Top of the Morning, April 9, 2024
Apr. 9—Beef House owners Bob and Bonnie Wright planned for the eclipse and the traffic it would bring along Interstate 74 on Monday, opening their popular restaurant on a day it's normally closed.
What they didn't account for was Purdue reaching Monday's NCAA tournament title game.
"I just want to thank my employees for doing it while I'm gone," Bob said from the Final Four in Glendale, Ariz. "I hated not being there."
A Purdue grad (Class of '67), Bob jumped at the chance to attend the Final Four. He was there the last time the Boilermakers made it that far, but the Final Four in 1980 was a much shorter trip (Indianapolis).
Son Brad stayed back in Covington, Ind., to help with the business as his parents and other family and friends headed west. They purchased one-way tickets in case Purdue lost on Saturday, which didn't happen. The revised plan was to return Wednesday.
Traffic on I-74 east was heavy Monday, eclipse fans streaming to central Indiana for the best view.
"I was asking a pretty big favor of my cooks to work (Monday), but most agreed to do it," he said. "I have good employees."
The Wrights had a good time Saturday night, even though their tickets were smack-dab in the middle of a section filled with N.C. State fans.
"It wasn't the best place to be sitting as a Purdue fan," Bob said. "But everybody had a good time."
