ALL THEY CAN DISH OUT

Trio Of Eateries Are Thriving Under Local Restaurateur

In a manner of speaking, and without a trace of irony, it could be said that Cam Snyder has a lot on his plate - or perhaps more fittingly, plates. It seems like an ideal description for a successful restaurateur. Yet while Snyder is crazily busy at any given moment, hustling between three businesses and now preparing to conquer the field of catering, he doesn’t really believe that anything he does could be called a job. Or even work.

For Snyder, it’s all about chasing a dream that evolved from equal measures of tenacity and talent.

Through the course of a little more than 20 years, Snyder has created a trifecta of establishments that seamlessly blend the art of family dining with a unique and upscale twist to the novelties of comfort food. The Chubby Trout Brewbarn & Eatery, Smokin’ Fatty’s BBQ, and the Flippin’ Cow Burger Joint are all thriving under the tutelage of Snyder and his staff.

Now Snyder has formed a partnership with longtime business associate Ashley Wilson to create Cam and Company Catering and Events, a venture that draws from each of the restaurants to create customized and eclectic menus for virtually any gathering, for any occasion. It seems like a natural evolution for a man who not only has a finely honed sense of being in the right place at the right moment, but also possesses a sharp instinct to cultivate success.

A perfect example of that finesse can be observed in the telling of how Snyder came to acquire the first of the restaurants he now owns, Flippin’ Cow. Just over 20 years ago, Snyder was years into his former career working in auto sales, raising a family in his hometown, but there was a sense of disillusionment. “I’d fallen out of love with the current business,” he says. “I wanted to do something that I had a

passion for.”

A chance encounter one evening at a Simonton Lake beach bar launched a conversation that would forever change the course of his future.

While chatting up the owner of the dockside diner, Snyder learned that the gentleman was having a less-than-ideal evening. Snyder pulled out a business card and told the man that if he was ever looking to sell the business, they could discuss the matter.

Before Snyder even left the parking lot, his phone was ringing. One month later, Snyder and his wife, Sue, became owners of the bar. The restaurant was renamed Lakeshore Grill, and was the scene of live music and a diverse array of dining options. By 2012 the focus shifted to craft burgers and beer, along with decadent homespun milkshakes. After a whirlwind rebranding and renovation of less than one month, Flippin’ Cow was launched.

The second business to rise up under the Snyder family banner was Chubby Trout. Initially created from a vacant former restaurant site at the intersection of Cassopolis Street and