
Crain family to carry on Office legacy as new owners
CASPER, Wyo. — For years, Coty Crain worked alongside local restaurateurs Karen and Jim Kanelos. Now, she and husband Derek Crain will carry on their legacy after recently taking the helm as the new owners of The Office Bar and Grill.
Coty’s first experience working with The Office’s prior owners came at their first venture, a diner called The Olympus. She continued to work for them at The Movie Star Lounge, which would eventually become The Office, now one of downtown Casper’s most popular food and drink establishments.
While working at The Olympus and The Movie Star Lounge, Coty did just about everything from managing the register and bussing tables to bartending and preparing food. Even before that, though, she had a close bond with the Kanelos family.
“They’ve always been almost like second parents to me,” Coty said with a smile. “When I was in seventh grade, they rented a limo for the first day of school, so I rolled up to junior high in a limo. … They’ve always taken on a really special role.”
Coty stepped back from the food industry following the birth of her son, but always stayed connected to her former employers.
“We never lost touch with Karen and Jim,” she said. “I’ve been in real estate the last 10 or so years, but they’ve always remained in our lives.”
Coty said that even since Karen entered retirement, she on one occasion lent her assistance and worked a handful of hours on a day The Office was short-staffed.
Derek added that The Office was always a go-to date night spot for the couple as well. He and Coty agree that they were always impressed with the personal, friendly atmosphere.
“No matter how slammed they were, the staff always made you feel welcome and important,” Derek said.
“That’s a big thing that we want to make sure continues,” Coty added. “We want everyone who comes here to have a good time and make memories here.”
When the duo heard that Karen and Jim were selling the restaurant, their relationship with the owners, as well as their experience in the food service industry and their positive associations with The Office, all contributed to the decision to purchase the establishment.
Still, Coty acknowledges it’s a big change.
“We’re stepping out of our comfort zone,” she said. “It’s something new, and moving away from a typical 8-to-5 schedule has its challenges.”
“The big thing that we discussed and had to think about was the impact on our kids, especially with things like sports,” Derek added.
For months before officially taking the reigns as the new owners on Jan. 1, the Crains were working at The Office behind the scenes, getting fully up to speed on how the restaurant runs to make the transition as seamless as possible.
Even Derek, who works as a full-time firefighter with the Casper Fire Department, has been hard at work at the restaurant on his off-duty days, he said.
Looking to the future, the Coty and Derek they don’t yet have big plans for changes and are instead focused on continuing the legacy of Karen and Jim.
“There are some little ideas I have,” Coty said. “For example, I want to give the bathrooms a face lift at some point down the road, and I’ve also thought about adding some additional low-carb options to the menu. But for the time being we don’t have any major changes in mind.”
Derek also said he wants to add some firefighting memorabilia alongside the other decorations adorning The Office’s walls.
For the time being, the Crains agree that they’re primarily excited to become a part of people’s lives.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people who say that they had their first date at The Office, met their spouse here or other things like that, and that’s really special to me,” Coty said. “I’m excited to really become a part of the community, and I hope we can help The Office continue being that for others.”
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