CASHION, OK -- It's a busy Tuesday night at the Wildcat. Every booth is full. Roy Oliver and his wife JoAnne fill orders as fast as they can. Roy's mother-in law, Ruth Ellis, 'Grandma' to most at the place, washes dishes. Roy's son Matt fills the drink orders. The Oliver family has been here for about a year and a half now running Cashion's only restaurant. "Very busy," says Roy at the grill. "We wanted a family-type restaurant for the town. We wanted to do something for our community."
The old building on Main Street was an Oddfellows Hall once, a bar in another life.
When the Olivers moved in, the Wildcat looked a little drab.
Roy had long-term plans to fix it up, but his loyal customers who must have tasted something good, intervened.
An inter-faith group of church leaders in town, including Matt Hauston and Michelle McConnell, started asking Roy about his vision for the Wildcat.
"They had a need and they had an incredible desire to help our community out," recalls McConnell.
Roy remembers too, "They came to me one night and Michelle and Krista asked me what my dream was for this, what did I want it to look like."
He didn't know exactly what they were planning but over Spring break, they sent Roy and his family on a trip and went to work.
A group of about 30 high school kids and adults too ripped up the old carpet, scraped the floor, painted, built booths and re-lit the place.
The Olivers came back to a different restaurant.
"It was awesome," says Roy. "It's hard to express how it was for us. I mean, the tears came rolling down. It was our dream come true."
We all have our favorite places to eat but in the fading light of meat loaf night, the Oliver family and this little town in Wheat Country know exactly where they stand.
A good cook is a popular man, and around here, the sun never sets on an empty stomach.
The old building on Main Street was an Oddfellows Hall once, a bar in another life.
When the Olivers moved in, the Wildcat looked a little drab.
Roy had long-term plans to fix it up, but his loyal customers who must have tasted something good, intervened.
An inter-faith group of church leaders in town, including Matt Hauston and Michelle McConnell, started asking Roy about his vision for the Wildcat.
"They had a need and they had an incredible desire to help our community out," recalls McConnell.
Roy remembers too, "They came to me one night and Michelle and Krista asked me what my dream was for this, what did I want it to look like."
He didn't know exactly what they were planning but over Spring break, they sent Roy and his family on a trip and went to work.
A group of about 30 high school kids and adults too ripped up the old carpet, scraped the floor, painted, built booths and re-lit the place.
The Olivers came back to a different restaurant.
"It was awesome," says Roy. "It's hard to express how it was for us. I mean, the tears came rolling down. It was our dream come true."
We all have our favorite places to eat but in the fading light of meat loaf night, the Oliver family and this little town in Wheat Country know exactly where they stand.
A good cook is a popular man, and around here, the sun never sets on an empty stomach.
