Locals rally around certain Story businesses, others met with skepticism
SHERIDAN — On a Wednesday afternoon at Story Store, owner Peggy Fink sees a steady trickle of customers, and she knows them all by name.
Fink said some Story residents do all their grocery shopping here — avoiding gas money from a trip to Sheridan by shopping at her store, located in the old firehall building on Piney Road. For others, it’s a quick Powerball ticket, a stack of candy bars or a couple of beers for a night with friends.
As the only convenience store in town, it’s a local staple.
In the summertime, Fink said the store sees plenty of people from out of town, stopping by on the way back from a hike or trip to one of the several historical sites nearby. But in the wintertime, her regulars keep business going.
“We rely on our community just like they rely on us,” Fink said. “It’s a give and take… we help each other.”
Fink and her husband, Derrick Burns, purchased the store in 2021, joining a line of owners who have continuously kept Story Store open. But in her four years of owning and operating the store, Fink said she’s been surrounded by turnover. Story’s three longstanding restaurants — The Wagon Box, Lodore Supper Club and Saloon and Tunnel Inn — have dealt with closures, reopenings and ownership changes.
In recent years, Tunnel Inn and The Wagon Box have introduced new owners and new ideas at the helm. Some, like the newly-revived Everett’s Tunnel Inn, have been fairly well received by members of the local crowd. Ideas and business plans introduced by The Wagon Box have been met with more skepticism.
A tight-knit community
Shawn Parker, executive director of Sheridan County Travel and Tourism, said Story has a lot to offer, even if it's not the largest city on the map.
The town of about 1,174 residents is five miles away from the Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site and several famous battles of the 1860s. At the base of the Bighorn Mountains, it’s also a popular site for hiking, rock climbing and fishing.
“There’s a bunch of neat attractions up there. Story, by nature of its geography, is a little bit isolated up there, which I think adds to its allure,” Parker said.
Berva Brock, a longtime resident of the Story/Banner area, said Story’s location is special, but it’s not what keeps her around. It’s the people.
“Neighbors help neighbors,” Brock said. “Nobody’s going to go without food. (If) somebody’s in need, say somebody breaks a leg or a hip or something, then the community just seems to rally.”
Brock, a longtime supporter of the Story Store, said she’d “rather shop there than anywhere else.” The Story Store, in many ways, represents the spirit of Story, acting as a place to hang posters and spread news of town happenings, she said.
Brock also has many memories of Story’s bustling business scene from her childhood — places where people would gather to enjoy a burger, fries and a few good drinks. These restaurants, The Tunnel Inn and Wagon Box, provided another community hub.
When the restaurants were closed, Brock saw a large void in the Story community. There was no “watering hole,” as she calls it — no place for locals to gather and enjoy each other’s company over dinner and drinks.
Opening doors
In June of 2023, the Craig family was vacationing in Story when it learned of Tunnel Inn’s plight.
“We were on our way to the airport to leave, and the Tunnel Inn owner was putting a sign out front that the Tunnel Inn was for sale,” said Matthew Putman, the son of Kenny and Shenella Craig. “We just stopped in to have a drink, and one thing led to another. My parents said, ‘Well, if you get the closing date and everything going, we’ll buy the Tunnel Inn.”
Putman said the family had fallen in love with Story. Kenny Craig had roots in Wyoming, and returning to the state felt like home.
The restaurant and bar reopened as Everett’s Tunnel Inn in January 2024, offering a menu of sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, soups and salads. In the summertime, Putman said the restaurant has seen great turnouts for live music Sundays on the back patio. During past winters, Putman said local crowds rolled in every day at 2 p.m., helping the business stay busy even when roads were icy and tourists were long gone.
“Everybody pretty much welcomed us with open arms when we first got here (and) included us all, pretty much like a family,” Putman said. “We want to sort of make a legacy out of it, keep it open as long as we can. As long as the people will support the business, the business will be here for the people to support.”
In many ways, Brock said she’s seen Everett’s Tunnel Inn become that needed “watering hole” since it opened a year and a half ago. She said people seem to flock there.
“They are welcoming and real inquisitive,” Brock said of the Craig family. “(They ask), ‘What do you think would go over well?’ and they talk to the whole community… locals are welcome and feel welcomed.”
Wagon Box up for sale
Brock said she still holds skepticism for The Wagon Box, another Story restaurant that has also opened up in the past few years under new ownership.
Paul McNiel moved from the Yukon Territories to purchase The Wagon Box three years ago. McNiel said his goal has been to bring The Wagon Box back to an earlier period of time, one reminiscent of the mid-1800s pioneer era.
“Places like restaurants that bring people together, that have music, that have a vibe built on community also kind of harken back to America’s roots,” McNiel said.
The Wagon Box includes a restaurant, concert venue and cabin rentals on a large, secluded acreage.
According to a 2023 article from The Sheridan Press, McNiel’s ownership of the property also included plans to create a decentralized autonomous organization as a form of ownership of The Wagon Box. A DAO is a type of limited liability company that operates through a decentralized blockchain — a digital ledger of transactions linked through cryptocurrency. Ownership in the DAO was set to include a non-fungible token and an interview process.
At the time, the DAO structure was met with concern from some Story residents, who wondered what kind of outside people it would attract to Story. McNiel later decided to scrap the DAO idea, and now hopes to find a new owner for the restaurant portion of the business, so he can focus on lodging and other events.
Since then, McNiel said rumors about what he’s trying to accomplish at The Wagon Box have hurt business and prevented some local support.
“One of the upsides, of course, is just a handful of really wonderful regulars who have supported what we’ve been doing there,” McNiel said. “But on the flip side of that, there are a lot of folks, or at least a handful, who I don’t think have really given us a fair shake. (They) have heard (they) just spread rumors and vitriol.”
Jason Johnston, a former bartender of The Wagon Box, moved from Carbon County to Story to work for the restaurant. He said the promises made to him during the interview process all fell through.
“I was fished. I was misled,” Johnston said. “When I had interviewed, and this was over a zoom call in March, none of the owners brought this to my attention. Misleading was, ‘Oh yeah, you’re going to make money out here. Everyone loves The Wagon Box.’”
Johnston said this was far from the truth.
He said he was laid off 20 days ago because the company didn't have the money to keep him on staff.
McNiel said business is picking up, and more people have a positive outlook.
"I think more and more people are coming in, checking things out (and) giving us a chance," McNiel said.
For Brock, her worries about the future of The Wagon Box have not been quelled. She also doesn’t feel the atmosphere has been supportive or accommodating to the needs of the local crowd.
“The locals are your bread and butter,” Brock said. “They keep you alive in the winter. If you run them off, you’re going to lose your business.”
As a Story business owner, Fink said what she ultimately wants is to have more businesses up and running in Story. She wants the restaurants to find success and encourage economic growth for the entire town.
“We like to encourage people to eat at the restaurants and stuff like that,” Fink said. “Because the more they draw people out, the more people want to stop here, too.”
This story was published on Sept. 9, 2025.