From a “complete accident,” Jim Ryan has turned his amateur cooking skills into a regionally recognized restaurant.

Aptly named, Ryan’s Restaurant is a family-owned and operated business that is stirring up some extraordinary homemade American cuisine.

Back in 1977, long before Top Chef and FoodNetwork termed the phrase, American cuisine, Ryan has been serving hearty food made from fresh ingredients that appeal to tastebuds of all ages.

“I used to have a barber shop for several years, then opened a video rec room and people would ask me , ‘Why don’t you bring some sandwiches and simple food stuff for us to eat?’ It got to where it was more and more food, so I closed the rec room and opened the restaurant,” Ryan explains.

Located on the same spot where his father’s house stood at Alumn Creek, the owner can trace his ancestry back more than four generations of West Virginians.

“I was born and raised in West Virginia and when I remodeled the house, I wanted it to look country,” he said.

This started the “rooster craze.”

Ryan says he equates roosters to the country and so he started using them in decorating the restaurant before they became the popular country motif they are today.

“Then, everybody started bringing me roosters,” he said.

Ryan’s daughter-in-law , Crystal Ryan, adds, “It’s a community contribution in a sense, too.”

Despite their community’s small, rural size, the outpouring of support has been both steady and loyal over the years.

“We have some wonderful regulars and a lot of loyal customers who are here all the time,” Ryan said, though he was shy to name any names in consideration that he might hurt someone’s feelings if he left any of his regular’s names out of the list.

Besides leaving with a full belly, Ryan hopes that guests to his family’s restaurant will feel welcome and cared for during their dining visit.

With a legacy of “putting out good food at good prices,” Jim Ryan’s son, Jamon Ryan, has some big shoes to fill as his future plans include taking over the family business when his father decides to retire to enjoy more time with his wife, children, and four grandchildren.

“I don’t think I’ll ever really retire, retire. I’ll probably still come around here every day,” Ryan shares. With a strong work ethic that has seen Ryan juggling upwards of five jobs at once.

“At one time, I worked at the Barber Shop, was on the Board of Directors of the Lincoln County Public Service District, was a Bus Driver, had a bubble gum route, cleaned attics and basements during the evening, plus I had the restaurant,” he said.

A bubble gum route?

Ryan smiles and explains, “I had between 160 and 170 vending machines to service at different locations,” he said.

According to Ryan, the best advice he can give to entrepreneurs considering opening a restaurant is to be prepared to devote a lot of time to the business.

Jim says his greatest challenge right now is finding dedicated people willing to work. Even though the country’s economy would suggest there would be no shortage of job candidates, finding quality employees is not an uncommon mantra among business owners, like Jim, in the coalfields of southern West Virginia.

“I was working 20 hour days at some points in my life,” he shared. “The number one thing is business and family because without the business you can’t support your family.”

“If I had to take a choice of the two, it would be the family, of course,” he says.

On the day of the interview, Jim is surrounded by his family members –with his son and daughter-in-law at his side, Jim is quick to tell a joke in an attempt to place smiles on the faces around him. He is also quick to point out that his restaurant, though named “Ryan’s,” is in not related to the chain of Ryan’s restaurants that also opened in 1977.

According to Jim, there still remains some confusion among people about Ryan’s (Family) Restaurant and the chain restaurant that was built a ways down the road on Corridor G.

“Our name was grandfathered in,” Jim’s son, Jamon Ryan says. “But we still receive calls from people who want to book rooms thinking we’re the other Ryan’s,” Jim adds.

Guests to Jim Ryan’s restaurant can choose from two dining areas, which seats 70, and the occasional wedding rehearsal dinner is celebrated at the restaurant, although the most popular event at the restaurant seems to be Thursday night’s Bean Dinner.

“That is, by far, our busiest day. After church on Sunday gets busy, but everyone loves Thursday’s Bean Night,” Crystal shares.

When asked what he’d recommend from his menu to those who had never eaten at Ryan’s, Jim quickly said, “The Big Jim. It’s like a Big Mac with ½ -pound beef instead of these patties. Two burgers with a special sauce,” he said.

Also at the top of the “must try list” is the hot fudge cake, bread pudding and the chili-topped hot dogs.

Although the five full-time employees and two part-time employees have had their fair share of unusual diner requests – such as “’I’ll have a cheeseburger, but hold the cheese,” they’re happy to meet the special needs of diners.

For example, this Valentines Day, Ryan’s will be once again offering their Valentine’s Pizza, and yes, it comes in the shape of a heart and is prepared by a family whose homemade goodness is served up daily to a receptive community.

Contact Joanie Newman at jnewman@coalvalleynews.com or call 304-369-1165.