QUARTZ MOUNTAIN – State park guests can soon avail themselves of fine Southern dining at Foggy Bottom Kitchen restaurant which is owned by Swadley’s Bar-B-Q.
Foggy Bottom Kitchens already have opened at four other state parks – Roman Nose, Lake Murray, Sequoyah and Beavers Bend.
Brent Swadley, owner and president of Swadley’s Bar-B-Q, said the Quartz Mountain location will open sometime this summer followed by Robbers Cave and Little Sahara.
State tourism officials began searching for a way to entice more people to state lodges and parks. In one move, officials with the state Tourism and Recreation Department sought bids from private companies interested in opening restaurants at the state lodges.
Swadley’s won the bid, which excited the owner and his team because this unique situation involving a partnership with the state.
“This is an opportunity because of where Foggy Bottoms are located. We’re in a destination, where people want to go,” he said. “This is an exciting fit. This has been a real good partnership.”
Each Foggy Bottom Kitchen will provide a full-service environment coupled with some Swadley’s menu items. The Quartz Mountain location will be equipped with one of Swadley’s BBQ smokers and will employ about 40 people, which will be a boost for the area.
“We’re hiring and using local labor and local vendors,” said Swadley. “We also use local suppliers, which helps immensely in finding what we need because the pandemic hurt the supply chain a lot. So, they’re our best resource in finding materials. At Quartz Mountain, we have special unique wood that we use, and it takes longer to get that. We’ve also got a waterfall made of granite so there’s something unique to this location.”
Paying employees more than normal became a necessity because of the labor shortage in rural areas of the state.
“We have high standards, and you have to pay more for great labor,” he added. “We have to entice people to come to us and maybe drive a little longer to come to work. Finding the right skilled labor has been the challenge. This is not a cookie-cutter operation.”
So far, the Foggy Bottoms that have experienced “great” openings, he said.
“We offer good old-fashioned hospitality and good old-fashioned food,” Swadley said.
Helping Swadley are two men he knows well – his sons Koltan, 24, and Keaton, 21. Both are chefs and graduates of Platt College’s culinary program.
“All of the recipes are coming from them,” Swadley said.
The menu offers a selection of appetizers, salads, burgers and sandwiches, specialties including Sweet Tea Glazed Chicken and the Campfire Hobo Dinner, entrees, desserts, a children’s menu and drinks.
“We wanted to create a concept that was about the past, but still attract the newer, millennial generation. So, we wanted to bring traditional sides as well as some that were more southernly known, and combine them with good, southern comfort dishes,” Swadley said. “The food stands on its own at Foggy Bottom.”
Brunch, which Swadley recommends for all guests and local residents, is available on weekends.
Many customers have asked Swadley about the name of the new restaurant.
“A lot of our lakes in the morning at different times of year are just full of fog. Like the lakes down at Broken Bow, Lake Murray, and Sequoyah state parks. So, we thought ‘why not name it Foggy Bottom Kitchen?’” he explained.
The Quartz Mountain Lodge is located 20 miles north of Altus off Highway 44A.
Foggy Bottom Kitchens at Quartz Mountain and Robbers Cave are accepting job applications. For more details, visit www. Foggybottomkitchens.com/jobs.