Eating Wyoming: Remedies Grill Has Been A Rock Springs Go-To Spot Since 1958

ROCK SPRINGS — Time doesn’t move the same way once you step through the doors for Remedies Grill at 409 Broadway St. It slows between the hiss of the griddle and the soft clink of forks on ceramic plates. Chrome stools shine beneath fluorescent lights. Vinyl records dangle from the ceiling. 

And above the kitchen's open window, where plates are passed directly to servers, a vintage metal order wheel still spins handwritten tickets into place — just as it has for decades, in full view of the red-checkered dining room.

There are no computers for orders, no touchscreen kiosks, no corporate rulebook. Just good food, familiar faces, and a place where things are done the way they always have been.

In a world that keeps getting louder and faster, this little diner in downtown Rock Springs quietly holds onto something most places lost a long time ago.

A Legacy Rooted in Community

The story of Remedies Grill began in 1958, when Duce Piaia opened Bi-Rite Pharmacy in downtown Rock Springs. From the start, it was more than just a pharmacy — it quickly became a neighborhood hub, thanks to its old-fashioned soda fountain serving sandwiches, shakes, and conversation.

"Our dad built this place on relationships," Mark Piaia said. "He knew everyone who walked through that door. That’s what we try to keep going."

As larger corporate pharmacies emerged, the independent business struggled to compete. After Duce retired, the pharmacy eventually closed.

In 1997, the Piaia family reinvented the space, officially launching Remedies Grill, where the soda fountain once stood. Today, it’s known as the home of the local favorite Remedy Burger. 

Six decades later, Duce’s sons, Mark and John Piaia, continue their father's legacy. 

Alongside Remedies Grill, the brothers operate Bi-Rite Home Medical, supplying essential equipment like hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, and oxygen services. Sweet Sage, a boutique at the back of the store, also adds charm reminiscent of a hometown Hallmark shop, offering Wyoming Cowboys gear, nostalgic candies, puzzles, housewares, baby gifts, jewelry, and seasonal boutique items.

But despite the changes through the years, the values that Duce instilled in his boys still remain strong in the business.

“It’s always been about taking care of people,” Mark said. “Whether filling prescriptions or serving meals, we've always tried to provide what the community needs.”

A Simple Menu That Still Draws a Crowd

Remedies Grill doesn’t try to be trendy. The menu is short, the hours are shorter and that’s exactly how the regulars like it. Open just four hours a day, Monday through Friday, the diner serves up the kind of no-nonsense food that’s been filling tables for decades — hamburgers, fries, onion rings, grilled cheese sandwiches, fish and chips and root beer floats.

There are no gourmet twists or fusion dishes here. Just old-school favorites cooked fresh on a well-seasoned grill behind the pass-through window where customers can see the kitchen. Plates come out hot, service is quick, and everything tastes like it’s supposed to.

Everything’s made to order on the grill just a few feet from the counter, with the familiar clatter of spatulas and the smell of sizzling burgers filling the space.

“We’ve never really changed our menu,” Mark Piaia said. “We just wanted to do what we were doing well — and it’s worked.”

And that consistency is part of what keeps regulars coming back. It’s not just the food. It’s the rhythm of the place, the easy pace, the way you can walk in and know exactly what to expect. Even those who worked there decades ago still remember it the same way.

“They make sure the public have a good atmosphere to come to. It’s clean, the prices are good and the food’s good,” Rock Springs resident Tamera Kendrick said. “It’s always been that way. And they will cook your meat the way you want it.” 

The Old-Fashioned Way

The old-fashioned spirit at Remedies goes beyond décor—it shapes every part of the business, right down to how they hire new employees.

Three years ago, Jayden Ross noticed a simple “Help Wanted” sign in Remedies’ front window — a rarity in itself these days. She walked inside, expecting to be told where to go online and apply, the same kind of impersonal process she’d always known.

Instead, they handed her a paper application.

“I filled it out right there,” Ross said. “Then Mark interviewed me that same day, and just a couple of days later, he called and said I was hired. I didn’t have to go online or wait around like with every other job I’d ever applied for.”

Before joining Remedies, Ross had worked at one of the big-box stores. The difference, she said, was immediate.

“ I didn’t even know most of my coworkers,” she said. “Here, people actually know you. If you need time off, it’s no big deal. It feels like family.”

Even ringing customers up as they leave the restaurant reflects Remedies' commitment to simplicity. Payments are processed on a bulky, early-1990s computer — complete with the old-style monitor protruding from the back. The company’s point-of-sale system isn’t even connected to the Internet.

But the Piaias have never felt pressured to buy into all the bells and whistles of modern technology. Since the system still works, they don’t see any reason to change.

“Our point-of-sale system dates back to the early '90s,” he said. “And it still does exactly what we need, so why change it? I feel like, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. That’s how we grew up, and that’s how we run our business.”

A Family Tradition Begins

The Piaia family's thoughtful gestures have often reached beyond the grill, leaving lasting impressions and starting new traditions.

In 1990, Kendrick stopped by Remedies with her son, Johnny. While visiting, the store’s original owner and pharmacist, Duce Piaia, decided to give Johnny his very first Christmas stocking, a koala bear’s head with a red stocking attached.

That simple act of kindness sparked something special her family carried into a tradition that continues even now.

“My son turns 35 this year, and we still hang that stocking every Christmas,” Kendrick said. “He refuses to let me replace it, even though I’ve had to mend it. I have even had to remove lollipops stuck in the koala’s fur but we still have it.” 

Over time, every new member of Kendrick’s family has received their own stocking with an animal head.

“It became a family tradition for us,” Kendrick said. “Each stocking has its own animal design. My children, grandchildren, everyone has one now. It’s part of our Christmas — part of who we are as a family. And it all started that day with Duce.”

A Place Where Time Stands Still

A Place Where Time Stands Still

Remedies Grill is more than just a diner. For many customers, it’s become a family tradition—a place where memories and stories span generations.

"We have people who come in every day, and I mean every day," Mark Piaia said. "Some of them have been regulars for years, and you start to feel like they're part of your own family. That's the rewarding part — getting to know the people."

Kevalin Skorcz, who’s waited tables at Remedies for a decade, sees those relationships every day.

"It’s like 'Cheers' — everyone knows your name," she said. "We've got regulars who come in like clockwork. We know their orders before they sit down, and we know their stories, too."

Skorcz isn't alone. Other employees feel it too, recognizing there's something at Remedies that's increasingly rare in a world dominated by screens and digital distractions.

Wendy Suhr, another longtime employee for 12 years, also appreciates the close-knit atmosphere Remedies offers. 

"I like the independence I have here,” she said. “I like having the independence to set things up the way I want and to kind of have my own organization. I’ve worked other places, and it drove me crazy. And here, everybody here knows everybody and it’s the same way with the customers. We just all know each other.”  

That genuine care is what Mark Piaia says keeps the business rooted in its original purpose.

“It’s about the community,” he said. “We've watched generations grow up here. People who were kids coming in with their parents now bring their own children. That's something special — something worth holding onto.”

In a place where things rarely change, it’s that feeling of belonging that keeps people coming back — and Remedies Grill makes sure it's on the menu every single day.