As you exit the patio of the Gail, Texas, legendary Coyote Country Store you walk under the sign that used to be a siren call to truckers, hunters, afterschool hungry kids, and folks just passing through. Bertie’s.
Bertie Copeland bought the little store at the intersection of Highway 180 and FM 669 in 1992, maintaining a steady flow of burgers and chicken fried steaks and homemade desserts. Her employees included her two granddaughters and her daughter-in-law as well as other locals who knew the work was hard but steady. The store opened early and closed late and gave the few residents of Gail a place to go.
After Bertie passed away, those two granddaughters— now grown and with children of their own—ventured to rejuvenate the café and store in honor of their grandmother. New paint, new flooring, but the same old family work ethic was going to keep their family investment alive. Now, in 2022, The Coyote Store is a musical mecca. Becky, the older of the two granddaughters, has accomplished her vision for a venue to revive and honor older music legends. The likes of Johnny Rodriguez, Neal Mc-Coy, Shenandoah, Diamond Rio, Ronnie Milsap, Tracy Byrd and Lorrie Morgan have played at the Legendary Coyote Store. Next month, Johnny Lee and T.G. Sheppard will headline a concert on October 15 before the season’s closing concert on October 29 featuring the Bellamy Brothers, Gene Watson and David Frizzell. Gail America rocks on these weekends. RV sites fill up, parking lots are now reserved in some places, and the food is worth the drive even without the music. But the music is what Becky has always wanted to showcase. And she has done this through networking and putting miles on the truck. Becky has earned a seat at the music industry table.
On October 23, Becky is taking all of her employees to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The trip is not just for sightseeing. The Coyote Store is one of eight nominees for a Josie Award in the Venue of the Year category. The Josie Awards are in their eighth season, an organization that according to its website “is the largest, allgenre, privately-owned award show globally.”
The website goes on to note, “This team set out and successfully created an award show where winners are selected on their talent, skill, material, professionalism, and more and NOT by button pressing voting. Nominee suggestions go through a lengthy review process by a team of industry leaders and the official nomination list is created from their final decisions. Winners are also selected by this industry leader deciding panel.”
This is a big deal about a small independently owned and operated café and store that has taken care of Borden County for decades. Becky and her team will walk the red carpet and be treated as the royalty that they are.
Bertie’s oldest granddaughter has mastered the business, both the food service industry and the music industry. More importantly, she is protecting the songs and the stories of those whose records her grandparents and parents bought, ensuring that their voices are not forgotten.
That’s award-winning in and of itself.
Snyder, Texas, native Sue Jane Sullivan is a retired schoolteacher whose thought-provoking commentary appears occasionally in several West texas newspapers, including The Texas Spur and The Caprock Courier.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.
