The Brooks gets a new look

New owners take over family business

WALLACE — Due to age (and in some cases, neglect) there are more than a few establishments in the Silver Valley that could use a little TLC. Thanks to a new mother-daughter effort in Wallace though, one such establishment is finally getting the attention it needs.

Co-owners Rachel Stanley and Emily Nelson are the newest proprietors of The Brooks Hotel Restaurant & Lounge and have been incredibly busy with sprucing the place up since they took over last year.

The Brooks was originally owned by Rachel’s father, Lance Stanley, who picked the place up in 1994. When Lance passed away in 2016, the business was then ran by Rachel’s cousins.

Attempts were made by Emily from afar to sell The Brooks off during those three years, but none of them panned out. With efforts focused on selling, the state and quality of the business suffered.

When Emily and Rachel took over on Aug. 21, 2019, they inherited a ship with more than a few holes in it. Nearly every aspect of The Brooks, from the restaurant to the rooms, was in need of serious renovations.

“It was a nightmare and a half,” Emily said.

On top of the physical issues with the building, the duo also inherited a mountain of debt.

“The second week we were here, we got raided by the State Tax Commission, who came and emptied our tills in the middle of the day,” Emily said. “Took every penny we had. That set the tone for us.”

At the time of the raid, Rachel’s mother, Vickie, and her grandmother, Dolores, were present. The two of them were able to run to the bank and bring back enough cash so business could continue before the Commission even left.

Before her new adventure at The Brooks, Emily had studied architecture at the University of Idaho and was working in Boise. She moved up from Boise specifically to help her mother get The Brooks back into working order.

“Emily quit her job, moved right up here and gave up everything to help me run this place because she knew I couldn’t do it by myself,” Rachel said.

Motivated by a desire to carry on a family tradition, Emily and Rachel took advantage of the downtime that came with the COVID-19 pandemic and began implementing huge changes in March.

The most notable of these changes was a total renovation of the restaurant.

Emily remembers that her aunt, Jill Stanley, kicked off the renovation by declaring that the old carpets had to go. This then led to the decision to embrace the original hardwood floors hidden underneath and even some lost history.

In the process of redoing the dining area’s floors, Emily revealed a piece of the building’s past — the original entrance sign that reads “Morrow.” This sign is a remnant from when the building used to be Morrow’s Department Store. This sign has now become a fixture of the new dining area and can be seen on the floor through a protective piece of plastic.

From there, Emily and Rachel (with help from other friends and family) also tackled other projects in the restaurant, such as removing the false low-ceiling to reveal the actual 9-foot ceiling. With a coat of paint on top of it, the added ceiling space really opens up the room.

During their work, some covered up green paint in certain areas was revealed. This paint was another historical remnant from when the restaurant used to be The Garden Restaurant. Emily said that they plan to keep the paint in certain areas to recognize the business’s roots.

While not as visible, the restaurant kitchen also received a massive amount of work.

“When we got here, we were one visit away from being shut down. It was in a horrible state,” Emily said.

She added, “we took everything out to the alleyway and we steam-pressure washed all of it. My mom’s sister, Jill, and brother in-law, Ely Saucedo, came back from Portland and helped me rip up the floor and all the cabinetry. Everything got gutted. We replaced everything down to the sub-floor with original materials we found in the basement and linoleum we got from Habitat for Humanity. Everything is stainless steel — no more particle board.”

Outside the restaurant, The Brooks’s remodel also includes a cleaning of all 21 rooms and a total refurbishment of one that was particularly run down. Changes to the majority of rooms include new mattresses and modern TVs.

“The next step is to go through all of our hotel rooms and suites, and bring those up in quality even more to enhance customer experience,” Emily said.

With the majority of the renovation being complete for now, Emily and Rachel are pleased with the results and the positive feedback they have been getting from the community.

“It’s been wonderful. A whirlwind of amazingness,” Rachel said.

“We all made this happen on our own,” Emily added. “It was a huge undertaking. We didn’t plan to take it this far.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic did allow them the time to improve the business, it also set them back in terms of income. Emily has even gone to the lengths of paying employees out of her own pocket just to keep things running.

With a goal of making $40,000 in a little over two months to pay back taxes, Emily plans to hold a “Save The Brooks” event on the weekend of Aug. 1. More details on this event are planned to be released at a later time.

Emily and Rachel are hopeful that they can continue to improve the business that has been in their family for so many years.

The Brooks Hotel Restaurant & Lounge is located at 500 Cedar St. in Wallace and can be reached by phone at 208-556-1571.