HOW IT ALL BEGAN

In 1995 Ron Olson was on a road trip with a friend.  They discovered the Quarry Oaks Golf Course under construction and a short way down the road they stopped in at a rustic (a nice word for dilapidated) old bar and grill in South Bend, Nebraska.  It just happened to be for sale.  Ron came home and asked his wife, Vickie, if she wanted to be a part owner of a bar……………because she was now…………and by June it was SOLD!

With the help of youngest daughter Kelly in the kitchen it soon became a fun place to be and a yummy place to eat.  Friday night fish specials and the Prime Rib served only on Saturday night, broasted chicken, catfish and steaks that cover the plate soon had customers filling the building to capacity with a line out the door.  Patrons waited in their cars to be called in to a table.  It was crowded, hot, understaffed and way too busy for the size of the kitchen…..not to mention the single stall his and hers bathrooms.  But the people kept coming.  More family members pitched in to help with the growing business.  It was not uncommon on a weekend to find every member of the Olson family doing some job at RTBS, even the little ones wanted to be part of the chaos.

Oldest son, Shon, who had recently returned from the Marine Corp and service in Desert Storm was always on hand for busy nights and often his wife Jane would be there helping too.  When their two little girls were old enough to tag along they would busy themselves delivering salads or clearing tables just for fun.  It was the ultimate way of “playing” restaurant and customers would join in the game.

Oldest daughter Kim and her husband Troy Arent were enlisted into service………bartending, cooking, salad service, waiting tables.  They, like the rest of the family, learned to do it all. 

Youngest son T.J. was a big help right from the beginning but couldn’t wait to trade in his dishtowel for a bar rag. Eventually he graduated to Maitre de/waiter which was better than dishwashing but not as good as bartending.

With less than one year of ownership under our belts the crew decided to continue the Annual Testicle Festival, which the previous owner had created in 1994.  The festival packed the building and the tent covered parking lot and in a few years it was obvious we needed more room for people and a better way to cook and serve the main festival dish…….TESTICLES. 

And during those formative years as the Olson’s learned to run a restaurant Kelly kept noticing a young man who came in from the fields for lunch quite often. They became friends, really good friends, and in September of 1997 she married Christopher Zierott.

In 2000 it was finally decided that Round The Bend Steakhouse and Saloon had outgrown its limitations in the little town of South Bend.  In addition to out growing the building and the septic system the Testicle Festival had outgrown the parking lot and the equipment move to continue the festival at the Cass County Fair Grounds was a tremendous strain on the crew.  The search was on for a new location.

Nearly a year later land was purchased at 310^th and East Park Hwy and the following year construction began on a building that could hold all those wonderful people who kept coming back for more.  The biggest concern of our faithful patrons was that a new building would take away from the ambiance (or total lack of it) and laid back atmosphere (a necessity of survival) of the old place.

On April 8^th 2003 the doors opened at the new location.  Even though the entire old building would fit in the dining room of the new building the tables still filled up and the lines still formed.  Is this what “if you build it they will come” means?   As a result the long waiting lines persisted, proof that the old quality had followed us to the new location.  We continue to do our best to provide great food, a friendly family, and the same laid back quality that made the old place famous.

In June of the same year The Testicle Festival was held once again on our own property.  Tents went up and equipment was hauled, lights installed and the party was on in the field south of the restaurant building.  More features were added to the festival area in following years and every Fathers Day weekend on Friday and Saturday the field filled with country music lovers.

The new bar has a simple NASCAR theme reflecting one of the family favorites……….. the NEXTEL cup race…………. even though nearly every member of the family has a different favorite driver.   In contrast, the dining room is influenced by the old west because Ron has always wished he had grown up a pioneer cowboy with a six-gun a horse and a cabin on top of a mountain.  The antiques in the loft are primarily “finds” from the family attics, basements, and barns and a few contributions from customers who just like seeing their special item displayed in the RTBS loft.

The new building also includes a 75’ X 115’ rental facility with a bar, 25’ X 85’ dance floor and catering service.  It is an ideal place for receptions, reunions, and really big parties.  Arrangements can also be made to use a smaller portion of the “back room” for private gatherings or meetings.

Each year sponsoring the Testicle Festival has been a learning experience trying to improve on the year before.  The one thing we have not been able to improve is the weather.  Festival 2004, 2005, and 2006 had been daunted by rainy or unseasonably cool weather.  It made one wonder if the effort was worth the loss.  The power thinkers of the team were contemplating the wisdom of a 14^th Annual Testicle Festival.  But on Father Day weekend 2007 the Festival opened its doors once again with a new setup.  Blackwater entertained the crowd inside the reception hall. Food and beverage sales were also located inside.  For those that enjoyed the outdoor atmosphere the huge tents covered tables and chairs on the east side of the building.  Finally we found a way to make the weekend hot, sunny and dry………..just move the party inside!