The Pancake Years
A Hometown Hangout Is Born
It started with pancakes. In 1979, Chuck and Mabel Wyatt opened a western-themed diner called Wyatt's Pancake Corral at the corner of Highway 395 and Vista Way in Kennewick, Washington. It became a hometown hangout almost overnight — the kind of place where Tri-Citians gathered before work, after church, and every weekend in between.
By 1984 the growing diner needed more room, and it was remodeled and reborn under a name the Tri-Cities would come to know for generations: The Country Gentleman.
The Catering Chapter
Outgrowing Our Own Kitchen
In 1996, the Wyatts' daughter Shirley Simmons and her husband, Steve, came on as partners. Shirley saw an opportunity beyond the dining room and built an off-premise catering business serving Kennewick, Richland, and Pasco — and it grew so quickly that the restaurant outgrew its own kitchen.
In December 2006, the restaurant and its booming catering arm moved to their current home at 9221 West Clearwater Avenue in Kennewick, where the team now caters everything from intimate dinners of ten to community celebrations of several thousand — weddings, corporate events, holiday parties, fundraisers, and more.
A New Generation
From The Country Gentleman to CG
Today, the business is led by Shirley's son Kyle Simmons, who grew up around the family restaurant before graduating from Columbia Basin College and earning a degree in Hospitality Business Management from Washington State University. He returned to the business in 2014 and has guided The Country Gentleman's transformation into CG Public House & Catering — a modern-style public house serving fresh, uncomplicated food and drinks, anchored by weekend Prime Rib every Friday and Saturday.
Nearly half a century and three generations later, the recipe hasn't changed: real ingredients, real food, and real hospitality, all in service of one family mission — to make every guest feel good. The Tri-Cities have noticed, voting CG the area's Best Caterer for more than ten years running and, most recently, awarding it Best Brunch.
What's Next
The Next Chapter: CG Fresh
The family table keeps growing. CG Fresh — chef-made, high-protein, macro-balanced meal prep straight from the CG kitchen — is coming soon to the Tri-Cities. Same kitchen, same standards, ready when you are.