“Part of the fun is trying to find us,” has been the slogan for Pine Junction Tavern in the Pines, located at 9757 Bailey Hill Road, since it first opened as a snowmobile stop two decades ago.

Since then, it has become not only a favorite restaurant for people as far away as Cleveland, but also a popular venue for weddings and other events. It has expanded over the years to include a bakery, a revised kitchen, two new pavilions, a new lobby, a porch and a large room in the back for more formal dining.

Owners Lonnie and Shirlee Pound marked their 20th anniversary with a special celebration on Saturday, Jan. 10. The celebration featured The Duke Sherman Band, which was one of the first bands to play at Pine Junction. “They played in the main room when we first opened,” Shirlee said.

Shirlee said originally they were only going to be opened for snowmobiles and only during the winter. “Within a few months, people told us we needed to be open year-round,” she said. They quickly enclosed the wrap-around porch, obtained a liquor license and were approved as an eating establishment.

Bottom photo shows Pine Junction tavern, tucked away on Bailey Hill Road between Sherman and Findley Lake, proudly bears the slogan: “Part the fun is trying to find us.”

“We had two employees then, myself and Lonnie. We both had jobs that we came home from, and then we were open from 4 until midnight,” Shirlee said.

Pine Junction gained popularity quickly, however there was a problem. “People knew how to find us from the woods, but not by road,” Shirlee said. “We couldn’t put signs up because we were not in a commercial area.”

To help resolve this, the couple had apparel printed, which included hoodies with a map on the back. At that time, there was a church in Findley Lake with a large image of Jesus on the corner of Routes 430 and 426. “We would tell people to find the church with Jesus on it and take the first right after that,” Shirlee said.

Shirlee said that some people almost seemed angry when they did finally find the place. “They would say, ‘do you know long it took us to find you?'” she said. “So, we came up with the slogan, Part of the fun is trying to find us,” she added.

That slogan and the original map have been printed on special 20th anniversary clothing. Also, those attending the anniversary celebration were invited to “Wear your favorite Pine Junction merchandise to be entered to win a prize!”

When they started out, there was only the small cabin that Lonnie and Shirlee built, now known as the main room, Shirlee said. “Once we started, we had to follow through with determination and hard work,” she said. And even though it cost more, they tried to patronize local businesses for all of the materials.

As patrons enter the front door to the expanded lobby, they encounter a large tree in the center of the room. Shirlee explained that the tree was donated by an older couple from Warren, Pa., and it was 142 years old when they had to take it down.

Pine Junction has had a reputation for exceptional steaks, burgers, homemade desserts, and sauces since its opening. “Everything is made fresh,” Shirlee said. “We use grass-fed Black Angus beef, we bake our own bread, and we try to make all of our own sauces to avoid preservatives.”

But the real key to the success of Pine Junction is friendliness, Shirlee said. “I tell employees, when I hire them, if you don’t treat people like family, you don’t work here,” she said.

Family has always been more than just an “atmosphere” at Pine Junction. Their daughter, Michelle, has been with her parents since the beginning. As General Manager, she personally works with customers to make their private events memorable, oversees the staff and is a smiling face to greet customers and make sure her parents’ standards are upheld.

Their daughter Marcia took on the position of full-time baker. All of the desserts are baked by her and other long-term employees, Shirlee said.

Furthermore, nine out of 10 of Lonnie and Shirlee’s grandchildren have worked at Pinc Junction. The couple agrees that one of their greatest successes has been teaching their grandchildren the value of a dollar, Shirlee said. “It makes us feel good because we instilled the value that you have to work for what you want,” she said.

COVID was, of course, very difficult, Shirlee said. “We didn’t think we were going to make it,” she said. Presently, the greatest struggle they face is the dramatic rise in taxes, utilities, insurance and wages.

Throughout the years, the couple has invested most of their income back into the restaurant. For instance, Shirlee said, in the last ten years, they have spent $1.5 million in improvements. However, she said, no further improvements are planned.

“We just want to keep making people happy,” Shirlee said.