Lexington, KY - When Debbie Long first got into the restaurant business in the '70s - after fibbing about prior restaurant experience to land a job as a server/bartender in Colorado's Grand Lake Lodge - it was almost as an excuse to not grow up.
"It was the way you could make money and travel, and live the lifestyle I wanted to live - no responsibility, enjoying every day," she said. "It allowed for me to travel in the spring and the fall, work in the summer and winter, and ski and do all the things I wanted to do. It was the greatest life in the world."
When Long hit her 30s, however, she started to get that itch to settle down and "get a real job" (a phrase that, ironically, she catches her servers today saying all the time). With a degree from the University of Kentucky in Special Education (Speech and Hearing), Long realized she would have to go back to school in order to be successful in that field. Still unsure which direction to take, she got her real estate license in Colorado, applied for a sales job at IBM in Boulder, and then "One night I woke up and realized I loved the restaurant business."
Long knew the first step to "growing up" was to remove herself from the Colorado mountains, in order to escape the temptation to skip out on responsibilities and hit the slopes every time a nice day came around. Originally from Louisville, the idea of moving back to the Bluegrass to be close to her family was appealing, so she started looking into potential locations to start a business in Lexington. She enlisted the partnership of friend and seasoned restaurant veteran John Shea, and they soon stumbled across a large, historic schoolhouse building under renovation on the corner on Mill and Maxwell Streets, called Dudley Square.
The space was interesting, with three large rooms separated by a hallway, and a raw, unfinished basement that could serve as a kitchen. But they didn't have much money, so they put forth some figures that they expected would get shot down.
"I went back to Colorado and he stayed there to negotiate. At that point, I'm thinking there is no way they're going to give us what we're asking for - we were asking for everything," she said. "Then (John) called to tell me they had said yes, to everything, and that I had to make a decision."
Up to that point, Long's most difficult decisions had been what time to hit the slopes, and where to travel each spring. But after sleeping on this one for a couple nights, she decided this was something she wanted to go for, and in August of 1981, Dudley's first opened its doors.
Perhaps the longest-running - and definitely one of the most successful - independent restaurants in Lexington today, Dudley's still maintains some of those traditions from the early '80s, from the muffins to the quiche to the focus on quality food, friendly and knowledgeable service and an impressive wine list. And since those early days, Long has mastered the art of decision making - from buying out her partner to become sole owner, to opening Dudley's sister restaurant, Buddy's, in 2003. And while she admits that to be successful in the restaurant business is to commit to a full-blown lifestyle - not just a career - fully equipped with ungodly hours and various sacrifices, she has no regrets.
"I love people and love seeing them happy, comfortable, smiling and laughing, celebrating special occasions," she said. "I have watched customers on their first dates, seen relationships develop, become engaged and celebrate their special occasions at Dudley's. Their energy gives me energy; their happiness gives me happiness."
To her relief, giving up that capricious lifestyle just wasn't in the cards for Debbie Long; she travels avidly in whatever spare time she can muster, having embarked in recent years on adventures trekking in Bhutan, biking in Puglia, and a horseback African safari. Here in Lexington, she balances her career - er, lifestyle - with being active in the community, currently serving on the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Lexington and Fayette Alliance boards, as well as others.