Cookin` Up a New Ownership | Video

Sarahbeth Ackerman | 8/30/2012

If you`ve ever been to Charlie`s Restaurant on Main Street, you may have noticed the specials and also the history it holds. However, there`s a lot more that goes into a small business.

For the small business owner, having your own restaurant can certainly have its perks. However, owning a restaurant for 14 years can be stressful.

"The government makes you jump through a lot of hoops, you got to fill out forms for workers, compensation, job service, all your tax forms, and you can`t just fill out one and they all it share it. You gotta fill out one for each and every individual agency and it gets to be a lot of work," said manager Randy Brown.

With countless hours of paperwork for the government, Brown decided to wash his hands of being owner and oversee the restaurant as manager.

But that doesn`t mean that things have to change.

"The only thing that`s different is the remodeling," said Brown.

Although the interior has changed, the food and the menu have stayed the same.

"We have a lot of regulars and they like the way things are. Especially like the food, the waitresses and the service," said Brown.

For the new owners, Minot was a land of opportunity.

"This restaurant has a long history. So we decided to buy this restaurant to offer the same American food," said new owner Simon Lee.

As for the regulars, they can still enjoy the same service and food. Brown just added an extra twist into his cookbook.

"I still feel, I`m here. You can still tell its still the stuff I used to cook and I`m still cooking," says Brown.

For Brown, his presence is still there, in the kitchen and out. He just passed along his recipes to the new owners.

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