Comfort Meets Community: Hoot’s Shop and Stay Rekindles the Spirit of White Bird
Photo & Story by: Dana Greig
Tucked alongside U.S. Highway 95 just south of White Bird, Idaho, a once-beloved local landmark is making a heartfelt comeback. Hoot’s Shop and Stay — a hybrid convenience store, café, motel, and event center — is under fresh leadership with old souls. The new owners and managers aren’t just reviving a business; they’re breathing life back into a cherished community memory.
Rick and Sherry Ross, longtime friends of original owners Clarence and Viola “Hootie” McReynolds, were encouraged to purchase the property years ago when it was first for sale through Hootie. They declined then, but when the opportunity resurfaced for sale, they said yes. Alongside managers Courtney and Brandon McElwain — who relocated from central California and now live on the property — the team is driven by more than a business model. They’re fueled by nostalgia, hometown connection, and the promise of rebuilding something sacred to White Bird locals.
Courtney McElwain, Rick Ross’s niece, recalls the whirlwind that brought them to Idaho. “I was in the travel business for more than 10 years,” she said. “The day I came home from Iceland, Rick said, ‘I want to fly you to Idaho to check this out.’ We flew the next day. We were here five minutes, and I said, absolutely, let’s do this!”
It’s not just the location that’s drawing the McElwains in — it’s the legacy. Hoot’s was once the pulse of the town, with a café known for its warmth, hospitality, and a legendary collection of owl memorabilia. Locals have been stopping by, expressing excitement and sharing stories of what Hoot’s meant to them. Courtney and Brandon are listening.
“We’ve talked to Hootie — she’s writing down her recipes, and we’ll be featuring them in the new menu,” Courtney said. “She even told us when we’re ready, she’s coming in for a burger.”
Restoration is happening across the property. They’ve remodeled the ballroom, adding windows and café seating to support their vision for a lively event space. Plans include new RV sites, updated motel rooms, and the hopeful return of bus stops. Gas pumps and the convenience store remain as a resource to locals and travelers alike, while new initiatives like regular community dinners — with proceeds benefiting local organizations — are being planned. It’s all part of a larger mission: to be “where comfort meets community.”
Integral to this revival is the return of the owls. Once a symbol of Hootie’s place, the whimsical owl carvings adorned every nook. “We’re starting a collection of owls again,” Courtney said. “The originals were taken, and they’re not with Hootie either. If people have an owl they want to donate, we’ll find a place for it.”
One such five foot owl, who recently reclaimed it’s rightful place on the front of the building, tells a story that perfectly encapsulates the spirit now being reignited.
In the early 1980s, local builder Dennis Sullivan had dreams of leaving his construction career for a chainsaw wood-carving career. He was facing a looming mortgage payment and decided to approach Hootie.
“I wonder if I could sell an owl to Hootie,” he recalled. “I had a house payment coming up, and the price I quoted her for the carving just happened to be the exact amount of that month’s payment.”
Sullivan carved an owl overnight and returned the next day. Hootie bought it on the spot, covering his mortgage. That carving was the seed of what would become Dog Bark Park — a folk-art phenomenon that would produce more than 30,000 pieces and even appear on QVC.
It was, in his words, “the beginning of the beginning.” Now 82 and retired, the artist looks back on that moment as the turning point of a rollercoaster ride that “brought us to the stars.” He credits Hootie with giving him the confidence that what he wanted to devote his life to really could pay his bills.
That same spirit of perseverance and hope courses through every decision being made at Hoot’s today. The McElwains are restoring infrastructure and most importantly, making space for stories — old and new — to be shared.
“Everywhere we go, when we tell people what we’re doing, we hear their excitement. It adds fuel to our fire,” Courtney shared.
From the register moved back to its original welcoming place at the front door to dreams of community dances in the renovated ballroom, Hoot’s Shop and Stay is more than a revival — it’s a tribute. A tribute to Hootie, to the generations of White Bird residents who made memories there, and to the idea that hard work and heart can restore more than buildings — they can restore belonging.