South Reno's Squeeze In, 25 Foothill Rd. #3, is easily my family's favorite spot in Northern Nevada for breakfast or brunch.
Squeeze In is famous for more than 60 varieties of the "best omelettes on the planet" and impeccable service in a fun, funky atmosphere.
I recently chatted with Shila Morris, who co-owns the four Squeeze In locations (Truckee, Calif.; Northwest Reno, Nev.; South Reno, Nev. and Sparks, Nev.) with her husband Chad Morris and her parents Gary and Misty Young. She shared some history and reasons for Squeeze In's success.
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| Shila Morris |
I was already aware, from Squeeze In's Web site and their newsletters, that the restaurant was opened by a different family, in 1974, in Truckee. The name came from the tiny space. Diners had to "squeeze in." The Youngs had been longtime customers and purchased the restaurant in 2004, eager to preserve the popular menu and the playful vibe.
Morris noted, laughing, "The original 1974 menu said, 'Streakers eat free' and some people actually took them up on it. That was definitely the spirit in 1974."
I asked her how much of the current menu was true to the original menu. "The original line-up is mostly on there," she said, gesturing to the current menu. "There originally were 57 omelettes. We added nine and retired some that weren't really popular. Like there were several with chicken liver! We don't have any with chicken liver anymore. And we retired some with fruit, but still have one with fruit."
Some of the so-called "retired" omelettes can still be found on Squeeze In's Old School Menu. They aim to please both returning and new customers.
"The Racy Tracy is one of the originals," Morris commented, referring to an omelette that was featured on Food Network's "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." It features bacon, avocado, mushrooms and Jack cheese.
Omelettes at Squeeze In are typically served with "spudz" (sort of like home fries), your choice of toast (wheat, sourdough or rye) and choice of sauce (cheese, mushroom or tomato pesto). The first time we visited Squeeze In, my family was baffled by the sauce. "Where is this supposed to go?" We quickly discovered that the tomato pesto is delicious on both the omelettes and the spudz. Refills of toast and sauce at Squeeze In are free.
If you're watching carbs or cholesterol, you can also order omelettes made with Egg Beaters and a different side such as salad, fruit, sliced tomatoes or cottage cheese.
All of the ingredients for Squeeze In omelettes are sauteed in a special white wine sauce. "And our omelettes are American style, more like an egg taco, wrapped around the fillings, rather than French style omelettes which are more cooked-in, more 'chef-y'," Morris explained.
Squeeze In is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., 363 days a year. They only close on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day. Even at that, on Thanksgiving morning, the Squeeze In owners serve breakfast to their employees and their families. "It's our way of giving back, to show appreciation for all of their hard work," said Morris.
Between the four locations, Squeeze In has just under 100 employees. "Each has two front managers and two back managers and we also have regional managers who float around as needed," said Morris. "As owners, our focus is on our associates, to help them with their guests. I manage the managers. We work really hard on training, make sure the associates know the business, our history, our culture, why we're passionate about what we do. And we pool tips, so that any server in the restaurant is your server. You're not going to be ignored when your server is busy."
That's something I can vouch for. At the South Reno Squeeze In, it's never a problem to get a drink refilled, or request more toast or anything else. Cheerful servers are fast on their feet and always courteous.
In addition to their fame on Food Network, Squeeze In has won many awards and was recently mentioned in the New York Times, on a blog about the restaurant's finesse with social media. I asked Morris if there's a dream TV show or magazine where she'd especially love to see a feature about Squeeze In.
"Any feature is a good feature," she replied, grinning. "I'd love to meet Bethenny Frankel. She's kind of a personal hero and she's also a chef, like a mentor chef. And I love Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. If they ever want to interview me, I'll know I've made it."
Meanwhile, Morris added, Squeeze In loves to focus on the communities it serves and to contribute to local charities. Every issue of their newsletter lists fundraising drives and donations of gift baskets to people and organizations in need.
"We really are a family," Morris concluded. Her sister, Kay Young, also works at Squeeze In and many of their associates are also related, such as mother-daughter and mother-son teams.
Not in the mood for an omelette? Not a problem. Squeeze In's menu includes many other breakfast items, as well as soup, sandwiches, burgers, burritos and more.
For more information about the South Reno Squeeze In, call (775) 853-6090 or visit http://www.squeezein.com/squeeze3.html .
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