Saturday, February 2, 2008

A first for K-Bob's restaurant

Evelyn Cronce El Defensor Chieftain Reporter, ecronce@dchieftain.com

When the K-Bob's Steakhouse on Northwest Frontage Road reopened, the new owners included a bar — BBT's Hideaway. The letters BBT are the initials for Billy Bob Thornton.

Academy Award-winning writer, actor, director, and musician, Thornton has an extensive career in motion pictures, television, and music. In 2003, he earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his role in the hit movie "Bad Santa."

David Patten, general manager of K-Bob's in Socorro, said one of the restaurant's co-owners, Edward Tinsley, is friendly with Thornton and the two men came up with the idea of adding a bar to the K-Bob's Steakhouse.

Tinsley is president and chief executive officer, and co-owner Michael Myers is the chief operating officer of K-Bob's USA Inc.

Tinsley and Myers got together with Thornton and made the idea of BBT's Hideaway inside K-Bob's restaurants a reality, beginning with the restaurant in Socorro.

Patten said the restaurant and bar have been doing very well since K-Bob's reopened in mid-November. The steakhouse opened under the new management after extensive repairs and renovations to the building.

The bar, with its big-screen televisions, is located at the south end of the building in what was formerly a meeting room. It is closed off from the rest of the building by frosted-glass doors.

There is a small, environmentally controlled glass room in the bar area designed to store wine.

The restaurant serves only beer and wine. Patten said the state of New Mexico is only issuing new licenses for beer and wine. The only way to obtain a license for liquor is to buy an existing license from another establishment that is going out of business or no longer wants to serve alcoholic beverages.

Patten said Myers and Tinsley are planning to expand the bar concept to other K-Bob's locations. He said the next BBT Hideaway would be built in the Ruidoso K-Bob's Steakhouse.

The bar is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

The restaurant also has banquet facilities at the north end of the building. Patten said the meeting room seats about 80 people and is available for meetings, parties and get-togethers. Reservations can be made by calling 575-835-2900.

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