occasion,” Sandy said.
“It took us about three years to get it running smoothly,” Troy said. “We used to stay open until 3:00 a.m., [but] we realized it wasn’t profitable [and] decided not to do that after the first year.”
They are very much “hands-on owners,” Troy said, adding that his two sons also work in the diner when they can.
Troy and Sandy met while working at a country club in Palm Beach, Fla., and they moved to the High Country in 1986 after Troy was recruited to work as the sous chef at Esseola Lodge.
The couple split their time evenly each year between Florida and the High Country until they had children, when “it became too much [and] we had to make a decision,” Sandy said.
North Carolina’s great school system and their love for the area kept them in the mountains, she said.
“We felt very safe here,” Troy added. “We love the hometown feel.”
And the couple believes strongly in giving back to the community they call their own.
“We try to support everyone locally as much as we can,” Sandy said, naming various high school projects and groups at ASU.
Prior to purchasing the former Mel’s Diner, Troy also worked as a chef at the Elk River Club in Banner Elk, and then was a chef at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center for 10 years, he said.
His local contacts helped the business thrive, he said, adding that he hired some of his former Broyhill Inn coworkers to work for him.
The turnover rate for the staff at Troy’s 105 Diner is low. Troy listed off numerous employees who have worked for him since he opened the restaurant and others that have been there for several years—and even some that went away to school and returned to work for him.
The couple enjoys the 1950s “retro feel” of the diner that is complete with a jukebox and metallic walls, and kids’ meals are served in classic 1950s cardboard cars, Troy said.
The diner serves breakfast all day, and customers can order off the lunch and dinner menus beginning at 10:30 a.m., he said.
The clientele includes everyone from construction workers to ASU students to medical professionals, and the quality food and friendly atmosphere keep them coming back.
But if you’re a regular customer and the staff knows you’re diabetic, don’t try to order sweets from the tempting dessert menu—the staff probably won’t let you, Sandy said.
Troy’s 105 Diner is located at 1286 Highway 105 in Boone. The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 828-265-1344.
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