Daily Inspiration: Meet Katie Elkins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Elkins.

Hi Katie , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My (Katie) family moved to Lake City when I was 4 years old. My parents owned several different businesses over the years here. We eventually started spending the school months in Texas when my mom went back to teaching. That is where I met my husband, Kelly, I was 15 he was 17. He later started to come to Lake City for the summer and work for my parents in order to pay for college. He and I were married in April of 2006, and when he graduated from Tarleton State University, we decided that we really wanted an adventure and bought Southern Vittles from my parents. We both knew how to run the restaurant, and it seemed like a good fit. That was almost 20 years ago as we are walking into our 19th summer of owning SV, with SV itself celebrating 30 years of service this year to the Lake City community.

Now we have 3 kids, Mace (16) Brylee (15) and Dax (13). raising them and running our business wasn’t easy but it was worth it. We have had the opportunity to live where people vacation and give our kids the best life. Lake City in the winter months is slow and easy. In the summers it is always an adventure! The restaurant is busy; our kids work with us. Teaching them the service industry is something we think more humans should experience. Serving others is really the heartbeat of our lives and is so rewarding. When they aren’t working, you will almost always find them at the swimming hole at the river, playing frisbee golf with their friends or at the lake. Work hard play hard is a common phrase around here.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Kelly and I were really young when we bought SV, while we knew what to do, being handed the reigns was heavy. The weight of every decision we made affected our community and failure wasn’t an option. Couple that with raising kids, the pressure was really on. When my kids were newborns, I would literally strap them in their carrier and get back at it. By the time we had all three, we decided that it would be best for me to take a back seat to the business a bit and focus on the kids. That turned out being the best gift Kelly could have ever given me. Other challenges we faced was the uncertainty of the tourist industry. We were counting on people to take vacations and when money is tight, vacations are usually the first thing to get cut from the budget. We have ridden this ride long enough now to be able to spot the signs of a low season and make plans accordingly.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I guess I am not completely sure if this is the answer you are looking for, but I would say that SV is known for good comfort food. Like I shared earlier, SV’s 30th anniversary is this year, so the years of consistent service and good food is really at the forefront.
Something I am proud of is actually my husband’s legacy with this business. See, we aren’t just a restaurant; my husband has given so much of himself to the community here. We have had dozens of high school and college kids come through our employment. Speaking to the young men who have come through, several have had either no father figure or maybe not the best father figure in their lives. Kelly has stepped in and helped raise them so to speak. Being a consistent leader both in business and life. Teaching them how to be men and do the hard things. After a hard day’s work, those boys would meet Kelly in the weight room and put in a few more hours to be better versions of themselves. This restaurant isn’t just a restaurant to us, it’s an opportunity to love and come alongside others, growing in seasons of life that seem to never end. That is only possible with true relationship.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I am not a huge risk taker, but Kelly is. Which is probable why he is better suited for the day to day running of SV! I would say that running a business in the tourist industry is a risk in and of itself. Like I mentioned, vacations are never a sure thing. So basing your income off of that seems risky. I guess I should mention too that Southern Vittles is a seasonal restaurant. we are open mid-May through the end of September. So, we really have about four and a half months to make the bulk of our income for the year. That is pretty stressful for me. But Kelly seems to always be the steadfast spirit through it. Keeping his head down and doing the work, it all seems to work out. Maybe that is why we make such a good team, I stress while he giggles at my stress and just makes it happen!

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernvittles/

Image Credits
Family picture taken by Kelley Tutas. Instagram handle is @lifeinthehighcountry and @whistlingmeadowsranch