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The Desert Sun June 14, 2006 Business Section Murph's Owner Goes, But the Chicken Stays At 80, Skoby says it's time to retire By Debra Guszecki BERMUDA DUNES Murph's Gaslight, famed for its fried chicken dinners, has changed ownership, but not its renowned recipe.  Its new owner, Joshua Rushlow, who just sold his Cosmo's Italian Kitchen, said he isn't going to change a thing at Murph's.
"To go from pasta to pan fry is a big change," Rushlow said.
But it shouldn't be difficult, he added, because of this ingredient: "I'm not looking to rebuild a business by starting from scratch. We're looking for consistency here."Murph's famed sign, "If you have reservations, you're in the wrong place," will continue to hang in the restaurant that's tucked near a hangar of the Bermuda Dunes Airport at 79-860 42nd Ave. Restaurant mainstays Yolanda Wright and Martin Vega will continue to man the vinyl tablecloth-covered fort where family-style dinners are rolled out, complete with a pot of soup, house salad, pan-fried chicken, gravy, cornbread and a hearty dollop of black-eyed peas. Even the famed take-home goodie bag will stay. "That's so you'll remember us tomorrow, Rushlow said. Rushlow said his business philosophy is as down-home as the cooking's always been. "If it's not broke, don't fix it," he said. Bob Hughes, owner of Hughes Properties Inc., brokered the sale between Rushlow and John Skoby. After a 19-year run with the 25-year-old business, Skoby said he was poised to retire. "You know, I'm 80," Skoby said. Reached Tuesday at his summer home in Oregon, Skoby said it was time to retire and see what life is like from the customer's side of the table. "It was a wonderful 19 years," Skoby said. "I met a lot of real nice people, wonderful employees, and the nice part is, they're staying on, which is good news." Skoby said he had a chance to sell Murph's about a year ago, but turned the offer down when he learned it meant two key employees would have been terminated. "I turned the offer down, waiting for new buyers to come along who'd keep it intact," he said. Rushlow said the business that typically shut down for the summer will be closed from July 9 through Sept. 1. When it reopens, Rushlow plans to keep the Gaslight lit all but one month out of the year. Escrow on Murph's closed about two weeks ago, around the time Rushlow filed limited partnership papers to operate the business under Pan Fried Inc. © 2004 The Desert Sun. All Rights Reserved. |
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| © 2006-07 by Murph's Gaslight, LP All rights reserved. | Murph's Gaslight is a service mark of Pan Fried, Inc. |
| Murph's Gaslight LP is a Pan Fried, Inc. Company | |