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Sherman County Business Spotlight
Welcome to the Sherman County Business Spotlight!
We'll feature stories about local entrepreneurs, highlight unique products and services, and showcase the diverse and dynamic business community that calls Sherman County home.
Follow along to discover hidden gems, support local businesses, and stay connected to what's happening in our community. This will be sent out on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month.
A New Dining Experience in Goodland: Traditions and New Memories
Goodland will soon have a new restaurant, but that was not the plan when Dawn and Justin Stasser bought the former VFW building at the corner of 9th and Main. The couple has five children, they both work full-time jobs, and they were starting an embroidery business.
“Our intent was to have a place for our new-found hobby of embroidery and t-shirt printing,” Justin said. “Our basement was getting -- it is still -- overrun with equipment.”
When they had the opportunity to buy the old VFW, they were moved by the role the building has always played in Goodland. Dawn says they saw it as a new opportunity to serve the community.
Their new enterprise would honor the traditions of service, hard work, and meals shared with family. They decided to name their restaurant Traditions.
Traditions: Serving Veterans
Before they did anything else, the couple wanted to make sure veterans would still be able to use the space for meetings, ceremonies and celebrations – free of charge.
“The VFW and the VFW Auxiliary have their meetings every month here,” Dawn explained. “We wanted that to continue, and to be able to support that as long as they need it.”
On military holidays, the event hall is always reserved for use by veterans and auxiliary groups.
“I don't want to take away from the veterans that made this place happen, because there's so many cool things that they've done for our community that nobody even knows about,” Justin said. “That's one reason we're pretty passionate about letting them still have the place that they've always had.”
Traditions: Bringing People Together
Justin has fond memories of attending events in the reception hall when he was young, and says he wants future generations to have the same opportunities.
“The event hall has had so many weddings and birthdays, and parties and dances,” Justin said. “We wanted to keep that a place where people can come and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I had so much fun in here, I remember coming here as a kid.’”
The event hall continues to host a variety of special events, from business luncheons and cancer benefits to craft fairs and concerts.
On most Fridays and Saturdays, Dawn and Justin serve different dinner specials in the reception hall. Burger night is a consistent favorite, and they’re also known to sell out when they’re serving ribeye steaks.
Traditions: Dining at the VFW
Part of the building was previously used as a restaurant, run by members of the VFW. Justin says eating there was something he looked forward to as a child.
“It would be open on Saturday nights for steak. That was the only time my grandpa would shut down the farm early and let us come to town,” Justin recalled.
Dawn didn’t grow up in Goodland but remembers eating at the VFW restaurant when she and Justin started dating. They laughed about the distinct “1970s vibe” it had, despite being well into the ‘90s by then.
“The carpet -- red carpet -- went three quarters up on the wall,” Justin laughed. “There was a drop ceiling and big chandeliers… there was paneling on the walls. No windows whatsoever.”
Despite their appreciation for the space that helped their love grow, Dawn and Justin knew it needed updating if future generations were going to make their own memories there.
Traditions: Supporting Small Businesses
There was a lot of work to be done before the Stassers could open a restaurant, but the couple wanted to make sure any money they spent went to local business owners.
“We both work full time jobs outside of this, so we're also trying to support the home front,” Dawn shared.
It took some extra patience, but Dawn and Justin were willing to wait until the upgrades could be done by local companies.
“It's taken a while, because our local people are swamped-over busy, because there's just not a whole lot of them,” Justin explained. “But that was one of the things we really wanted to try to do.”
The renovations included renovating the entire kitchen, as well as updating the plumbing, the wiring and the HVAC system. Crews also mortared the cinderblock walls, added two new windows, and gave it a whole new color palette. In the end, the Stassers said only one job went to a company that was not based in Goodland. The fire suppression system was done by Northwest Fire Extinguisher Service in Colby, just half an hour to the east.
