In
1918 World War I was rumbling to a close. In Quebec, Canada, Joe Thibodeau
was ready to strike out in search of fortune and adventure. His destination
was Juneau, Alaska Territory, USA.
Juneau
was a young, bustling gold mining community perched on the edge of immense
wilderness along a fjord-like channel of the Inside Passage. There was
opportunity galore for risk-takers with an eye to the future. And Joe Thibodeau
was definitely one of those!
At
first, Joe worked in the Catholic Hospital, earning wages and putting down
roots in the growing community. By the late 1930s, Joe had become a settled
and accepted resident of Juneau.
Joe
had a dream of being in business for himself . He found a way to make that
dream become reality when he approached B.M. Behrends, a local banker,
and asked for a loan to help Joe start his own business. With his savings
and $2,000 loaned by Mr. Behrends' bank, Joe opened Thibodeau's Market
about 1940.
The
market was located about one block from the current location of Sally's
Bed and Breakfast. The neighborhood was originally the Native village and
is today occupied by one of the local Native Corporation headquarters,
as well as a Senior Citizen apartment complex, the state office building,
and Juneau's convention center.
In
1954, Joe's son Kenny and his wife Sally assumed operation of Thibodeau's
Market when Joe retired. The business has always been a family affair,
with the younger generations helping in all aspects of the business. Kenny
& Sally raised five children in Juneau and the children all worked
in the business at one time or another. As time marched on, the business
grew to include Sally's Kitchen, a neighborhood restaurant known for mouth-watering
pies and scrumptious buffet meals.
Sally's
Kitchen began in 1976, and in 1978 the Thibodeau's bought Home Liquor on
Whittier Street. Thibodeau's Market was combined with Home Liquor to offer
one-stop shopping convenience, yet it retained the neighborhood atmosphere
for which it had been known. Sally's Kitchen closed, with a hot deli being
added to the market instead of a full-service restaurant. Later, the now-famous
Fiddlehead Restaurant opened just across the parking lot.
In
1993, Sally's Bed and Breakfast was created when the Market was remodeled.
The six private efficiency apartments were built in response to a need
for clean, convenient and affordable guest accommodations in downtown Juneau.
Sally Thibodeau continued the family-owned & operated business tradition
as the original Inn Keeper.
Today
the business is operated by a third generation of the Thibodeau clan; Sally's
daughter-in-law, Rosie Thibodeau, manages Sally's Bed and Breakfast.
Sally's
Bed & Breakfast - Lodging in Juneau, Alaska