Foothills restaurant celebrates 50 years

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor
In the sixties, if you dined at The Foothills Restaurant near Glen Lake, a baked chicken dinner with relishes, a loaf of bread, salad, potato, vegetable and beverage could set your pocketbook back $3.50.
Fast-forward to 2007. A lunch of chicken tenders can still be had for $3.75, but a half-century of inflation has had a predictable impact on other menu prices. However, later in November, Foothills’ owner Don Sielaff will turn the clock back to a time when coffee was cheap and conversation flowed slower than the Crystal River in August.

From Monday, Nov. 19, through Wednesday, Nov. 21, the restaurant will commemorate 50 years of service to Glen Lake-area patrons by offering a free slice of anniversary cake and a 50-cent cup of coffee.
“It’s our small way of thanking long-time customers, neighbors and new folks for their loyalty, friendship and future business,” he says.
In October, 1956, on County Rd. 675 (Dunn’s Farm Rd.), just west of Trumbull Road, the land that would later become the site of The Foothills was purchased by Roland and Genevieve Foote. By ’57, the motel and restaurant were born. In 1965, the Footes sold the improved property to Joe and Dorothy Zboyan, who owned and operated The Foothills Restaurant & Motel until 1988. In November of ’98, after 10 years under various owners and managers, Don Sielaff purchased the property. Prior to ’98, Don had managed 42 employees in a 24-hour, 125-seat restaurant in West Bloomfield called “Village Place.”
“The first time I ever walked into The Foothills, with all of those nice windows, I said, ‘I’m going to own this some day.’”
His dream was realized, and the slower pace of life appealed to his family — though as Don later noted, Sunday mornings were and still are every bit as hectic as what he experienced downstate.
Among numerous property improvements made in the last nine years are a paved parking area, air-conditioned dining room, cooling units in the cooking line, a walk-in cooler and new range. As proud as he is of his upgrades, Don is more impressed by the original diner-style tables, chairs and booths — all recently reupholstered.
“Many guests visit every year,” he says. “Five out of seven days, I’ll serve the same locals. I’ve even had people come in and say, ‘Oh, man, I worked here 30 years ago.’
“I always invite them in the back to tour the kitchen.”
For motel reservations and information, call 334-3495. To reach the café, call 334-7499. Hours for the café are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.