Breckenridge landmark to close doors

It is sad, but hopefully, everyone understands that Bud and Pam Harrison have served Breckenridge dutifully for more than 38 years through the doors of Pam’s Cafe, a recognized Breckenridge landmark by anyone’s standards. They took over about three months after the previous owner, Mrs. J.C. ‘Ethel’ Nail, had died. Ethel had run Nail’s cafe for almost 40 years, from about 1931 to 1973.

Obviously, this small cafe has had a history of longevity by the owners. Prior to Bud and Pam, it was wellknown as Nail’s Cafe, with the four bar stools, which are still used to this day. Breckenridge High School students found this a popular lunch stop for the hamburgers back in the 1970s and 1980s.

Needless to say, Pam and Bud will not miss the 3 a.m. wake-up alarm buzzer. Presently, they begin serving coffee and breakfast by 5:30 a.m., which means by the time they close at 2 p.m. and cleanup, they have put in a 12-hour day.

The early crowd leaves for their jobs and then it is time to prepare for the second shift between 9 and 10 a.m. Prior to that time, however, Bud tries to get out to Walmart and the United Supermarket for his daily grocery shopping. There is no walk-in refrigeration, just a large fridge right next to their workstations. So, daily shopping is required. Bud shops both places to find the best bargains and keep operating costs down.

Lunch also is served and some Breckenridge High School students still call in their orders, usually for pickup. Their parents were probably patrons of Nail’s Cafe and that information was passed onto their children as a good place to grab lunch. There also is a lunch crowd that actually comes in for a sit-down lunch, which might include Bud’s famous chicken fried steak fingers and fries or Pam’s hamburgers. There also might even be a grilled cheese sandwich thrown in there or a club sandwich.

Historically, Myrtle and Jack Gregory (William Alvin “Jack” Gregory) owned a four-stool hamburger stand at 318 W. Walker St., which became the historic Nail’s Cafe, when their niece, Ethel (Jones) Nail and J.C. Nail took over in 1931. Many years later, after Mrs. J. C. Nail had died, Bud and Pam were asked to take it over and, at that point, it became Pam’s Cafe, in September of 1983.

Jack Gregory also ran a four-stool hamburger stand behind Bowen Drug Store, at the corner of Walker St. and Breckenridge Ave. and a place called the ‘White Kitchen,’ located just down the street from Nail’s Cafe, at 300 W. Walker.

Their niece, Ethel Myrtle Jones married James Clovis Nail (J.C. Nail) in 1926. Ethel worked for her Aunt Myrtle and learned the hamburger business first-hand. Ethel was innovative and added lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise and charged 15 cents more for the hamburger. Aunt Myrtle was impressed.

By 1931, Ethel and J.C. bought the four-stool hamburger place from her aunt and uncle, Myrtle and Jack Gregory. At that point, it was named Nail’s Cafe and the rest is history. For a time, they all lived in the big, brown house nearby and her Aunt Myrtle baked pies for Ethel. Later, Ethel took over baking the pies on her own, disappearing to the house to get them baked for her customers. Subsequently, Jack and Myrtle moved on to Pampa, but came back to Breckenridge and lived in a house on E. Elm St.

No more 3 a.m. wakeup buzzer sounding for Pam and Bud unless they want to get up that early. Bud said, “We’re going to take some time to just take it easy for a while, which we’ve never done, and enjoy the grandsons, who live next door.” He went on to say, “We will miss the people, but we can altsee almost everybody.” The grandsons include 13-year old Gavin and five-year-old twins.

Many former customers are making a point to stop in and have one more breakfast before it closes. I met Michael Peak on the bar stool one over from me and he was reminiscing about lunches there while in high school. Then there was Ted Goldsmith on the other side, who was probably a more regular customer.

The regular customers will miss their customary breakfast stop and they will have to adjust. The combined hope is that someone will take it over, but the subject is up to widespread speculation. One such offering is that the building will be sold, since the Harrison’s only rented/leased from David Baxley, who runs the Baxley flooring business next door. His father, Joaquin Baxley, had purchased his building and the building that housed Nail’s Cafe from Lester Clark. At the time of the sale, it is reported that Mr. Clark made only one stipulation: that Mrs. Nail never be required to pay rent for the house or the Cafe.

So, although another iconic Breckenridge landmark is closing the community looks forward to the next chapter.