Tiffanie Zavarelli at home at Trixi's where she wants everyone to have a memorable experience when they come through the door.
Tiffanie Zavarelli had zero restaurant or bartending experience when she and her husband, Ryan, were sitting in their car in front of a bar in Ovando, pondering taking it over.
It was 2019 after a family Christmas party at the Double Arrow Lodge in Seeley Lake and the couple were in the Trixi's Antler Saloon parking lot looking out at Ovando Mountain. Ryan's mom and stepdad, Cindy and Ray Francis, wanted to sell Trixi's a few years back and they approached Ryan and Tiffanie to see if they wanted it, but the time wasn't right, Tiffanie said.
But in that parking lot, they reconsidered.
"Our son Jace was graduating from high school and going on with his life," Tiffanie said. "It felt like the time was right to do something new and we decided to buy Trixi's. Because of covid-19 we waited a year, then took over in 2021. It was perfect timing for us since our son was off to college and we were on our own."
Tiffanie worked in hotel management for 10 years in Helena, which was getting overwhelming and had very high demands. Coming to Ovando, time slowed down, Tiffanie said, and there wasn't the hustle and bustle that she dealt with in Helena.
Now, chatting with local people and visitors keeps life interesting.
"I've always loved people and been a chatty person," Tiffanie said. "As a three-year-old I walked down to the neighbor's house just to talk to them. In school I used to get in a little trouble for talking in class."
She strives to keep Trixi's part of the Ovando community by participating in events like the Harvest Dinner, Fourth of July parade, Blackfoot Challenge Block Party, So and Sew Club and anything else that comes along.
"My favorite part of working at Trixi's is visiting with all the people," Tiffanie said. "Having those conversations with people, locals, passersby, I want to know where they're from, where they're going next, what are they doing, why are they doing it."
Trixi's has been part of the backbone of Ovando since Trixi McCormick, a legendary rodeo trick rider in the 1930s and 40s, bought an old soldier barracks from Fort Harrison in Helena for $1. She brought it to Ovando and turned it into a bar in the sixties.
"Last year a guy in his eighties came into the door," Tiffanie said. "It turned out he was the guy who originally hauled the building here from Helena."
The things people don't see about running Trixi's are the hours of inventorying, finding staff - which is a challenge for all businesses in the area - working with an old building and dealing with music licensing and insurance.
Music licensing is a hidden expense. Rural bars are charged the same as downtown city bars for licensing, depending on space and the number of events. And Trixi's vows not to charge a cover for people to come listen to music.
Although Google reviews state that Trixi's is an old-fashioned bar in the middle of nowhere, visitors still come in hoping for avocado spinach salads, and they simply cannot handle keeping those items in the inventory.
"Keeping track of inventory between the restaurant and bar could be a six hour a day job," Tiffanie said. "That's six hours I don't have."
In order to make the best use of everyone's time, Tiffanie will be introducing an electronic ordering system this fall where a waitress can type an order onto a tablet, and the kitchen will instantly get a printout of the order. The ordering system will also work as an inventory manager and keep track of orders to show what items are popular. Trixi's will continue to be a cash and check establishment. Credit cards are another time sink to deal with in bookkeeping, Tiffanie said.
Other new things the Zavarelli's have implemented are an electric vehicle charging station, RV overnight spaces available through Harvest Hosts and an outdoor patio.
With staffing challenges and full responsibility for cooking at Trixi's since their cook passed away unexpectedly two years ago, Tiffanie and Ryan realized the need for a break.
As of Aug. 15, Trixi's will be closed on Tuesdays. On Mondays the bar will be open 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. and the grill for lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday the grill will be open 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.
"I've treated every job like I owned it and have always dived as deep as I can go. Lately I feel like I'm sacrificing my journey," Tiffanie said. "Time is so limited."
The desire to be there for everyone has its challenges as time for herself comes at a premium. Naturally an early riser, Tiffanie spends time getting her heart and mind ready for the day.
"It's important to me to be at my best every day. If I'm not my best version of myself then I truly do not have anything to offer the community," Tiffanie said. "Trixi's is my passion and it is where I want to be, serving the community and spreading true Montana hospitality.
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