18 hours ago
Austin Living: New smiles, familiar tradition
Jun. 28—With gratitude for the past, new owners of The Tendermaid take tradition into the future
For nearly three decades, a person could count on two things when they entered The Tendermaid: a great loose-meat burger and a Sara Nauman smile.
But there are changes coming and while people will still be able to count on the burgers that have become iconic in their own right, visitors to The Tendermaid will have to get used to a pair of new smiles — those of Zach and Betsy Morem.
In April of this year, the couple became the new owners of the cozy, diner-styled burger joint, taking the business over from Nauman, who has run the business for 28 years.
"When I moved back to Austin and started a family here, we kind of had a mutual goal that we wanted to help the community. Invest in the community," Zach said. "If we're going to be here, why not."
"Continuing the legacy," Betsy added.
Nauman bought the business with her then husband, Gary White, who had always nurtured a dream to buy The Tendermaid, in the late 1990s. Gary passed away in August of 2019, and Nauman, who is now married to Brad Nauman, continued to carry on with the establishment until this year when she began entertaining the idea of selling it.
"Just so many changes in my life since then," Nauman said, referring to the time after Gary's passing. "In February I remarried and then in January (the Morems) approached me. April we sold The Tendermaid. I couldn't think of a better family to carry on this precious, cherished Austin tradition."
It's a rich tradition that dates back to 1938, when Jerry and Mildred Thatcher moved to Austin from Iowa. As the story goes, the couple stood on various street corners in Austin until they came to what is today the intersection of Fourth Avenue Second Street NE, the busiest intersection in town at that point.
While the building looks different than it did in 1938, the location has never strayed, and in all of those 87 years The Tendermaid has been creating traditions and memories — traditions and memories that Zach has experienced as well.
"I think a lot of people from Austin have a very similar story, which I have noticed since the change of ownership — the nostalgia factor," he said. "People coming in and saying 'I remember when I came here with my parents or grandparents.' I was a similar story of coming here with my grandfather and being able to have that memory is pretty cool."
While not originally from the area, it was Betsy, who grew up in Olivia, Minnesota, who first saw the opportunity to buy The Tendermaid. It was an opportunity that couldn't go to waste.
"When I found out I came out into the kitchen of our home and was like the Tendermaid was for sale," she said. "He quickly became excited about the idea and then we met with Sara."
"It happened quickly after that," she continued. "It was a good fit. We've known each other and Zach has restaurant experience."
That experience comes from across town at another local and iconic restaurant — The Old Mill — where Zach got his first taste of restaurant experience. Since then, he has built up just over a decade of time in food service.
He said that this opportunity has refreshed the spark in him to be back in the industry once again.
"My very first job was at the Old Mill washing dishes," he said. "I owe a lot of this to Dave and Ann Forland and Dave specifically. I have been close with him since I was 14-years-old. I have a lot to thank him for."
The transaction between the two families came about in a rather natural way as the Morem's have harbored that tradition The Tendermaid has established over the years, while for Nauman it was the ideal situation in which to hand it off.
For Nauman, the next owners had to be someone who cared as much for the Tendermaid and customers as she did.
"The right people came along at the right time," she said. "Just continuing the tradition and knowing that the people are going to love it as much as I did and (Gary) did. I know Zach and Besty have been coming here forever, they've brought their kids in. You look at that and you know they are going to do the right thing with something that is treasured."
That right direction isn't likely to include much change. While there has been some additions to the menu from the days when it was only a burger and a small assortment of condiments available, The Tendermaid sandwich itself continues to be the star of the show.
And it will remain so under the Morem's ownership.
"We don't want to mess with everything because it's been the same for so long. It works," Zach said. "People have stressed that."
That's not to say there might not be some reversal of things, though.
When the COVID-19 pandemic played its upsetting hand, The Tendermaid suffered the same reality as other dining establishments. It had to close shop and was ultimately limited to take-out only.
That took away The Tendermaid's 17 stools and unique seating arrangement in a U-shape around the staging area. It gave the Tendermaid its diner-type feel and allowed Nauman and employees to openly converse with the customers as they waited for their food.
The Morems want to bring that back.
"There have been a lot of people that have asked about the indoor dining thing," Zach said. "We will be doing that eventually, but we don't have a time yet or date."
"People really want to be able to sit inside and I understand that. I was one of those people," he continued. "We want to make sure everyone gets the opportunity to come and sit down."
And along with that, the Morems want to continue the trend of making sure people feel special when they visit.
"Any time I would walk into The Tendermaid, Sara would make me feel like a thousand bucks and I know every person who came through that door felt like that," Betsy said.
Nauman's influence won't entirely be gone going into the future. Her daughter, Jenna White, a fixture in her own right in recent years, will also be working the counter with the Morems.
At the same time, Nauman will always have a place in her heart for The Tendermaid, no less than the thousands of customers who have woven their way through the little restaurant in the heart of Austin.
"It's been a privilege for me to serve and be a part of the Austin community for all these years and I want to thank all of my amazing customers for all of their support for all the years," Nauman said. "I'm just looking forward to the future of The Tendermaid."
For the Morems, this chance is about being able to contribute back to the community in their own way.
"We're just really grateful for the support of the community," Betsy said.
