By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
George and Amy Strata know they have a legacy to continue as they assume ownership of Sam B’s, at 146 N. Main St. in downtown Bowling Green
The couple, who also own Beckett’s Burger Bar & Barrel Room a couple blocks away at 163 S. Main St., purchased the staple of the BG dining scene from Jim and Kathy Ferrell early this year .
The sale is more than a business deal, it’s a family affair.
George Strata said the Ferrells approached them about selling in early December. The previous owners were eyeing retirement. “We thought the best thing for us was to buy it and assume ownership,” George Strata said.
That the Ferrells reached out to the Stratas is no surprise.
The two families have been involved in two other business deals.
In 2007 the Stratas purchased the Beckett’s business. At the time Ferrell was operating both Beckett’s and SamB’s, which he started at the North Main location in 1988. In spring 2021, Strata and Ferrell made another deal – they switched locations with Beckett’s moving to South Main Street and SamB’s moving to North Main.
[RELATED: SamB’s & Beckett’s trading places in downtown BG]
Each of the deals “has worked out well for both of us, and our families,” Ferrell said.
“We always felt Jim and Kathy did a great job running this place and for us,” Strata said. “We wanted to make sure that legacy was carried forward.”
The two families believe in the same principles when it comes to operating a restaurant, Strata said. “We feel there’s a need for this restaurant in the Bowling Green community, and we wanted make sure it keeps going.”
For Strata, “this is an extension of our home. When people come in, we want them to feel comfortable and welcomed.” They are served good food and have a place to gather and socialize and feel like part of the community. “It makes us feel more involved with the community being here.”
Strata said they appreciated that when the Ferrells moved SamB’s back to North Main, “they remodeled and reinvested in the building. We love what they did, and we wanted to make sure it kept going. It’s beautiful in here, very well maintained.”
The building is included in the sale.
Regulars won’t see much change. “We’re not trying to reinvent anything here. We’ll steadily improve the business though our offerings and through our service and through our commitment to the community,” Strata said. “I think it’s a great place.”
Some changes are in the wings. SamB’s will start opening on Sundays sometime within the month, Strata said. And by spring, the restaurant will offer a Sunday brunch.
They will also bring in some local music, like what is presented at the Barrell Room at Beckett’s. That’s been a boost for business at that restaurant, he said.
“We’re trying to match the atmosphere and style of music,” Amy Strata said.
They will also tweak the weekday specials to offer more “budget friendly meals” as well as adding weekend specials.
Strata said each of the restaurants will keep its own character.
“Beckett’s is more a family friendly style burger bar” with a focus on American grill fare, Strata said.
“Sam B’s is a step up,” he added. “Everything is fresh all around from the steak and the fish. They’re doing a lot of fresh pasta. This is definitely a from-scratch kitchen. All chef prepared.”
Chef Matt Lawrence, who has been with SamB’s about five years, will stay. “He does an outstanding job,” Strata said
“That was another reason why it made it easier,” Strata said. “We’re not coming in having to create. We want to evolve more than change.”
Strata he’s confident he’ll be able to manage both restaurants “because we have such a good staff at both places.”
“We’re fully staffed,” he said. “We have good management set up in both places. I have great leaders at both buildings. If I was doing that without all my people, then that would be tough. … I have the best.”
He said he was in good shape coming out of the pandemic shutdown. “2022 was as close to normal if not better than it has been.”
The business only experienced “a small downtick during COVID.”
Amy Strata noted that Beckett’s kept its take-out and delivery business going. “The community was as supportive as they could be in a time like that. It was very helpful for us.”
“It was important to keep going to keep all our employees working,” her husband said.
“We had a lot of employees who counted on us,” Amu Strata added.
Now inflation is taking a bite. That plus supply chain issues “hasn’t made our jobs easier, but we’re doing what can to combat that.”
George Strata, 49, has been in the restaurant business since he was in high school. That includes a stint from 1994-1997 while he was a BGSU student working at Kaufman’s. “Every day is different,” he said. “You’re dealing with different people. You have the good and bad. It’s all challenging and fun at the same time.”
Amy Strata works mostly behind the scenes, though she knows all the front of the house jobs and works special events. She’s also focused on the community service aspects of the business.
For Ferrell, the sale brings an end a 50 career on the BG restaurant scene.
He with two partners started with a sub shop, a literal hole in the wall, on State Street in 1972 where he served “SamB’s sandwich of the absurd,” a nod to Irish writer Samuel Beckett.
The writer’s name has been attached to his establishments since, and Strata said he’s proud to be bringing them together again.
Asked to comment on the sale, Ferrell wrote: “SamB’s has been a vital part of Bowling Green’s culture for over 50 years now. We are proud of its history and grateful for all the love and support over the years from the Bowling Green community.”
