Pat and Missy Carloss Named King Ullr and Queen of the Snows LXV
The Whitefish couple, known for their footprint on the Flathead Valley restaurant scene and their philanthropic work, will be crowned at the O’Shaughnessy Center on Saturday night.
By Denali Sagner
As Whitefish gears up for its 65th annual Winter Carnival, a new royal couple will be taking the title of King Ullr and Queen of the Snows.
Flathead Valley restaurateurs and community leaders Pat and Missy Carloss will be crowned as this year’s Winter Carnival king and queen. The couple has made their mark on the valley through their many local restaurants, as well as their work serving on community boards.
Pat — born and raised in Abbeville, La. — and Missy — in Memphis, Tenn. — met in the early ’90s in Jackson Hole, Wyo. While in Jackson Hole, Pat opened a restaurant with a college friend and Missy earned her Master’s in Education from the University of Utah.
As Missy wrapped up her degree, Pat sold his Jackson Hole restaurant, and the two loaded up a U-Haul with their two dogs and drove north towards Whitefish. The couple set their sights on the ski town thinking it would become the “next big thing” in the West — a prophecy that has largely come true.
Pat and Missy opened Tupelo Grill — the first of many Carloss restaurants — on July 13, 1995, an homage to their Southern roots. The restaurant, which they have since sold and is currently closed for renovations, has become a favorite upscale dining spot for Whitefish locals and visitors alike.
In the years to come, Pat and Missy would open a handful of other restaurants, including Abruzzo Italian Kitchen, Gunsight Saloon, Haskill Station, Quickee Sandwich Shop, Mercantile Steak, North Fork Grill and, most recently, Dusty Star Saloon.
In addition to bringing high-quality dining to the Flathead Valley, Pat and Missy have served on multiple local boards, including the Whitefish Community Foundation, Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, Heart of Whitefish and Alpine Theatre Project. They are members of the Whitefish Rotary Club and All Saints Episcopal Church.
Over the past 29 years, Pat and Missy have made Whitefish their home, raising their four children in town.
Pat and Missy were be honored at the Whitefish Winter Carnival coronation on Saturday at the O’Shaughnessy Center.
More information about the Whitefish Winter Carnival can be found here.