ABOVE: Steve Schmitz, JoAnn Schmitz, Sally Schmitz and Kevin Schmitz. Kevin and Sally will be taking over The Ranch Restaurant as Steve and JoAnn are retiring.

FAIRMONT– The Ranch Restaurant in Fairmont, located at 1330 N. State St, is about to get a new pair of owners because after 41 years, owners Steve and JoAnn Schmitz are retiring. Their son, Kevin, and his wife, Sally, will take over operations of the restaurant at the start of the new year.

Steve said when they bought the Ranch in April of 1981, it was a County Kitchen Restaurant. He and JoAnn had previously worked for the chain in Winona but when the restaurant in Fairmont came up for sale, they moved here and purchased it, along with a partner, Jim Beier.

In buying the restaurant, the Schmitz’ knew they wanted to make it their own. Steve explained that they had to remodel the restaurant and close it for six weeks in order to get out of the franchise.

“We had fun things we wanted to do. We wanted to do our own things,” JoAnn said.

One of those things was adding a salad bar, which Country Kitchen didn’t have. At the time the Ranch opened in June of 1981, it was the only restaurant around to have a salad bar. They also wanted to be able to offer their own homemade soups and have always offered two at a time.

Living up to its name, the Ranch originally had a western theme, which has remained. Over the years, some work has been done to the Ranch. In 1983 an addition, the room they call the “library” was added to the restaurant, as was Schmitty’s Bar.

An exciting addition was the famous Michael Garman cityscape, which was added in 1983. In 1987, it was moved to the main entrance for all customers to see.

No other big structural additions have been made, but the look of the restaurant has modernized over the years. The Schmitz have been the sole owners of the restaurant since 1994.

As for the menu, Steve said they have a folder which shows about a hundred different changes over the years as items have been taken off and added. However, he pointed out that they’ve always been a “meat and potato” place as that’s what many people in the area prefer.

As the son of Steve and JoAnn, Kevin recalls washing dishes on a blue milk crate when he was about 10 years old. The couple’s other two sons also worked at the Ranch through high school.

“If our kids wanted to see us, they were out here working,” JoAnn said with a laugh.

The restaurant business caught Kevin’s eye and he went on to study hospitality and tourism in college and moved back to Fairmont to begin managing the restaurant as the idea of him taking over the restaurant had been on the table for several years. His wife, Sally, has been working at the Ranch since 2001.

Kevin and Sally don’t have immediate plans to change anything but will focus on running the business alone to start.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge. We’ve been doing this for a long time but it’s always been us four and now it’s her and I continuing what the Ranch has been for many, many years,” Kevin said.

“We wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” Sally said of her in-laws. “They have 41 years of experience and without their knowledge… we wouldn’t be able to just go and take over,” Sally said.

Steve said as a parent, it’s a special moment to say that your kid is going to follow in your footsteps.

“Personally it’s a proud moment for us,” Steve said.

JoAnn added that they have no doubt that the Ranch will continue to offer good food and excellent service, which are what they have always strived for.

After retiring, Steve and JoAnn want to spend more time with their children and grandkids and they’d like to do some traveling as well as focus on their different hobbies.

“I’m looking forward to not having the day-to-day worry and stress of running a restaurant because we’re open 363 days a year. It’s going to be a different life. That alone is retiring whether we do anything special or not,” JoAnn said.

While they’re looking forward to retiring, it’s bittersweet.

“The two things we’re going to miss are our employees and our customers,” Steve said.

JoAnn said they’ve been grateful to always have great staff and noted that they didn’t really struggle with that during Covid as many other restaurants and work places did.

“Our staff has always stepped up and they’ve always been like family to us. They always worked with us, not for us,” JoAnn said.

Some of their employees are on the third generation of working at the Ranch and there are several instances of siblings, cousins and parent-child employees.

“When you say family restaurant, it is actually family,” Sally said.

Steve and JoAnn are also grateful for the community and other businesses which they say have always supported them. They’ve had a lot of loyal, regular customers but they’re thankful for everyone who has stepped foot in their restaurant.

“We wouldn’t have made it without them. That’s the biggest thing I can say. We wouldn’t be here today and as successful without them. It takes a group of people to make it happen,” Steve said.