It took about three years and divine intervention for Mary Hostetter to leave the Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery.
The founder of the Kimmswick restaurant, 6116 Second St., will say goodbye to staff members and as many customers as possible from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, and Sunday, Aug. 28.
“I just felt like after 40 years, it was time,” said Hostetter, 69, of Oakville, who started her business by baking in her home before opening the Blue Owl on Aug. 23, 1985, in Kimmswick.
The Blue Owl will remain open with Hostetter’s daughter, Kim Byerly, and Byerly’s husband, Dan, taking over the business. Kim Byerly has operated the Blue Owl Bakery, 1 Ponder Executive Plaza, in House Springs since 2015.
“She has this amazing foundation laid and amazing legacy for me to take to the next level,” said Kim Byerly, 45, of Imperial. “The Blue Owl is amazing.”
Retiring
Hostetter said she began to contemplate retirement in January 2020, and the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic helped her decide to turn over the business to her daughter.
“I was getting tired,” she said. “COVID had an effect on me. It was hard. We were short-staffed. I was doing anything and everything.”
Hostetter said she began telling her daughter her plans to retire at the start of January each year since 2020. However, because Hostetter didn’t make good on her plans in 2020 and 2021, Kim Byerly said she was skeptical when the topic came up this time.
“I said, ‘This is it, Kim, I’m really ready.’ She said, ‘Mom I don’t believe you,’” Hostetter said. “I said, ‘Kim, you need to take me serious this time.’ I said I’m tired, and I need to spend time with (my husband, Jerry Claywell, 81). I have nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. I want to spend time enjoying life.”
Hostetter said the final push into retirement came from the Celebrate Recovery ministry that the Bylerlys are involved in at Gracelife Chapel in Pevely.
“I took this class called ‘Step Study,’ and I prayed God would help me to learn how to quit working so hard,” Hostetter said. “I prayed God would tell me how to retire by giving me the strength and knowledge so I could know how it was for me to retire.
“It was so clear when my daughter said in the Bible that 40 years is a season. I went, ‘Oh, my God, that is God telling me what the answer is.’ It made it OK for me to retire. I almost felt guilty before that.”
Kim Byerly said she is happy her mother is stepping down and will now have opportunities to enjoy life outside of the business.
“I have always wanted this for my mom,” she said. “I have been waiting for her to want to do this, so she can spend time with Jerry and enjoy her life. She works so hard. When you come here, you will see her doing the dishes, mopping the floor. I’m like, ‘Mom, it is time for you to do the fun things in life.’”
Saying goodbye
Hostetter said she turned over the day-to-day duties of operating the restaurant on Aug. 1.
However, she didn’t get a chance at that time to say goodbye because she was diagnosed with COVID-19. Because she didn’t get to be at the restaurant in the days leading up to her retirement, she decided that this weekend would mark her official retirement.
“I’m going to be very excited to see everyone,” Hostetter said. “What I miss most is seeing the staff and the people. I miss seeing the love of the people.
“We have made so many friends. People have been so gracious and kind. The Blue Owl has been a part of their families and lives. I have seen baby showers happen, and those same babies’ wedding showers happened at the Blue Owl. So many comments have been about how it is a tradition for their family. That was my goal when I first started. I wanted people to come together, break bread and spend time with family, friends and loved ones. I wanted them to make memories.”
Betteanne Smith, former president of Kimmswick Merchants Association and owner of Mississippi Mud Gallery and Gifts, said Hostetter will be missed in the Mississippi River town.
“She is an amazing woman,” she said. “I have learned so much from her. What people love about Kimmswick is how welcoming and friendly we are. I think Mary set that bar for us. We all emulated that welcoming presence you feel at the Blue Owl, and we tried to do the same thing at each of the businesses here in Kimmswick.”
What’s next
Kim Byerly said initially she did not want to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
“I was going to stay away because I thought my mom worked too much,” she said.
However, the girl who went with her mom to craft fairs to sell baked goods when Hostetter ran the business out of her home started working for the Blue Owl in 1997 and has been there ever since.
She said at the start of this year, she turned over the day-to-day operation of the House Springs bakery to a supervisor and team leader so she can focus on the restaurant.
“I’m trying to take it all in and get to know everyone in Kimmswick,” Kim Byerly said. “I want to get know everyone, learn how it is all done and next year, if we need, we will update or make changes. This year, I just wanted everyone to get comfortable with the change.”
Hostetter said she has no doubt that the Blue Owl will continue to flourish under her daughter and son-in-law.
“They are carrying on the legacy,” she said. “To have Kim be so capable to be able to do this is a blessing, and she has it in her heart. They will carry on the same Blue Owl traditions.”
