Troy Cafe brings owners' family home

Troy has an old café under a new name. Troy Big Sky Café, formerly known as Odie’s Big Sky Café, reopened under new ownership Thursday. 

Ella Ackley and her son Dave Teska have never owned a restaurant before, but both believe years in the industry will prove instructive. The mother and son purchased the restaurant in late September after eyeing storefronts on Highway 2 the last few years. 

“I worked 20 years in restaurants doing everything from managing to cooking to waiting,” Ackley said. “I always wanted to give it a try, and when the opportunity came up last year, we said we would do it for a reasonable price.”

A 1984 graduate of Libby High and a longtime logger, Teska said he grew tired of years in Alaska and California for work. He sees the restaurant as an opportunity to settle down.

The new-look café underwent serious cleaning since Odie’s closed in late June. The menu remains largely the same, however orders now allow for greater customization. Ackley said broasted chicken has been a popular new item, but the restaurant can now cater to a variety of diets. Ackley said patrons following restricted diets can now be accommodated accordingly.

The first weekend was a busy one for the café, and Ackley hopes further plans with continue to attract customers. The attached bar area, long forgotten, will soon house a handful of new poker machines, and Teska said he is in the process of receiving a beer and wine license. Outdoor seating will be offered next year when the weather turns, but in the meantime customers can stay warm at home by ordering delivery in the Troy area.

The café is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, however Teska said hours may adjust as he gets a feel for the community’s appetite. There are also plans to adopt a new name. The owners are taking suggestions.

“A restaurant is a business like logging or anything else,” Teska said. “You give the customer a good product at a fair price. That’s what we want to do here.”