The Copper Plate's ribbon cutting featured Vinay Yadav wielding a chef's knife to slice the ribbon. His wife Krista stands to the left. Their two boys lend a hand as well.
Vinay Yadav emerges from a booth near the back of his restaurant. He’s just finished placing an order with a vendor.
It's hard to tell that he’s just finished breakfast and lunch service in his new restaurant. He still looks crisp in his chef’s uniform. I comment on how robust he appears.
“This is easy, he notes.” Before opening the Copper Plate, Vinay worked as a sous chef for Disney, first on cruise ships, then in their hotels. There he sometimes worked with a team to serve thousands of guests.
He seems to be enjoying himself.
Krista Yadav is Vinay’s partner in life and business. They joined me at a table near the entrance to the restaurant. “So, born and raised in Butte, always been a Butte girl and went to school nearby at the University of Montana,” Krista says.
After graduation, she went to work for Disney in account development and training. She decided at one point that she wanted to travel, and she joined Disney cruise lines. There she met Vinay
Vinay was born and raised in Mumbai. There he began his career at JW Marriott, a five-star hotel. He worked at the hotel for four years. Then, wanting to venture out into the world, he joined a cruise line.
He first visited Butte in 2013, and “I just fell in love with the city,” he said. ”Small town, slow pace, fresh weather, nice people, you know, I just loved it,” he added.
After starting a family, the couple moved to California where they worked at a Disney hotel.
There they decided they wanted to move back to Butte and raise their two boys here. Vinay noted that the boys adapted well to the move to Butte. “They love it,” he said “Grandma loves it too,” added Krista.
When asked why they chose the location on Galena, Krista said that she had fond memories of coming to the Gold Rush, the steakhouse that was at their location for many years.
After looking at other locations, the couple heard about the Gold Rush location from a friend. Vinet checked the spot out. He saw the large updated kitchen, the dining area, the nearby casino, and the Uptown location. He relayed what he saw to Krista.
After she explained the Gold Rush legacy to him and how much history was attached to the place, “That was the cherry on top,” he said.
The restaurant that immediately preceded the Copper Plate at the location was Family Roots, owned by Paula and Tiffany McClean. The McCleans had moved their restaurant to Helena, and Vinet contacted them there. Tiffany and Paula graciously agreed to come down to Butte where they were able to guide Vinet through the kitchen’s equipment. It hadn’t been turned on for two years, and Vinet wanted someone to take him through it.
Vinay commented on how kind it was for the McCleans to help him. “And that’s what I’m saying, like just nice people. Who does that, right? Nobody else, only in Montana and Butte, I think.”
I asked Vinay if his restaurant had a particular style of food.
“Yes,” he said enthusiastically. Vinay subtly has included an Indian spice pallet into some of his dishes. He particularly recommends the Masala Omelet. “It’s street food in India, but it’s so good, I wanted to have it always on my menu.” He took the flavor and incorporated it into an omelet in the French style “with the cheese and everything with cilantro, onion, turmeric, paprika, and tomato. Everything just blends together,” he said.
At lunchtime, along with local options, The Copper Plate offers a chicken tikka sandwich and a Madras chicken sandwich.
Krista noted that they had recruited a great team to work at the restaurant “that really meshed together,” even before The Copper Plate opened. And even before they opened, Krista and
Vinay had the whole staff try the whole menu so that they could explain the food to the guests.
Commenting on the team, Vinay said, “We have two great cooks. We have a great dishwasher. We have some great servers and hosts over here. They’re really nice, so we feel lucky.”
For the future, Krista noted that Vinay had a great deal of experience in banquets and catering and that the couple hoped to expand into those areas as well.
She also mentioned that they had enjoyed working with their landlord Marco Kurilich, owner of the Richest Hill Bar and Casino. She also said that they were excited to be in Uptown Butte. She pointed to the community’s focus on reviving Uptown and said that she and Vinay were excited to be a part of that.
The Copper Plate is located at 22 West Galena and is open from 7 am to 2 pm.
