(Airdate: April 16, 2024) Maryanne interviews restaurant owner Kris Nelson. Kris started working at a local burger joint when she was a 14-year-old at PT High School. After graduating from UW with an economics degree she couldn’t find a passion that lured her to graduate school. But travel fascinated her. The Peace Corp seemed the only route until she figured out she could work part of the year and travel the rest. That worked for a while. But she wanted more. Sirens was a failing pub until she finessed enough loans to buy the joint. Over the years she has owned Sirens, Alchemy, the Fountain Cafe, the In-Between, the Old Whiskey Mill, and several restaurants. She also found time to be deputy mayor on city council, head of the Main Street Program, and many other civic bodies. Like almost everyone else, her business faltered during the pandemic. Kris spent every cent she had keeping it alive. But the pandemic wasn’t all bad for her – she got married on a romantic beach, zooming in friends & family.
