Being a restaurant owner is tough. Especially when you are a small and local restaurant. You don't have the corporate backing that helps you make decisions and helps you with money when needed.

That being said things happen and it could force you to shut down. That was the case with The Handle Bar and Grill. They are a locally owned place on Sixth Street. We found out in August they were closed and up for sale.

attachment-The Handle Bar and Grill
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It's been a tough couple of years trying to recover from the pandemic. Employees are hard to find. Then, of course, the way that everything costs more doesn't help people afford to go out. That is another struggle that restaurant owners have to deal with these days.

Sometimes the businesses sell and go on to have many more great days. Sometimes they don't sell and they are closed permanently. In the case of The Handle Bar and Grill I talked with the owner, Keith Holman. Keith has been the owner since May 1, 2017.

It was a tough decision for him to decide to put the place up for sale. He said that they were closed for the month of August. He didn't end up going through with selling the place. Instead, he went to work and made some menu changes to keep up with food prices. He also dealt with some staffing issues.

He opened back up in September. According to Keith:

It was for sale, but I guess it just wasn't the right time to sell, so I put together another staff and opened back up.

That is that perfect fairytale ending that took some work but ends up being so worth it. He said that the only difference is he has a smaller mend and for now they are open Tuesday through Sunday. They are open and ready to serve the community.

I feel really bad for the places that did have to close, it's tough having a small locally owned place. I've always had great support from the biker community and always appreciate seeing new faces. That's how we'll survive - Keith

So things in Amarillo can change. You can first hear about a closed restaurant and then turn around and find out that things are still keeping on. Those are the stories you love to hear. So remember as you are heading to Route 66 you can still enjoy a cold drink and great food at The Handle Bar and Grill.

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