Traditions: Local History
In western Kansas, cattle ranching continues to be a repeating pattern in the fabric of life. Dawn and Justin wanted the updated restaurant to reflect that proud tradition. Many ranchers from Sherman County agreed to loan them their branding irons, and those brands are now burned into the wood trim around the dining area. The Bar-E brand established by Justin’s grandmother in 1931 has a prominent position at the head of the dining room.
“That was a part of my experience growing up in Sherman County, you got to brand cows, and you made stories,” Justin shared. “You got kicked and thrown against the wall. Broken fingers – whatever the cow wanted to do to you. But that's one of those traditions.”
The Stassers hope the restaurant will remind locals of their shared experiences and help introduce newcomers to the county’s rural roots. They also plan to showcase historic photos of local farming and ranching operations.
“It's really hard to pick just six, but we've only got six spots,” Justin said.
Traditions: Meals to Remember
Dawn and Justin aim to open the Traditions restaurant in April 2025. Steak will be a constant on the menu, but the couple also wants to feature recipes that are meaningful to families here in Sherman County.
“For me, a lot of our traditions were based around food,” Justin shared. “We had barbecued ribs for Christmas. My grandpa didn't like turkey, so we had ribs. That’s my family's tradition.”
But that is only one example, and the Stassers want to make room for everyone at the table. They are excited to invite members of the community to share specialties that spark memories of good times with their own families.
“We'll have a way that people can submit their family tradition, a food tradition, and we're going to try to feature one of those every month, and tell the story of where it came from,” Justin said.
“I may end up having to make lasagna… and we may only have it on a night or two,” he said. “That's kind of the nice thing. It keeps our menu from becoming stale.”
Recipe submissions will not be limited to entrees. A member of the kitchen staff was eager to share her favorite dessert, something her family calls “crazy cake.”
“The ‘crazy cake’ was actually a chocolate cake. I don't know how she made it. She didn't divulge the information,” Justin said. “But it doesn't have frosting on it. It has butter on top. I've never tried that before, and it's delicious.”
“Her brother came in, the whole family came in, just to try the crazy cake that grandma made. That's the thing we want to foster,” Justin shared.
“There's nothing better, no better way to keep things alive, than to continue to tell the story and to make the food and to bring the family together,” Dawn said.
Traditions: The Cherry on Top
Opening a restaurant is not easy, especially if you are working full time and managing a busy family. Dawn and Justin say they would not have made it this far without support from their employees, local organizations, and the community.
“We have an amazing staff. We really do. They do a great job,” Justin said. “They keep things going, because we obviously can't do it all by ourselves.”
Justin says the team at Sherman County Community Development has been a great resource for their start up. The nonprofit helped them secure funding that will be used to give the old building a fresh face, with a new coat of paint.
“We still want to give the outside of the old VFW a fresh, new look, and that is being made possible by a grant from Sherman County Community Development,” Justin explained.
The Stassers said they didn’t know about the E-Community Loan through NetWork Kansas or the Building Brilliance Grant until the SCCD encouraged them to apply for both.
“’Hey, Justin, you need to apply,’” he laughed.
Customers have also stepped up to keep things cooking. When the Stassers decided to organize corn hole competitions in the event hall, enthusiastic players quickly volunteered to manage operations.
“They're super excited about the opportunity, and have all these ideas,” Dawn said.
“We've had a lot of support from the community,” Justin added. “And usually, once they come in, we start seeing them regularly.”
As if they don’t have enough on their plates, the Stassers still plan to open their embroidery showroom. But you’ll have to ask them about that over dinner.
For more information and updates, follow Traditions Restaurant on Facebook.
Traditions Restaurant
824 Main St., Ste. B
Goodland, KS 67735
785-728-4600
Current Hours: Open Fridays and Saturdays 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM, pending special events.
Updates and a calendar of events can be found on their Facebook page.
Comments and questions can be sent to anicapadilla@outlook.com
