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Couple on track to reopen old Maple diner
BY JAMES JACENICH • STAFF WRITER
 | | Rock Turk, standing in the dining room of the former Maple Restaurant, has put more than 5,000 hours of labor and all his savings into the renovation he calls, "a labor of love." (Recorder photo by James Jacenich) |
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MONTEREY - Rodney "Rock" and Lynn Turk moved to Highland County two years ago to begin the slow process of refurbishing the Maple Restaurant.
"It was a leap of faith," said Rock. "I left a well-paying job to come here. We took all of our savings and put it in the restaurant."
The Maple Restaurant had closed two years earlier after many years of operation. Some improvements had been made to the restaurant - such as a heating system put in six months before the restaurant closed. Before the Turks could reopen the restaurant, a major overhaul was in order, and that would take money.
"Our original partners and I had different ideas," said Turk, 45. "They wanted a burger joint; I wanted steaks, seafood and home-cooked meals - classical Americana.
"I want to bring something to this town it's never seen before. I've been doing this for 29 years, I believe we can bring a level of service people here are not used to."
 | | Rock and Lynn Turk are remodeling the former restaurant on Spruce Street, Monterey. A new wall separates the kitchen from the wait staff station and dining room. (Recorder photo by James Jacenich) |
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Rock's wife, Lynn agrees. "We've worked five-star to diner restaurants, we know the ins and outs, saw other people make mistakes …"
"I've got a philosophy," said Rock. "If you don't have the food and service to go with the location, it doesn't matter where you are. People have to want to see you. I've had people come 100 miles to see us at the Crown Restaurant (Inverness, Fla.) and at Shoney's. I've been a general manager and executive chef. I feel blessed that I have the knowledge to do this."
Rock started cooking when he was 15 and living in Ohio. He would eventually become executive chef at the Crown Hotel. In 2004 it sold, their home flooded, and friends in Norfolk were starting up a restaurant. They decided it was the right time to move.
 | | Rock and Lynn Turk, seated, were captured by the "old world charm” of the 1920s Maple Restaurant building, its landmark neon trout sign, the small town of Monterey and its friendly people. (Recorder photo by James Jacenich) |
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He was chef at the Willoughby Inn at Willoughby Spit near Norfolk. The owners of the Willoughby Spit Inn, Mary Lou and Bobby Lebby, told Rock about Highland County. They own a house in Mustoe.
Rock said he has always had a dream of living in the country and running a restaurant. "This is exactly what I envisioned 23 years ago, the whole layout was perfect," said Rock. "This place sat here vacant for two years before we got here. It wasn't exactly a turnkey business."
The Turks have a 10-year lease on the Maple Restaurant space, with the option for another 10.
Rock said it is taking longer than expected to get the restaurant open, but he isn't too concerned. "Things take time. I can't get stressed over that," he said.
Lynn added, "We had the intention to open, get it done real quick. After being here a while, I think it was better that we waited. We wanted to let people get to know us, that we work hard, and that this is something we value."
The old building on Spruce Street, constructed in 1924, has had numerous tenants over the years. It's been home to several restaurants, a movie theater, and most recently The Maple Restaurant. Rock found receipts from previous occupants, some dating back to 1949 from the.
"Nick Beverage said the building has been a restaurant since 1927," said Rock.
A hair salon occupies one one-third of the building and the Turks rent the rest.
A fresh coat of white paint has been applied to the exterior of the restaurant. Inside, the drop ceiling has been removed and the floor taken up. "I've seen every bit of the years in it," said Rock.
Besides money, the Turks have put their own labor into getting the building back in shape. "I quit counting at $40,000 - I pay myself $8 an hour. I've probably taken 40 truckloads of garbage out of here … I totally gutted the kitchen. We took five floors (layers of tile) off the floor, put supports under the floor, rebuilt the floor from scratch. We took three sets of walls off the kitchen and brought it up to standard with washable board. We put in a whole new ceiling with insulation. Kitchen equipment was totally scrubbed if salvageable. I spent three days on the door to the walk in cooler. We have new plumbing, thanks to the help of Trey Williams.
"The waitress station I totally gutted. I took out the drop ceilings all the way through. There were six massive leaks in this (dining) room alone. I reflashed the roof and put on a cool-seal coat. Now we have no more leaks. It had been leaking for years; we found cans up in the ceiling catching drips.
"It (the building) was moldy, I got rid of everything."
