ST JAMES, Mo. — A week after warning his employees to prepare for reduced hours and possible layoffs, a Phelps County business owner says a social media post saved his business.
Sitting halfway between St. Louis and Springfield on Interstate 44, it’s easy to find fast food in St. James, but it can be tricky finding sit down service.
“We have the Country Café out by the golf course, Rich’s Famous Burgers in the middle of town by the railroad tracks, and then you have Country Bob’s Café,” Travis Holt said.
Holt bought Country Bob’s Café in August of 2019.
“I’ve always wanted to be a restaurant owner,” Holt said. “I’ve always wanted to be part of the community. I always wanted to be part of the community, and this allowed me to do that. Four months later, COVID hit.”
Despite the problems caused by COVID, Holt kept the doors open through the pandemic.
“I wanted to make sure that all of my people were taken care of,” Holt said. “I didn’t lay anyone off.”
Holt said COVID cost him 50% of his business, but over the last year a combination of road construction on the interstate and inflation took another bite out of his bottom line.
“There was stuff I had go up 300% or 400%,” Holt said. “There was one time when I was paying $126 for a case of eggs. I used to pay $11.”
Struggling to make ends meet, Holt posted an emotional plea on social media.
“I was about to lose it all,” Holt said. “Right before I made that post I told a couple of people, 'Just be prepared.' I told four people I was cutting business back.”
The video quickly went viral, with multiple Phelps County businesses pledging portions of their proceeds to keep Country Bob’s Diner afloat.
“I woke up and just was in awe of the amount of support,” Holt said. “I was like, 'We are going to be busy.' We ran out of food for three days in a row. The bills that I was behind on are paid. To have that weight taken off my shoulders when I’ve been carrying it for four years is a blessing.”
While Holt said he may not ever be able to appropriately thank everyone who helped save his business, he does plan to pay it forward by sponsoring a local little league team, raising money for an all-inclusive playground in the city park and continuing to let kids 8 and under to eat for free on Fridays after 4 p.m.