Owned by Donald “Joe” Fry and Sharon Fry, Fryday’s 120 Bar & Grill, LLC, allows customers to relax with a cold beer and enjoy classic American comfort food. Serving traditional dishes and featuring a daily special, Sharon enjoys serving her rural community of Chadron, Nebraska, with home-cooked recipes such as meatloaf, chicken noodle soup, and beef stroganoff. Their eclectic restaurant also features chicken fries that are hand-breaded, meat that Sharon brings in fresh twice a week, and a welcoming environment.
Says Sharon of her home away from home, “I just wanted everybody to feel comfortable. I wanted to create a place like it used to be. 120 has been there for a long time, that is why we kept the name.”
When they started their business, Sharon decided to consult with the experts at the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) for logistical assistance. In partnering with the Center, Sharon was encouraged by their feedback and ability to analyze the previous owner’s profit and loss sheets to project the potential success of her business.
“They helped us,” Sharon says, “we took the old numbers from the previous owners and used the NBDC to see what kind of profits we could expect.”
Previously a Mexican restaurant, the NBDC stressed the importance of promoting Fryday’s on social media to Sharon to garner social media attention, and the necessity of keeping said page up to date. As the community of Chadron is diverse, the NBDC agreed with Sharon’s philosophy of making everyone feel comfortable, encouraging the term, “everybody’s bar.”
In addition to assisting Sharon with resources such as financial templates, a business plan, and a potential QuickBooks class, the NBDC identified possible issues the business could face in order to prevent any looming complications.
“They really helped us get going,” Sharon remembers, “they helped us identify potential problems, such as competition in the area."
There is a lot of competition in the area, including Domino’s Pizza, a bowling alley, and several other bars nearby. Fryday’s must stay competitive to be able to thrive in a small community.
“I try to keep the prices reasonable, which helps,” Sharon says.
With the implementation of the suggestions from the NBDC and a commercial bank loan from Farmers State Bank, Fryday’s 120 Bar & Grill has been thriving since September 2015.