IDAHO FALLS – When Jeff Croney bought The Gangplank in 2002, he had no restaurant experience. Since then, he’s weathered an economic recession and a worldwide pandemic. Twenty-three years later, he and his son, Jason Croney — with whom he co-owns the restaurant today — are still serving customers.
The seafood restaurant at 925 North Holmes Avenue in Idaho Falls has been serving battered cod, shrimp, salmon, and other items for the last 55 years. Jeff bought it from the original owners after getting laid off from a previous job. Jason, who was 17 then, has worked alongside his dad ever since.
In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, the pair recall how they got started and what’s kept them going for nearly a quarter of a century.
Jason uses an analogy to explain how they’ve stayed in operation.
“You’ve got to be a squirrel,” Jason says. “When you put a bird feeder in your backyard, a squirrel gets into it, and you get mad. You spend five or 10 minutes putting up a new trap to keep the squirrel out. A couple days later, the squirrel is back.”
Jason says he and his dad are the squirrels working 24 hours a day to avoid the economic traps and other challenges standing in their way so they can get to the metaphorical bird feeder of success.
“We try to do things to keep it fresh so we can stay on top of things,” Jeff says.
Some of those new and fresh things include adding a mobile food truck that caters at community events throughout the year. They started this service about three years ago, and Jason says they’ve become a popular vendor.
They’ve also added new menu items over the years. Right now, they’re offering a South African Hake and Fries special.
“It’s a fish no one in Idaho Falls or eastern Idaho has had for years,” says Jeff. “Before this, we did a Vietnamese catfish just to try and bring in some things that no one else is doing. That’s how you’ve got to do it.”
There are also a few hard-to-get items on what Jeff calls a “secret menu.” It’s available on a limited basis to customers who ask. These items include fried oysters, calamari fries, crabby cakes, mussels, and English chips — a battered and fried potato.
“We always try and keep two or three of those (secret) items on hand,” says Jeff.
Though owning a restaurant wasn’t Jeff’s first career choice, it’s become a passion that he’s happy to spend the rest of his life doing.
Despite the lack of experience, the decision to get into the restaurant industry was a logical one that happened out of necessity.
“When I got laid off … I went out looking for a business that was for sale. I looked at about 30 different businesses that were on the market,” Jeff says.
Of those, he says The Gangplank is the only business where “he could make the numbers work.” He took out a loan to buy the restaurant, and it’s a decision he’s never regretted.
The Gangplank’s beginnings
Newell and Carol Walker were the eatery’s original owners. The 1,100-square-foot building opened in 1970 under the name Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips. It was part of a national chain that ceased operation in the early 1980s. It was named for a British actor most well-known for his role as Constable Jones in “Mary Poppins.”
In 1982, the Walkers renamed the restaurant The Gangplank. The name refers to a movable bridge used to board or leave a ship at a pier. Jason says an accident involving Idaho Falls Power inspired the name change.
“Idaho Falls Power was working on the power poles, backed into his marquee sign, and knocked it over,” Jason says. “He thought, What a great time to change the name!”
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Newell Walker’s parents owned the now-defunct Walker’s Cafe in Rigby for many years. When an opportunity to open an Arthur Treacher’s franchise became available in Idaho, Newell — who was living in California at the time — moved back to make it happen.
It’s not clear why the Walkers chose Holmes Avenue as the exact location, but Jeff says that side of town was the community’s commercial hub back then.
In 2002, Newell was ready to retire and sold the restaurant to Jeff. Jeff and his son began remodeling the restaurant in 2020, and it’s been an ongoing project since then.
The Gangplank’s future
After 23 years, Jeff, now 62, loves running the family business and has no plans to retire anytime soon. But he never dreamed he’d still be doing it this long.
“I figured after 10 years, I’d sell it and do something else. At the end of that 10 years, we were right in the middle of the housing crunch. The economy was bad, and I couldn’t have sold the business for a dime,” he says.
When the recession was over, business was booming again. Jason became a partner in the business, and it has continued as a family-owned restaurant.
Jason’s kids now help out in the restaurant, and his goal is to sell it to them one day.
The duo say customers have become like family. They’re hoping to eventually open a Pocatello location and another food truck for a catering service on that end of the valley.
Jason says they’d also like to get a second Idaho Falls location.
“We look forward to the next 55 years,” says Jeff.
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