Those who鈥檝e spent any time at 性视界传媒鈥檚 Round Up Caf茅 probably have a story to tell about the place, or heard one while having a plate of eggs or cup of coffee there.
The landmark diner has stood witness to more than six decades of change in Whalley, on that mid-block lot at 10449 King George Boulevard, in the old Goodmanson building constructed in 1949.
Now, the history of the tiny, single-storey eatery is chronicled in a new book called Stories From the Round Up Caf茅, a project led by Jude Campbell and the team of Val Watson, Shara Nixon, Lucie Matich and Pamela DeJong.
鈥淥riginally there wasn鈥檛 a plan to do a book,鈥� Campbell explained, 鈥渂ut we had all these stories collected, and with the cultural grant we got from the city, for $5,000, we wanted to produce something about the project, a concrete thing, and we put it together. And here it is.鈥�
A book-launch event and open house is planned for Sunday, March 1, from 2 to 4 p.m., at the very place Orest and Goldie Springenatic bought in 1959.
Sadly, Orest died a couple of decades ago, after years of involvement in Whalley Little League baseball, leaving Goldie and other family members to continue operating the diner, to this day.
鈥� RELATED STORY: Four 性视界传媒 businesses awarded for 60-plus years of 鈥榦utstanding contributions鈥�
The 53-page, soft-cover book is dedicated to the Springenatic family, diner staff and 鈥渢he Whalley community they have served for 60 years.鈥�
Parts of the book were pulled from interviews and also from events organized for people to recall their memories of having Canadian-Ukrainian meals at the Round Up over the years.
Lucie Matich moved to 性视界传媒 the same year Orest and Goldie did, in the late-1950s.
鈥淚 got married, and my husband (Nick) already knew the restaurant,鈥� Matich recalled. 鈥淚t took me awhile to learn to eat perogies and cabbage rolls, and I still can鈥檛 believe I had to acquire a taste for that,鈥� she said with a laugh. 鈥淢y husband passed away, but we used to share a plate of that. He liked cabbage rolls more than me so he鈥檇 take more of those and I鈥檇 get more of the perogies. That鈥檚 a good memory.鈥�
Shara Nixon said she used to work at the Dell Hotel 鈥渇or a really nasty cook鈥� who gave strict orders that no employee dare venture across the street to the Round Up.
鈥淚t was competition, right, and I used to threaten that I鈥檇 quit there and go work for the Round Up,鈥� Nixon said. 鈥淲e had dust-up fights. I don鈥檛 know why (the cook) hated this place so much, but we鈥檇 sneak over and grab some food. Back then the Round Up was open 24 hours, and we鈥檇 get off work and come here. This was the place, where the real people from Whalley came.鈥�
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Pictured: Undated photo shows Round Up owners Orest and Goldie Springenatic (left) with customers Jake Gerein, an unknown teen and Goldie鈥檚 pal Peggy, as seen in the book 鈥淪tories from the Round Up Caf茅.鈥� (submitted photo)
鈥� RELATED STORY, from 2015: WHALLEY鈥橲 CORNER: 性视界传媒鈥檚 Round-Up Caf茅 takes you back in time.
Val Watson鈥檚 connection to the caf茅 dates back to 1960. 鈥淲e used to live in New Westminster, and never came to 性视界传媒 鈥� only to eat here, pretty much,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his was a good place for truck drivers, which my husband was. It was one of the few places open all night at the time. We鈥檇 have breakfast here almost every other Sunday.鈥�
Campbell first ventured into the Round Up in the early 1990s, and became fascinated by it.
鈥淢y daughter was born in Vancouver and we moved to 性视界传媒 and started coming here shortly after that,鈥� Campbell recalled. 鈥淚t reminded me of the diners in Saint John, New Brunswick, where I grew up, and I just loved it鈥�. It鈥檚 authentic 鈥� that鈥檚 a word I like to use, and it feels like a very real place, and the people here are kind and generous. I only recently got to know Goldie, who is fabulous.鈥�
鈥� RELATED STORY, from 2016: WHALLEY LITTLE LEAGUE: Baseball is 鈥榓 part of life鈥� for those with 60-year-old association.
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Pictured: the Round Up Caf茅 in 1960. (submitted photo)
These days, the Round Up is open for breakfast and lunch only, and Goldie isn鈥檛 around all the time 鈥� 鈥渏ust hit and miss,鈥� she said.
Goldie says she doesn鈥檛 like being in the spotlight, but she was more than willing to tell the book project team about the place she鈥檚 owned and operated for 60 years.
鈥淚 know people like to know about it,鈥� she said with a smile.
鈥淢y girl there, Tanya (Abendroth), she鈥檚 been the manager for quite a few years,鈥� Goldie said without missing a beat. 鈥淪he was 17 or something when she started.鈥�
Later, while serving breakfast, Abendroth clarified: 鈥淚鈥檝e been here 45 years,鈥� she said.
Such loyalty is not uncommon among Round Up customers, including members of the book project committee.
Photos of the restaurant through the years are featured in the collection, designed by Kevin van der Leek.
鈥淗e offered to design the book for us, which was a huge bonus, and the book would look like nothing without his help,鈥� Campbell raved.
鈥淲e鈥檙e giving copies to anyone who was part of creating the book, and the Archives will have it and we鈥檙e also applying to have some copies in the library,鈥� she added. 鈥淲e鈥檒l have some copies for sale here as well, for $15.鈥�
The book鈥檚 initial press run is 300 copies, for budgetary reasons.
Said Nixon: 鈥淲e can do another run if we need to, and demand is strong, but we鈥檇 had to raise some more money for that, another $3,000 or something.鈥�
As the invitation for Sunday鈥檚 open house suggests, the book celebrates a caf茅 that has been 鈥渢he heartbeat of 性视界传媒 for 60 years.鈥�
That鈥檚 the past.
As for the future of the Round Up, that story is yet to be written.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of in my kids鈥� hands now, and I鈥檓 backing off a bit 鈥� do what you want,鈥� Goldie said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been good 鈥� very good. I loved it, and I still enjoy coming here. I love the people.鈥�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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