customer spotlight

From Jackson Hole to Wilson

The drive along the snow-packed road from Jackson Hole to Wilson, Wyoming was surreal. The temperature – a chilly nine degrees Fahrenheit – and the accompanying humidity delicately kissed each branch and twig of every tree along the waterways. The landscape on this January day was comfortable in its coldness.My destination was Nora’s Fish Creek Inn. 

       There was about two and a half feet of snow on the sprawling cabin structure’s roof, located on the main drag of small town Wilson, elevation over 6200 feet. The sign perched high on the peak of Nora’s roof barely announced the thriving eatery; it was all but buried beneath fresh pillows of snow. One got the sense that the sign really wasn’t needed; this business was a local success story with the telltale sign of a perpetually full parking lot. 

       I stomped the snow off my boots and went in for a late breakfast. Despite the frigid air of the outdoors, the restaurant was warm and cozy. Breakfasted clientele: skiers, families and a few locals, there just for coffee and conversation, made for a lively and inviting atmosphere.

“The two rooms were enveloped in comfortable, consistent heat – no one was huddled up to the fireplace – there was no need. The kitchen stove’s exhaust system quickly draws air from the dining areas, sucking the cafe’s heat out the vent. To counterbalance this effect, employees keep a small gas stove lit at the opposite end of the building from the Tulikivi. Other than the small gas stove’s ancillary contribution, the Tulikivi is the restaurant’s workhorse.”

The Tulikivi 2700

       The restaurant’s Tulikivi, model 2700, was at one end of the large, two-sided room divided by a central U-shaped serving counter. I chose a table adjacent to the beautiful soapstone heater and waited for Buck Beckett, the area’s stone mason and Tulikivi representative. I also waited for restaurant owner Nora Tygum to tell me the saga of this particular Tulikivi. I reached over and placed the palm of my hand on the soapstone giant’s side; it was pleasantly warm at first, and then, after about five seconds, I had to draw my hand away.
       The two rooms were enveloped in comfortable, consistent heat – no one was huddled up to the fireplace – there was no need. The kitchen stove’s exhaust system quickly draws air from the dining areas, sucking the cafe’s heat out the vent. To counterbalance this effect, employees keep a small gas stove lit at the opposite end of the building from the Tulikivi. Other than the small gas stove’s ancillary contribution, the Tulikivi is the restaurant’s workhorse.

       While I waited, I watched a woman sidle up to the beautiful masonry heater, stretching her hands out to its pleasant warmth as if greeting the sun in the morning. The sensation of comfort elicited a smile before she returned to her table and her breakfast. 

       I chatted with Wes Bircher, grandson to Wesley Bircher who, in 1935, built the low-slung log building that now houses Nora’s. He is one of the regulars, along with Buck, who religiously schedule time here every morning. It’s a comfortable place to begin a day.

Tulikivi 2700

       Nora’s Fish Creek Inn is a family business that opened in 1982. Nora’s daughter Katherine (Kat) shares prep cooking duties with Nora and manages the daytime shift. Her son Trace is the nighttime dining room manager. He builds a fire every day around 4:00 p.m. in the restaurant’s masonry fireplace. He uses about one and a half armloads of dry wood for the initial firing, damps down the firebox in about an hour and a half, and then, adds a log around 7:00 p.m., letting the fire die down for the night.

       Wonderful, warm, radiant heat pulses invisibly and silently from the artful Tulikivi, greeting employees and hungry patrons early in the morning. There’s no need to “put another log on the fire” during the hectic times of breakfast and lunch. The Tulikivi gently performs until four o’clock rolls around again (and would still be quite warm even longer). As daylight disappears over the western horizon, the dinner crowd enjoys the flickering flames of the fireplace’s newly built fire. It’s a healthy, satisfying rhythm for Nora, her family, and her faithful customers.

