If you lived in or visited the Truckee area at any point since 1974, then chances are you’ve visited (or at least heard about) the 10 feet wide by 62 feet long experience that is the Squeeze In. Serving up the “best omelettes on the planet,” this unique restaurant with the writing on the walls has left its mark on a countless number of patrons – perhaps most notably, the Young family, who took control of the restaurant in 2004.
Misty and Gary Young, whose daughters Shila and Kay were 17 and 10 respectfully at the time, retired in 2017 turning the ownership over to their daughters who currently operate the brand as co-owners and co-board chairs.
Kay Young tells the story of how the popular restaurant came to be.
“All the way back in 1974, a group of Truckee ski bums got together and just started slinging omelettes in a tiny kitchen downtown. Originally the Squeeze In didn’t even have a dining room – they served omelettes out of the back alley.”
“And eventually, I think after three years, one of the ski bums, his name was Otis, came in and took it over and made it into an official restaurant. And this has been an institution in Truckee ever since.”
Eventually, Otis sold it to Jerry Bussell, who became acquainted with Gary Young when hiring for landscaping around his house, tipping Gary in free omelettes.
Young recalls her childhood experience eating at the restaurant as magical and recalls her parents saying that if they could own any restaurant in the whole world, it would be the Squeeze In.
“And so in 2003, my mom’s in a meeting with Jerry Bussell and he says we’re thinking about selling the Squeeze In – and it was no less than 16 hours later that they were on the phone together.”
“It was a single location at the time, and so we took it all hands on deck, busing tables and serving as a family. We basically lived and grinded in those four walls,” added Young.
While the bussing and grinding was successful, one turning point in the business came when Food Network star Bobby Flay’s show “Throwdown!” came knocking.
“It was 2010 when we got the challenge from Bobby Flay, which was so fun. And, you know, they don’t tell you that you’re getting challenged, they’re like, oh, we’re going to come and film a Valentine special,” said Young.
The throw down pitted Bobby’s “Spanish Flay” omelette against one of the most popular items on the menu: the Racy Tracy Omelette, which has been on the menu since day one.
“It’s actually named after one of the original waitresses from the Squeeze In back in the 1970s,” said Young. “She was Tracy and she liked to get a little racy. Word has it that sometimes she would like to stop on the side of the road on I-80 on the way in between Reno and Truckee and drink beers. So she was a wild child.”
While Kay added that Bobby Flay actually did win the competition, they won in the long run, getting to leverage the Food Network affiliation and adding that what Bobby Flay did for them was put them on the map, seeing a 25% increase in sales almost overnight.
Eventually that success was leveraged in 2015 as the brand began to franchise in Las Vegas becoming the second Squeeze In location. Now up to 10 locations, with new locations set to open soon, the brand leans on the franchise experience of CEO Amir Sabetian.
“In 2022 is when we hired Amir [Sabetian] and he comes to us from having California Pizza Kitchen franchising experience,” added Young. “He’s done an incredible job. We’re riding the wave of the momentum with him and his incredible knowledge and he’s helping us to take this little tiny Truckee brand and hopefully create a nationwide sensation.”
Even while the brand continues to grow, the core of family values and being community centric remains in tact. With a goal to give away $50,000 in charity donations, they are halfway to meeting that goal, partnering with multiple local organizations around the region.
“We will always remain as the brand ambassadors and almost the protectors,” said Young. “There are certain things that we will never want to see change for the sake of efficiency, because we believe that they’re important to the soul of the brand.”
That importance stretches beyond the walls of a Squeeze in location – literally.
Young added, “Squeeze In might leave an impression on somebody but a guest could leave an impression on us. Not just in the energy they bring, but in the signatures that they leave on the wall, and there’s something about that that creates family.”
The original Squeeze In is located at 10060 Donner Pass Rd B in Truckee, CA. Other regional locations can be found in Reno and Carson City, with additional locations coming soon to Spanish Springs, Fernley and Gardnerville.
Source: Sierra Sun – Robert Galloway
