By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
With less than 1,200 people, the small western Kansas town of Hoxie may be as far from urban as a person could get.
But after living in Seattle, a young entrepreneur decided to return to her hometown and ultimately open a bistro that would stand out even in the largest of cities. In doing so, she is drawing people to Hoxie from the area and showcasing the spirit required to stem the tide of the continuing economic decline of small-town Kansas.
Serving eclectic cuisine she describes as modern French Americana and surrounded by history Emily Campbell, owner and executive chef of The Elephant Bistro and Bar wanted to bring something different to her hometown when she opened the restaurant after moving back to Hoxie with her husband and leaving behind a burgeoning career as a chef on the west coast.
In moving back she noticed the dining experiences she was a part of in Seattle lacking in the area, so after doing catering work, she acquiesced when her friends pushed her into opening a full-fledged restaurant.
“That was one of the reasons we started this,” Campbell said. “Otherwise you don’t get a lot of options when you go out and eat.”
While many may have opened into an existing location, Campbell and her husband decided to create a new restaurant in one of the oldest buildings in Hoxie.
“Everything in here has a history to it,” Campbell said.
Construction began in October 2016 on the building that housed a jewelry store for over 50 years.
“We literally took it down to the dirt,” Campbell said.
The plaster covering the walls was chipped off to expose brick, a balcony level was added in the rear, an old apartment in the front was removed and an outdoor patio was added all in the span of 18 months. The doors opened in July 2018.
The final project creates a warm environment that would draw attention even in Seattle or Denver, but with touches of local history sprinkled throughout the building.
The restaurant’s wood tables are made from the old floor of the apartment, and the bar was made from the lanes of an old Hoxie bowling alley.
There is a story behind everything, she said, a part of the vision she had for preserving what makes her hometown special.
“Why let your main street die and build off-site when you can preserve a little bit of the history that’s here,” Campbell said. “This is what you see, and this is what people are attracted too.”
And the outdoor seating adds a unique touch.
“It’s a fun atmosphere on the patio,” Campbell said, noting outdoor dining experiences are rare in the area.
The complete experience results in patrons getting everything that you don’t see in this region, she said.
“That’s also what we are here to provide—the experience, not just food and cocktails, a place you can come out, sit down, have fun with friends, have a date night, whatever the case may be,” Campbell said.
“We want to be that place for everybody.”
Even as unique as The Elephant is, Campbell said she strives to be open to anyone that makes the trip.
“You can walk in here in your muddy cowboy boots and get a burger, or you can come in here in your black tie and get a dry-aged steak,” Campbell said. “We want to appeal to all different customers.”
So far the blend of inclusiveness and unique dining has served the restaurant well, as their notoriety continues to grow.
“We probably couldn’t survive if it wasn’t for our regional following,” Campbell said, noting people from a 90-mile radius often frequent the establishment.
Local, Local, Local
A large part of the success of The Elephant Bistro and Bar is the community that has stepped up to support her efforts, including a staff made up of many part-time workers.
“If it wasn’t for community support, it wouldn’t happen,” she said.
People willing to help out staffing a day or two a week – “You don’t get that in a big city,” she said.“That’s what I appreciate about this place."
Staffing is notoriously difficult in the restaurant industry, so Campbell said she strives to ensure her help feels appreciated.
“My No. 1 goal is to have a happy staff, I want people to come work here,” she said. “We have such a great team atmosphere.”
In a regular week, she said she has at least 20 employees clocking in, sometimes up to 30, including her full-time kitchen staff that she has developed in order to spend less time in the kitchen herself.
As time has gone on she has passed on much of her formal training to the staff, some of which have been with her since the restaurant opened.
“To bring that out here takes a little bit of time for people to understand the way to do things, but I have an amazing kitchen staff that wants to learn and wants to produce high-quality food. That’s what we are about – from scratch and we source locally. They’ve really learned a lot,” Campbell said.
As much as possible the restaurant supports the area economy by sourcing products from as close as they can.
Their beef is raised right outside of Hoxie, as is the bison at the Hidden Creek Ranch just 30 miles west of town.
Dry-aged steak comes from America’s Best Steaks outside of Bouge.
And they source lettuce and herbs from 4B farms just 40 miles south.
“I’m always looking for local,” Campbell said.
They have used produce from a community garden as well.
“So the community is definitely supporting this place too, which is awesome,” Campbell said.
The menu features everything from flatbread pizzas, to tacos, mac and cheese, Wagyu sliders, dry-aged steaks and seafood.
“We really pride ourselves on quality seafood,” Campbell said. “I’m picky when it comes to my seafood.” She is a fan of Sockeye salmon from the Alaskan-Seattle region and uses it regularly.
They also have vegan and gluten-free menu options, another item rare for the area, that has proven to be a draw.
Beverages are also diverse and are not the usual fare that would be found in the area.
“We offer such a variety of cocktails and liquors, craft beers and wines,” Campbell said. “We wanted to bring different craft names out here that people aren’t used to seeing.”
New life in an old town
When Emily Campbell returned to Hoxie before opening The Elephant Bistro and Bar she wondered, “Is this the same town I grew up in?” noting businesses were closing and people were leaving.
Along with the help of many from a younger generation taking a stand to keep the town economically viable and a comfortable place to live, she hopes people outside the area see through entrepreneurship and hard work, small-town Kansas can retain and recapture what many see as a losing proposition.
“Luckily Hoxie is getting built back up,” Campbell said, with places like her restaurant.
“Rural Kansas, rural America is dying and if it's not for entrepreneurs and people that want to see it live and produce things that people need out here, it will die,” she said.
Another young Hoxie native, Karl Pratt, who returned to Hoxie last year and works as the board liaison for the Sheridan County Community Foundation sees Campbell’s work as a good start and is hopeful that others like her will follow suit.
“The Elephant has been amazing, it has brought so many people into town and continues to bring them into town coming from further and further distances,” he said.
“I definitely believe that spirit is there,” Pratt said. “You can come home and create a living for yourself.”
Even as retail continues to change and large chain operations and online shopping becoming a preferred way to procure necessities, he said there is always going to be a need for some local services and businesses.
That is where entrepreneurs can step up.
“If you love your hometown, what better place to come back and do it in,” Pratt said. “Good places to eat and entertainment, you have to have those aspects in your life,”
Through entrepreneurship, small towns like Hoxie can thrive and the purveyors can develop as well.
“It’s neat how it changes you and how you grow,” Pratt said. “You become a scrappy person and do what needs to be done.”
When walking through the small town, it’s clear many have taken up that ideal.
“It’s a hopping place,” Pratt said. “The people want to live here and they want to improve the quality of life.”
But reenergizing a community takes more than just one or a few people, Pratt said, it is truly a community effort. He said he hopes more people will realize small-town life can be as rich and rewarding as one in a big city.
“It definitely takes a village to make it happen, but it has happened and continues to happen,” he said. “We’ve got everything you need, everything in a big town scaled to us, and that’s because of the people living here.”
“I was so proud moving home,” Pratt said.
As for The Elephant, even if it takes a while to get there, Campbell said it is worth the trip.
“Come experience something out of the ordinary,” she said.
The Elephant Bistro and Bar is located at 732 Main St. in Hoxie and is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more about the restaurant visit their webpage or their facebook page.