       Buck installed the Tulikivi twelve years prior at no cost to Nora, a win-win situation for both of them. This fireplace has had a makeover three times, serving as a showcase unit and inspiring sales of forty to fifty units, according to Buck. The original facade used textured rectangular “bricks,” the second featured a rustic face-lift that used large, rugged boulders, and the current version is clad in a more contemporary look: smooth soapstone tiles framed by rough cornerstones with a belt of black steel around its middle. A 12” carved soapstone fish is front and center above the firebox giving a nod to the region’s wildlife. This “change of face” can be applied to any existing unit to update or simply transform its image in a home or business.

“Wonderful, warm, radiant heat pulses invisibly and silently from the artful Tulikivi, greeting employees and hungry patrons early in the morning. There’s no need to “put another log on the fire” during the hectic times of breakfast and lunch. The Tulikivi gently performs until four o’clock rolls around again (and would still be quite warm even longer). As daylight disappears over the western horizon, the dinner crowd enjoys the flickering flames of the fireplace’s newly built fire. It’s a healthy, satisfying rhythm for Nora, her family, and her faithful customers”

The Healthy Choice

Beginning in October and ending in May sometime, Buck builds daily fires in his Tulikivi in Jackson Hole. His unit is smaller than Nora’s to correspond to his smaller 900 square foot home. Buck only burns about three cords of wood each season.

       Nora’s son Trace commented that what he likes best about the soapstone fireplace is that it doesn’t burn much wood. He too, burns only about three cords of wood per winter even though the restaurant is much larger than Buck’s home. This small amount of wood is indeed impressive, considering the heat depletion effect of the kitchen exhaust fan. The restaurant’s heat must be steady for comfort. When it’s really cold – twenty to thirty degrees below zero – Trace might build another fire in the soapstone fireplace during the day but he rarely needs to.

       The pleasing ambience of good food prepared and served by good people in a warm, healthy environment is a perfect combination. It makes customers want to come back. The Tulikivi is the restaurant’s showpiece – a practical form of art. If you haven’t stopped by lately, drop by Nora’s and admire the “new” soapstone fireplace. Savor a cup of coffee and dream of having one installed in your business or home.

The Healthy Choice

       Nora loves her restaurant’s Tulikivi. She confessed, “I like the warm heat. It’s cozy, comfortable, and the Tulikivi is beautiful.” Nora stands behind her words. She is installing a Tulikivi in her new home in Southwest Montana as soon as possible. Nora is very excited about the Tulikivi that will be the functional centerpiece in her new house. The rough-to-the-touch boulders that formed the previous sheath of the restaurant’s fireplace will be recycled in her newly-built home. It will connect Nora’s Montana home to her life in Wyoming as successful restaurateur.

       In Montana, Nora’s newly installed Tulikivi will have a bake oven. She dreams of relaxing on her couch while her Tulikivi perfectly cooks casseroles, pizzas, stews and bread. A Tulikivi that doesn’t have a separate, small firebox can also be used to bake in; contact any dealer to purchase a “Bratrost”, a special cooking insert that guarantees great results. They’re easy to use.

       Beyond the obvious heating and cooking benefits, owning a Tulikivi is also a healthy choice. Buck is a firm believer in the health benefits of using a masonry heater. Forced air heating or convection heating doesn’t agree with Buck, who gets upper respiratory illnesses when subjected to that kind of heat. (The truth is – it’s not good for anyone!) Buck said, “You can feel yourself getting better when you start using a Tulikivi.” Masonry heaters heat by direct radiation rather than by convection like traditional wood-burning stoves. Gone are the germs and mold that piggyback onto circulating dust that plague homes with wood-burning stoves. Housekeeping is a breeze.

Karen Reinhart has published books and articles about the natural and cultural history of Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding area since 1999. She has written articles for Warmstone Fireplaces and Designs since 2001.

Nora's Fish Creek Inn no longer is operated by the Tygum family—Nora passed in 2022; new owners continue the tradition of good food while heating the restaurant with a Tulikivi. Mason Buck Beckett passed away in 2021; he sold many Tulikivi’s in the Utah-Wyoming-Southeast Idaho areas during his career as a Tulikivi dealer and installer.