'The Leaf? celebrates three decades in business

Maxine Looney, 75, never im-agined she'd run a liquor store and tavern. That's exactly what she's been doing, however, since 1972.

She and her late husband Jack Looney, who taught and coached at Central High School, went into business in 1970 after they purchased the Silverleaf Package Store, which was located on Route 8 in Springfield.

At the time, she wondered who would run the package store. Looney quickly realized, though, that it would be up to her to run the business since her husband worked full-time.

"I stayed home to raise our four children, and I knew nothing about how to run a business," she said. "People were helpful, though, and the customers showed me what to do."

Two years later, when she went into the hospital for back surgery, Looney's husband erected a wall that divided the store into two parts. One part housed the package store, and the other part became the Sil-verleaf Tavern.

When Looney found out, she was "fit to be tied," but it was too late. "The Leaf," as it came to be known, was born, and it quickly took on a life of its own.

"I'd never even been in a tavern, and now I had to run one," she said. "I made up my mind, though, we were going to have the best tavern in town."

For Looney, being "the best" doesn't mean serving more customers than her competitors or offering all sorts of mixed drinks. Instead, she believes in keeping it simple. The tavern only serves beer, wine and wine coolers.

For entertainment, there's a pool table and a jukebox. Cus-tomers also check the blackboard that's used to announce upcoming social events, such as the monthly potluck dinner, which is organized and hosted by the tavern's patrons.

Looney said she's kept the tavern's presence low-key, in part because she wanted to promote an intimate family-type atmosphere among the tavern's regular customers, and in part because she "never wanted to serve beer to someone I don't like."

Most of Looney's customers have been frequenting the tavern for years, and in some ways, the tavern seems unchanged by the passage of time. But time has changed some things.

Once located in rural section of south Springfield, the package store and tavern now are located near several bustling residential subdivisions. Route 8 has since been renamed West Republic Road, and the James River Expressway is less than a mile away. You don't have to look far to find the competition these days either. A Price Cutter Supermarket and a Qwik Pan-try, which both sell liquor, are located just minutes away.

Despite the changes, the Sil-verleaf Package Store and the Silverleaf Tavern have retained their flavor. That flavor is "pure Maxine Looney," according to Paula Colley, Looney's daugher who lives in Stotts City and works part-time at the tavern.

"My mother is this place," said Colley. "People come here just to see her."

In recent years, Colley, her siblings and her sister-in-law all have started working part-time at the tavern, which is open six days a week. In addition, two part-time employees work at the package store.

When Looney isn't overseeing operations at the package store and tavern, she works on her book, which chronicles some of the more interesting incidents that have happened at the Silverleaf Tavern during its 30-year history.

Looney also keeps a photo album, which contains pictures of many special events and parties that have been held at the Silverleaf Tavern. In fact, she recently hosted a party to mark the tavern's 30th anniversary.

During the party, patrons celebrated all the things that make the Silverleaf Tavern special to them. They recalled the various clubs that formed after a few beers and some spirited discussion the Dog-Nelson Society, which had its own newsletter, and the Prevention of Anti-Social Society (PASS), which had its own constitution, motto and official song.

The tavern's patrons have left their mark in other ways as well. Over the years, customers have donated T-shirts, which are used to cover the ceiling. They've also donated hats and license plates that line the walls. During the celebration, these items 174 T-shirts, 580 hats and 72 license plates were counted, and patrons recalled how a particular T-shirt or hat became part of the tavern's decor.

Looney shared some memories as well. A meticulous record-keeper, she referred to her journals and counted up the number of people 199 in all who worked at either the tavern or the package store.

She also remembered the customers who passed away since the tavern first opened. She recounted stories about those who had met at "The Leaf," fell in love and married, and she paid tribute to those who had left the area. She even recalled a few customers that were well not so enjoyable.

"I like to help people out," she said. "I've fed people. I've even loaned them money. There's been a few times I've loaned people money because I knew it was the best way to get rid of them, and sure enough, I never saw them again."

Still, Looney said running a liquor store and tavern has been a positive experience. In fact, she believes everyone should be required to work in a bar for at least three months "just so they can see the goodness in everyone.

"People are always asking me when I'm going to sell and when I'm going to retire," Looney said. "I have no plans to sell and no plans to retire. When you retire, it means you're through, and I'm not through yet."