Bison, Billionaires and Me

In 2002 billionaire Ted Turner announced plans to open his restaurant Ted's Montana Grill on Nashville's West End Avenue.

The restaurant was themed after Turner's Montana ranch and Bison herds. As a reporter, I had the opportunity to meet Turner and his partner George McKerrow Jr. during the grand opening.

The interview was going well. McKerrow did the majority of the talking. He described passionately how fresh all the ingredients were, the quality of the food, how the ceiling tiles were fabricated based on original patterns from long-gone western saloons and taverns, and how the restaurant focused on being environmentally friendly with details like paper straws and glass bottled soft drinks.

I diligently wrote down all the factoids being spewed at me, as they had been for the previous reporter and would be again for the one after me.

Turner sat calmly with hands together leaning against the table. His neatly trimmed mustache and necktie with little Bison embroidered on it made a distinct impression. It was obvious by Turner's silence and his partner's talking who was the spokesperson between the two individuals.

"So what inspired you to open the restaurant," I asked, or something similar.

"You know," said McKerrow excitedly, "Ted is the largest land owner in the country." Ted's lip curled into a small grin. "He owns 1.7 million acres out west and with 300,000 head of Bison and is the largest Bison rancher in the states. He's also the largest owner of bison in the country," McKerrow continued.

So, I stop them at that point with a mental image of Turner wandering around his prairie on some weekend getaway trip from Atlanta, Ga.

"Wait. Let me get this straight," I said. "So Ted, you're walking around your ranch and look around and say to your self, hey, I've got a lot of Bison. Let's kill'em and make burgers. Right?"

Both of their eyes became the size of golf balls. McKerrow, who had been so energetic and out going, transformed into someone who looked as if he was carefully trying to defuse a bomb and didn't know whether to cut the green or blue wire.

"That's true... but way over simplified," he said.

Meanwhile, Turner was becoming frantic thinking about what sort of bizarre twist the interview was going and how it would appear in the newspaper and blurts out, "It's good for the Bison!" Which of course McKerrow immediately begins to qualify and expound on Turner's statement by saying the restaurant chain creates a market demand for the Bison which will support other ranchers raising the animals. A solid argument.

Needless to say, I quickly diffused the situation by assuring them the exchange wouldn't be included in any newspaper article. The interview went on to other topics including how Bison meat is healthier than cow.

This was one of my favorite interviews while a reporter. Ted's Montana Grill is a great restaurant. And yes, the Bison burgers are awesome!