If the Bella Vista is inseparable from Humboldt, then Judy Plag was inseparable from the Bella Vista.
“My mom started working at the business one month after it opened in 1979,” recalls Judy daughter Vanessa Ollerich. “She worked at the front desk for a number of years, and then eventually worked in bookkeeping before taking over as general manager.”
Judy passed away in July of 2024, and as she remembers her mother a year later, Vanessa is hoping to honour that legacy while continuing to serve the Humboldt community – now, and into the future.
“We’ve always been community-minded, and that’s not changing,” says Vanessa. “And I’ll continue to honour my mom’s legacy.”
Like her mom’s, Ollerich’s affiliation with the Bella Vista Inn, known affectionately as “the BV,” started early and encompassed a number of roles.
“I started working at the BV when I was 15-years-old,” she says. “I started in housekeeping, doing janitorial work on weekends, and from there I worked in the restaurant. I also spent some time at the front desk and in the bar, and eventually I ended up doing the bookkeeping. Then I moved to the assistant manager position.”
Now 44 and with all that experience behind her, Ollerich is Bella Vista’s general manager. In addition to the inn itself, the property also includes the BV Bar and Rookie’s Restaurant. Ollerich says she and her mother came up with the name “Rookie’s” because they’d never overseen a restaurant before.
“There were other operators over the years, because it was a leased restaurant,” she explains. “Eventually we took it back as the Bella Vista Restaurant. Then in 2004 we changed the name to Rookie’s. Neither my mom nor I had ever run a restaurant. We were rookies.”
It didn’t take long for Ollerich to develop an expertise in the food service industry. Not only is Rookie’s a Humboldt staple, but the community also relies on Ollerich and her staff to cater formal and milestone events.
“We’ve done 25th wedding anniversaries, and now we’re doing those same couples’ 40th anniversaries,” she says. “We offer a superior product. We include linens, china and full service.”
The inn has similarly evolved over time. Bella Vista’s pool area is currently being repurposed into five rooms designed for long-term stays and an area for serving continental breakfast. A gym is also being added to better serve guests.
The BV has an eye to the future, but Ollerich says it remains as rooted to the Humboldt community as ever.
“We support a lot of local non-profit organizations,” she says, as just one example. “We also offer free meeting room space to any non-profits for their meetings.”
Another thing that hasn’t changed is Ollerich’s passion for running the business.
“No two days are the same, and you get to meet people from all over the world,” she says.
The Bella Vista Inn is located at 1815 8 Ave in Humboldt, along Highway 5. It can be contacted by calling (306) 682-2686, or toll free at 1-800-667-0790. Further information regarding the inn, bar and restaurant can be accessed online, where guests can also make bookings.