DAUPHIN, Man. – When Calvin Snyder wants to know what’s new in his community, he hops in his truck and heads for the south side of town.
A short drive later, he arrives at Sticky’s, a restaurant and gas station nestled between an apartment building and a motel. The restaurant offers a place to chat, swap jokes and catch up on the latest news. Although the information may not always be accurate, it’s seldom dull.
“We get filled in here and then we check somewhere else to see if it’s true,” quipped Snyder.
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A truck driver by profession, Snyder counts himself among the regulars at Sticky’s. The restaurant enjoys a loyal clientele that ranges from carpenters,
mechanics and farmers to lawyers, doctors and priests.
Offering a bottomless cup of coffee for $1.25, Sticky’s appears tightly woven into the fabric of the Dauphin community. Some people view it as their second home, a place to
relax in the comfort of familiar surroundings.
“It’s a good place to visit with the guys, shoot the breeze and put in a little time,” said Allan Cardiff, an area farmer who visits Sticky’s at least twice a day.
The restaurant seats 65 people, a capacity that is often reached at meal times or when patrons arrive for a coffee break.
The menu is neither elaborate nor expensive. Most dishes are prepared in a homemade fashion, including perogies, a meal rooted in the Ukrainian heritage of Dauphin.
The owner, Don Stokotelny, never seems to tire of darting back and forth between his office, the gas station till and the restaurant. His mood is buoyant while exchanging friendly banter with the patrons. His humor and upbeat attitude help set the atmosphere for the restaurant.
“I like the relationship with the customers,” said Stokotelny, 37. “I can talk to the 90 year olds and to the kids. I really get along good with all of them.”
The name of the restaurant has held fast for more than four decades. Don’s father and an uncle bought the business in 1955 when it was a three-table
restaurant and gas station. They named the business Sticky’s,
an abbreviation of the family name, Stokotelny. The restaurant has undergone few changes since then. The greatest change was in the late 1960s, when the kitchen was expanded and an
addition allowed the restaurant to seat another 40 people.
“If it ain’t broke, leave it alone,” said Don.
“The restaurant is really what keeps the place going. It’s what pays the bills.”
Don bought out his uncle’s share of the business in 1985 and bought his father’s share six years later. The purchase gave him a way to stay in his home town, a community that caters to his interests and ambitions.
An avid outdoorsperson, he lives in an ideal location for fishing and hunting, with lakes and a national park nearby.
“I’m here for life,” he said, while seated at an office desk carpeted with papers and the occasional spare part for the kitchen’s equipment. “It’s convenient and we’re close to everything.”
Over the years, new restaurants have sprouted up in Dauphin. Several of them are franchises, with names made familiar through hefty advertising budgets.
Stokotelny appears nonchalant about the presence of those competitors. His business is holding its own, he said,
thanks to the loyalty of its patrons. Many of those patrons can be seen milling around the parking lot 15 minutes before Sticky’s opens.
“They stand outside and talk to their buddies. I turn the key, open the door and the place is packed.”
During a lunch hour, the mood at the restaurant resembles a community banquet. Amid the clink of cutlery and the occasional clatter of plates, laughter spills from people gathered at some of the tables.
At another table, some prized bit of information is being exchanged, judging by the hushed tones.
One can only guess about how much news is cleared through Sticky’s each day. But according to Stokotelny, it’s the kind of information you can take to the bank.
“We hear it here first,” he said with a bemused expression on his face. “And it’s the most reliable.”
“We hear it here first. And it’s the most reliable.”
