Lisa Crowe spent well over a decade running a kitchen for hundreds of young campers.
Now she is out from behind the stove and oversees a well-loved island tavern.
“You get to meet all kinds of different people, and we have a great staff,” said Crowe, who manages the Lower Tavern in Eastsound. “I like the business side, too. I love to do the ordering and scheduling and handling money. I am hands-on with it.”
Crowe was the food service director of Camp Orkila for 15 years before moving on to the tavern five years ago.
Owner Jim Passer had been asking her for some time but she wasn’t ready to make the leap.
“It was a hard decision for me but I wanted to spend more time with my daughter, Hailey. I was working so much,” she said.
When she is not at the tavern, Crowe is with Hailey, now a senior at Orcas High School.
“If I am not working, I am at the barn with our horses or hanging out with Hailey,” she said. “She only has a year left of school, so I am trying to grab every second with her.”
Prior to moving to Orcas, Crowe worked for a high volume catering restaurant and a horse breeding farm in Issaquah.
She came to the island for a seasonal position at Camp Orkila and never left.
“I had never been to Orcas even though I grew up in the Pacific Northwest,” she said. “I got off the ferry and thought it was just gorgeous.”
She met future husband Erick at The Bungalow, which was located in the building that is now the White Horse Pub. Erick is the manager of San Juan Propane – Orcas.
In addition to two horses, the Crowes have four dogs in their family: Ruby, a Doberman, two mini Aussies named Bandit and Red Red and Sullie, a heeler/corgi mix rescue from Texas.
Lisa says she loves running the Lower Tavern.
“Jim is quick-witted and keeps you on your toes,” she said. “He is also one of the most caring people. He does what he can to help people and he doesn’t want any recognition.”
Lisa says their greatest challenge right now is staffing. The restaurant has experienced an increase in business but there is also more competition, which means potential staff members are working elsewhere.
“The island is so much busier but it’s a great problem to have,” she said.
