The Motherloaded Tavern – The Home of Mothers In Love With Food
The Motherloaded Tavern is a bonafide Woman owned and operated business
by Holly Battista-Resignolo
Meet Chmurny Cain, chief MILF with 36 “adopted” children working alongside her in one of the last old school buildings in Breckenridge. Tin ceilings, crooked walls, and creaky floors are now all hers after purchasing the building from her landlord on April Fools Day 2020.
The Motherloaded was launched in-part as a nod to her own mother who helped support her name-sake restaurant on a daily basis (even though she lives on the east coast).
As a new owner on the 100 Block of Main Street, Breckenridge she felt like she had hit the jackpot after years of renting but the Pandemic had her second-guessing her decision until she realized that she would have had to pay rent anyway. Chmurny kept the news low because she wasn’t sure where Covid was going to go.
Chmurny opened The Motherloaded Tavern in 2006 and survived the Stock Market Crash so she figured she could beat Covid, she was right and found that tackling the challenges of the Pandemic brought the restaurant’s team together. Everyone wanted to work. All of my staff wanted to do something to help to keep the business alive. She reflected on how she has seen how people have changed through Covid’s challenges. In the restaurant, we are super clean, more patient, and much more human. Chmurny found the weekly Breckenridge Restaurant Association Meetings over the phone brought all of the restaurant owners closer together too as a group as they worked on ideas to keep one another afloat.
She feels lucky. People at the Motherloaded Tavern want to come to work. You can tell as an outsider when you walk in, nobody is holding back, and everyone is having fun. Her staff is very human; they all like to share experiences and make connections with the visitors. She also said that she has the best kitchen crew in all the years she has operated.
The Motherloaded Tavern is an authentic space where you can settle in and be yourself while enjoying delicious homestyle comfort food. Her website states clearly, “the MLT is a friend-run business! We choose our friends and we choose to be together, working to provide you with a friendly atmosphere that cannot be replicated.” You can feel that when you walk in.
When I asked her how she came up with the restaurant’s concept she talked about how after years working at the Breckenridge Brewery she wanted to break away and create something new and DIFFERENT for the town. She had let a few local Realtors know that they were looking for a space to open a restaurant. Her vision was to offer honest, comforting food in a lively atmosphere. When she found a space she settled in and began developing all of the restaurant’s recipes. Most have been crafted by Chmurny and some were pulled from crazy cookbooks she has collected over the years. Many of those cookbooks line the shelves in her restaurant.
Chmurny has been working in the restaurant business for a long time. “When I was 15 I told my dad I was going to work in a kitchen and he laughed at me. He drove me to my interview betting that I wouldn’t get the job. When I got back in the car he was flabbergasted to learn that I was accepted to my first kitchen job. I have been cooking and in restaurants ever since.” Over the years she tackled and mastered all the other positions running a restaurant requires. Front of the House, Back of the House, Dishwasher, Plumber, and everything in between.
The Motherloaded Tavern’s menu is a treat filled with Hand Crafted Nibbles like Fried Okra, Buttermilk Chicken Fingers, Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds, Crispy Pickle Spears, and other unique treats. Comforts for the Soul consist of Chilis, Soups, and Poutine. Try the Chicken & Waffles, Meatloaf, Burgers, or Mac and Cheese. Wash it all down with Sweet Tea or a Mason Jar Cocktail and check out the handcrafted infused liquors for quick and delicious cocktails. Oh and of course, if you clean your plate there are some yummy desserts.
Late nights are insanely fun with live music. Karaoke is crazy busy on Wednesdays and they do Trivia on Thursday, if you attend, you will see it is not a traditional Happy Hour.
Something unexpected is that Chmurny studied to be a Russian language specialist and was a Russian translator for a bit. That was a short career, when she decided to move on she and her Dad decided to try something different. The two wanted to go somewhere new so they threw a dart at a map, it landed on Fairplay. They came out here and took a look and decided Breckenridge was a better fit. Her Dad bought a condo, which she now uses to help house employees, and the rest is history.
I started thinking about who I could pick. My brain was working overtime. Today in yoga I realized that I’m such a mama bear: I could never pick one child over another. All my “children” bring something crucial to the table that makes every “meal” a success. In that sense, they are all my heroes!
When asked why she stayed? Chmurny said it is because of these friendships she has built and also because there are no bugs or humidity. Another plus, is it is cold, which is helpful when you’re having a lot of hot flashes.
This past week Chmurny announced the retirement of her restaurant and new beginnings in her life. Her legacy will be memories of fabulous days and nights at a remarkably vibrant restaurant and bar. She is a part of the tapestry that makes Breckenridge great and we wish her the very best in her new adventures!
Get in there for great food, live music and a vibe unlike any other establishment in town – You have until the 25th of July!
103 S. Main Street, Breckenridge
For More Restaurants and Dining Suggestions Check out The Dine Local Guide – CLICK HERE!
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