The restaurant will be renovated in three phases, the Turks said. The front dining room (Blue Bonnet Room) will have a casual atmosphere, but serve a full menu. It will occupy what many in the community have come to know as the Maple Restaurant. But a banquet room adjoins the restaurant. It is filled with tables and chairs stacked wall to wall among dishes and other restaurant accessories. Formerly known as the Alpine Room, the Turks will rename it the Willow Room in the second phase of their project. It will be more upscale and have a separate entrance from the Blue Bonnet Room. The third phase focuses on the back yard, where the Turks will have a horseshoe pit and meat smoker.
There is a possible fourth phase. "I'm going to bring the theater back to life," Rock said. "It will have a more casual atmosphere. It will be a place to have family reunions, wedding receptions. There will be a stage. It will be a place for people to come and jam."
It may also have a big-screen television and take on a sports-bar atmosphere. The Turks may apply for a beer and wine license, but will not serve hard liquor. "We don't want the crowd that comes with liquor," said Rock. "I want to have a wine cellar, wine tastings, and private parties," he added.
Rock said, "We need $25,000 to finish. We have all the equipment. It's fine tuning everything. I refuse to open early."
The Turks are looking for the right investor who shares their vision of what the restaurant should be. But if they don't find one, the restaurant will just have to wait until they save enough money to finish it themselves.
Lynn agrees. "If you open part way you are destined to fail," she said.
The Turks are redesigning the kitchen so there is more of a flow from the kitchen to the dining room. Lynn wants the waitress station placed so she can see what customers need. She will be in the front of the while Rock takes care of the kitchen.
"As long as I have a visual of everything that's going on around me … I can walk and talk and chew gum at the same time," quipped Rock.
He continued, "I brought that kitchen back to the way I want it. I see this place growing. I've got my 10- year plan … Now we've got to where we can see the light - we've gotten rid of the dirt, mold and leaks. We will still keep putting money in this place after it opens. I don't think we will ever stop working on this building."
Given the chance, Rock would like to buy the building some day, he said. "We want to have a nice fun place where people can come on the weekends, socialize on the weekends, throw some horseshoes … It's not just a money making venture, we want to create our lifestyle here … If money were our intention we wouldn't have tried to open a restaurant in a town of 300. It's been a labor of love."
Rock said he was attracted just as much by the community as he was the restaurant. "Our son, Corey, was born 24 years ago. It was then it came to me in a vision - raising our family and grandchildren in a small town, where everybody knows your name, that still has morals and ethics, and everybody looks out for one another." The Turks have two other sons, Joshua and Julian.
Lynn added, "It was the perfect lease for us, very low to start, but we are to do all the work in the building; the landlord is not putting any money into it."
Lynn has a trust fund that pays the household bills. Everything they earn goes into the restaurant. Rock has been working at a convenience store and Lynn has been painting roofs to supplement their income.
"This restaurant is something I want to leave to our sons," said Rock. "Our youngest son (Julian) will go to a culinary school. We don't know where yet. Julian is a senior at Highland High school.
"This is a young enough community that we think we can grow and evolve with the community," he added. "We want to help this community grow and evolve in a positive light."
Lynn hopes young people will be attracted to the restaurant. "We want to have some school activities here, call it Ram Central," she said.
Rock wants tourists to spend more time in Monterey, and hopes his restaurant will be one reason they stay. "We are people persons. This town needs to shine on the tourists that do come here and leave them with a positive experience," he said.
Lynn added, "If they are going to Snowshoe, we want to make them want to stop here on the way."
"Working at Fast Break (convenience store), I see people stop here for 4-5 minutes," said Rock. "We want to get them to stay here longer and spend some money."
The Turks believe their reputation for hard work, good food, and a welcoming atmosphere, will bring tourists to Monterey. "Word of mouth is everything," said Rock. "I want people to say, 'Let's go see Rock and Lynn.' I want to get in here and flip some eggs; until then people won't know who we are."
"Growth is going to happen," he added. "People come here for the old world charm, small town community. Fortunately, we have a downtown center that hasn't been affected by big city stores. People shun the motorcycles that cost more than I make in a year. You need to welcome them because they are bringing a lot of dollars to this town.
"The 50-year anniversary of the Maple Festival is coming up. The Maple Festival will be 40 percent of our yearly sales," said Rock. "I've done banquets for a 1,000 people, it's the easiest thing to do if you have the equipment.
"I'm just happy to be here. We couldn't be any happier," said Rock.
If the town had a grocery store, Rock said he wouldn't have to ever leave.
Lynn said, "Our favorite sight is coming down Jack Mountain where there is a break in the trees and you can see Monterey."
"It's gorgeous," added Rock.
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