By Brenna Wiegand
Glockenspiel Restaurant has been named 2017 Business of the Year by the Mount Angel Chamber of Commerce.
The restaurant is owned by Mary and Mike Grant, Henri and Ernie Dill, Mark and Molly Wieprecht and Tracy Buller and managed by Kelsi Weeks.
When they opened the restaurant in 2007 they hoped to create a gathering place and wasted no time digging into the community. The German-Bavarian-American restaurant has become a favorite spot for locals and a destination for out-of-towners.
Set in the middle of town, it celebrates Mount Angel’s German heritage and is named for its 49-foot Old World glockenspiel tower, itself a work of art.
Its staunch support of North Willamette Valley Habitat for Humanity includes hosting fundraisers such as Giving Tuesday, where a portion of sales are donated to the organization. It hosts Habitat’s Spring Dinner and Auction and this year provided its authentic German fare to more than 280 guests while raising awareness for affordable housing.
Glockenspiel Restaurant also supports local farmers, integrating their fresh produce and beef into the menu. It creates job shadow opportunities for students and has been recognized by the state’s Vocational Rehabilitation Council whose aim is to expand employment for Oregonians with disabilities.
Glockenspiel also sponsors the senior center, Hazelnut Festival, library activities and won the merchants’ Christmas decorating contest.
“We currently have two high schoolers that come in Monday through Friday for an hour. One of them does prep work and another does cleaning,” Weeks said. “They’re just really trying to get work experience. Every time the high school has something pop up they send me an email and we work something out.”
In addition to its authentic German entrees, Glockenspiel serves American food. Weeks and head chef Dillan Walker, a Kennedy High School graduate, work on creating new dishes.
“We try to find a good balance,” Weeks said. “We try to revise the menu every 6-12 months and when we put out a new German dish we put it on special and see how people react to it.”
Weeks says the business community has gotten stronger in the past several years.
“This award is like a reward for being part of the community for 10 years and doing our best to amp up the foot traffic so other businesses, not just us, can succeed and get more people in their doors.
“It’s important for us to show people a good example of a business and be kind of a role model for smaller businesses that are starting up,” Weeks said. “I think
this award shows that any business can be Business of
the Year. They just need to be motivated and active in their community.”
