Local landmark

Betty Calhoun never thought in 1972 that her new job waiting tables at Sands Pancake House would turn into a lifelong career as a business owner, but it did.

From 1972 to 1997, Calhoun served up hot plates of homemade breakfasts and lunches to devoted customers as a server. In 1997 her job as a server ended and her role as a restaurant owner, server and cook began.

"The owner called me and said 'If you're not interested in buying it, I'm going to go ahead and have everything auctioned off,'" Calhoun said. She said that she had a few days to think about the purchase and decided she couldn't part with the restaurant.

"This place is like a landmark. It's been around since the '50s. It's like a second home to me. I've been here since I was 23 years old and the thought of it being closed down ... I just couldn't see it shut down," she said. Calhoun said that although she is happy with her decision, at times it was a challenge.

"I literally knew nothing about cooking. I had always hung around my daddy, not with my mother in the kitchen. I basically took what we had for a menu and over the years we've experimented and added new things to the menu," she said.

Calhoun said relatives help out with the cooking, cleaning and any other jobs needing to be done at the restaurant. Her mother was even a Sands server before Calhoun worked there.

Taryn Sparks dices tomatoes in the kitchen of Sand's Pancake House on Tuesday, November 6, 2007. (Aaron Eisenhauer)

"I don't think I've ever had a help wanted sign in the window. Once someone starts working here they stick around. They become family," Calhoun said. She said that along with a family-rich atmosphere, the food makes diners feel like they're at home. Especially the pancakes.

"I think what they really like is our homemade pancakes. We make all kinds ... some with fruit rolled up in them and topped with whipped cream, some with nuts in them. Just about anything you'd want in a pancake," Calhoun said.

Sands Pancake House is open seven days a week from 5 a.m. until 2 p.m. Calhoun said they are only closed on Christmas.