Local business among four in state to receive AmEx/Main Street grant

A Greybull business has landed a $10,000 improvement grant and will be in the mix for an additional $30,000 through the Backing Small Business grant program administered by American Express and Main Street America.

Bob’s Diner & Bakery is one of only four businesses in Wyoming to receive the grant; the others are Horseshoe Bend Motel in Lovell, CDW & Co+ the Makery in Evanston and Dayspring Natural Health Center in Thayne being the others.   Nationwide there were 500 grant recipients, with each receiving $10,000.

Later this year, grantees will have the opportunity to apply for an additional $30,000 enhancement grant that will be awarded to 25 small businesses. 

Since launching in 2021, Backing Small Businesses has provided over $9 million in grants to 1,180 small business owners nationwide. American Express and Main Street America initially created the grant program to help economically vulnerable small business owners recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and grow their businesses

“We are truly thrilled to provide additional support to our country’s small business owners through the Backing Small Businesses grant program, along with our partners at American Express,” said Main Street America President and CEO Erin Barnes. ​

The grant couldn’t have come at a better time for the owners of Bob’s, Robert and Deanna Skillman.  The couple bought the business in September 2021 and has been chipping away at their list of desired improvements.

The grant money will allow the Skillmans to create a dish-room with the installation of a dishwasher they won in the Peter’s Cafe going-out-of-business auction last year in Cody, retile the kitchen, improve the hood system and finish their long counter bar which has been a work in progress.

“We’ve been nervously waiting (for word on the grant),” said Deanna. “Otherwise, we were going to have to do a bank loan.”

Robert credited Devan Cherie Costa-Cargill of the Wyoming Business Council for her advocacy and sharing information about the program with them.  They met her for the first time at a Greybull Area Chamber of Commerce mixer and stayed in touch.  

The need for a better option than handwashing of dishes was never more apparent than last summer, when Robert and Deanna were gone for long periods of time while their son Ayden was a patient at the Denver Children’s Hospital.  He had been life-flighted from Billings due to a severe infection that led to sepsis.  Complicating matters was a pre-existing congenital heart defect.  

“We were down two hands almost the entire time,” said Robert. 

Ayden is now on a heart-transplant list.  

“When it happens,” Robert said, “we will be out for three to four months with him.”

“That’s why it’s such a desperate need for us at this time.”

Deanna said they intend to make the improvements themselves to cut down on costs.

“We’re DIYers,” she said. “Pretty much everything in here we’ve done ourselves.  

The Skillmans say they have until Sept. 9 to spend the grant money.  The intend to apply for the additional $30,000, but with only 25 being awarded nationwide, competition will be fierce.  To put in for it, they needed to outline how some of their proposed improvements would benefit the community.  They identified a mobile stage that could be utilized for musical performances and outside art classes as possibilities. Their other priorities for that $30,000 include installing better heating and cooling systems and improving their little garden out back.

To complete the first round of improvements, the Skillmans intend to close their diner and bakery from July 28 through Aug. 3.  After that, the focus will shift to their upcoming appearance on America’s Best Restaurants. The film crew is now expected to arrive the week of Aug. 26.