This year, the owners of the B & B Bar in Larchwood are celebrating twenty years of business. Bill and Becky Viereck purchased the establishment two decades ago, and are taking a moment this summer to reflect on twenty years of memories.

When they heard the bar, formerly named Mefferts, was for sale, Bill’s father encouraged the couple to buy the business. At the time, Bill was working at John Morrell & Co., and was uneasy about a labor strike. With a loan from Bill’s father as their down payment, the couple purchased the bar and renamed it B & B Bar.

For the first few years, Bill and Becky recall working day and night on their new business. Within eighteen months, they had repaid their loan to Bill’s father and were happy with the steady income they received from the bar. Before they started, the couple had no experience operating a business, and were grateful for the help they received from the previous owners who stayed around the first week to teach them about running the bar, including complying with health department regulations. It was also helpful to be able to turn to Bill’s father with questions as he had been employed by the previous owner. The Vierecks also relied on assistance from the bookkeeper from John Morrell & Co., who helped them with many of the forms they needed to complete and the bookwork that was necessary to operate the bar.

Although owning and operating the bar was a great deal of time and effort, the Vierecks knew that almost any business requires a large amount of work. They think that some of the best advice they ever received came from the bar’s previous owners, who told them to work the bar themselves. Considering all of the other types of work they could have chosen, the couple feels that one of the best things about buying the B & B Bar was that they could remain close to home. They also met lots of people and remember with a smile when a group of men would come in every morning to play cards and tell stories. Reminiscing about those times, along with memories from the parties, leagues and events that have been held at the B & B Bar bring smiles to their faces, and are treasures that the couple carry with them to this day. They are also grateful to have met great employees, as well as making many friends as owners of the B & B.