Meet the Folks!

A native Arkansan, Kaye Miller knows good food. As manager of the Williams Tavern Restaurant at Historic Washington State Park, Kaye was responsible for the creation of delicacies such as Earthquake Cake and Jalapeno Corn Bread.  “In three years at Old Washington,” said Grady Spann, Superintendent of the Ozark Folk Center, “I never ate a bad meal at the restaurant when Kaye was there.”

Kaye recently joined the staff at the Folk Center as a consultant and acting manager of the Skillet restaurant. She is quick to explain that she is the restaurant manager, not the cook. It is her responsibility to see that everything runs smoothly. Kaye worked with both Grady and Brandon Owen, the Ozark Folk Center’s assistant superintendent when they were all at Old Washington. She retired from there in October of last year.

“I love Grady and Brandon and their families,” said Kaye. She smiles as she shares stories of Brandon, his wife Christina and their young son, Riley. “Brandon’s a great dad. I knew he would be.”

Kaye plans on making a few simple changes at the Skillet, to start. She is putting together a small plate special, for those who don’t need a big meal. Next week, the Skillet is offering a special lunch buffet, and both quail and shrimp are on the dinner special menu. Kaye has high standards for what she expects in the Skillet. “It’s a chicken and egg question,” said Kaye, discussing what makes a quality restaurant. “Is it the food, or is it the service?”

“It’s both,” she said, after a pause. “But I think the food is a little more important.”

Even though the Williams Tavern Restaurant has been her life for almost two decades, Kaye didn’t start out in food. Business college in Houston gave Kaye the foundation she needed to own and manage several businesses with her husband. They had a uniform rental company, a rec room, a cab company and Jack’s News Stand. “That was my wild years,” reminisces Kaye. They have one son, who is now a Forensic Chemist for the Houston Police Department. After her husband passed away in 1975, Kaye worked the businesses alone for a few years, tried a job and bought and ran a Tastee Freeze before she took the job at Old Washington in 1989.

“I like the Ozark Folk Center,” Kaye said. “The people are very friendly and it’s similar to Old Washington. To me, people in period-dress look normal.”

Come visit with Kaye at the Skillet restaurant and see what she has cooking in the kitchen. Let her know what you would like to see on the menu. “I’m looking forward to meeting the local people,” Kaye said.

The Skillet Restaurant is across from the Administration Building at the Ozark Folk Center. The Skillet is open from 7:00 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.