Lee, Artisan's GM since 2015, sits down with Becky and Brad to answer listener questions about Kent and Jonathan—what values stuck with them, what habits they miss, and why Kent showed up to a Halloween party in a wheelchair dressed as an IHOP cook.
21 Oct 2026
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Tears
Becky and Brad pull conversation cards meant for Kent and Jonathan. They talk about the photos they return to, the charities they discovered together, and what their husbands taught them without trying. They toast the B&B and sit with this: we were not done.
7 Oct 2026
Finding What You Want When Half of You is Gone
Becky and Brad answer listener questions with Lee, Artisan's new GM, behind the bar. They toast Kent's beloved Manhattan and Jonathan's exacting Tanqueray martini, talk about which memories they're keeping and which ones they're trying to release, confess their guilty-pleasure fast food, and sit with the question that stops them cold: what do you want for yourself in the next 10 years when half of who you were is gone?
23 Sept 2026
Moving from We to Me, The Guilt of Change
Becky replaces Jonathan's Russian art with photos from their best nights together; Brad removes triggers from Kent's favorite couch and plans to paint over his dark colors. They wrestle with the guilt of changing things their husbands loved—and ask you: what's hardest to do alone?
9 Sept 2026
Special Moments without Mom - A Different Kind of Grief
Ashley Martin, President and CEO of Nibco, sits down with Becky and Brad over filthy martinis to talk about losing her mom Alice in 2017, pre-planning her own funeral with the same specificity Alice demanded, and how she honored both Alice and her late father-in-law at her wedding by wearing Alice's diamond necklace and filling the reception with their photographs. Becky and Brad toast to Alice, Jonathan, and Kent—imagining them upstairs with their own drinks, laughing.
26 Aug 2026
Missing Our Simple Mornings
Becky and Brad pull conversation cards and answer questions meant for Kent and Jonathan. They share the small rituals that stuck—Kent's obsessive cash organizing, Jonathan's stubborn certainty, the song they'd sing walking through Chicago, and which ordinary day either would relive if they could.
12 Aug 2026
Making Room for Grief: Jonathan's Plaque, Kent's Chair
Artisan restaurant in Elkhart, Indiana honored both Jonathan and Kent in two deeply meaningful ways. A plaque marks where Jonathan's decline began on a Saturday night in March 2021—the place that held him and Brad through his final days. And when Kent arrived in his power chair, Artisan made space by pulling out a stool, a quiet gesture of welcome. This is how one restaurant became essential to their story of grief and belonging.
29 Jul 2026
You Asked For It - Dinner Rolls and Golden Girls
Becky and Brad answer listener questions about the small, weird things their late husbands were sure about—dinner roll halves, TV quotes, jewelry taste—and what they've figured out about themselves since. Jess West joins them at the bar with the new B&B cocktail.
15 Jul 2026
Grief - Some Days Are Harder Than Others
Becky and Brad talk about Kent's July 6th birthday and the weeks leading up to it—when the anticipation, they've found, actually hurts worse than the day itself. Over dusty goose and absolute martinis, they discuss visiting Jonathan's grave with champagne, keeping his remains in a decorative box from a local gift shop, and why they're not interested in 'getting over' their grief.
1 Jul 2026
Playing the Cards We Were Dealt
Becky and Brad order their first custom cocktail at Artisan in Elkhart—the B&B, made with Grey Goose, Limoncello, and bubbles. Then they play a question card game about the moments grief blindsided them, the things they still can't throw away, and what their late husbands' theme songs would be.
17 Jun 2026
You Asked for it - We’ll Answer (almost) Anything
In this episode of Standing Reservations, Becky and Brad answer questions from the Artisan team about their favorite memories with their late husbands, Kent and Jonathan, and what they think Kent and Jonathan would think of this podcast. They also dig into their history with Artisan, sharing their most memorable dish at the restaurant and how it became their home.
TIMESTAMPS
[00:08] Intro
[02:09] Favorite wines and the Brad pour
[05:07] Meet Jess – the GM at Artisan
[07:13] Favorite memories
[14:57] Memorable dish at Artisan
[19:11] Brad and Becky’s friendship
[27:34] “I hope they’re proud of us”
Connect with us:
Email us at beckyandbrad@standingreservations.com (mailto:beckyandbrad@standingreservations.com)
FB: Standing Reservations w/ Becky & Brad (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572071800431)
FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts (https://www.facebook.com/BradontheGo/)
Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com (https://www.artisanelkhart.com/)
Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!
Credits:
Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest
Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger
Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts (https://liminalpodcasts.com/))
Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative (https://www.glowfirecreative.com/))
Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher
3 Jun 2026
Lost and Found - A Surprise Friendship After Loss
In this episode of Standing Reservations, Becky and Brad share the story of how they met. A serendipitous seating arrangement at a birthday party evolved into a friendship that grew after they became widows. Over cocktails, they discuss how grief looks different for everyone and the dark humor that bonds them.
TIMESTAMPS
[00:07] Intro
[00:27] This week’s cocktails
[02:23] How Becky and Brad met
[06:55] A friendship grows through grief
[10:32] Memories in the Christmas decorations
[14:15] Grief should be talked about
[17:05] Cooking is hazardous
[20:28] Still a lot of life to live
[22:55] We want your questions
Connect with us:
Email us at beckyandbrad@standingreservations.com (mailto:beckyandbrad@standingreservations.com)
FB: Standing Reservations w/Becky & Brad (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572071800431)
FB: J&B Home Decor & Gifts (https://www.facebook.com/BradontheGo/)
Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com (https://www.artisanelkhart.com/)
Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a free dessert!
Credits:
Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest
Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger
Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts (https://liminalpodcasts.com/))
Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative (https://www.glowfirecreative.com/))
Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher
20 May 2026
Meet Becky & Brad—They Have a Lot to Say
In the premiere episode of Standing Reservations, Becky and Brad explore their bonded friendship that was formed by grief. Over cocktails, they share how they’ve helped each other with their bereavement and the role Artisan Restaurant has played as well. Sometimes you just need someone to listen during this time of loss, and Becky and Brad hope to provide that space with Standing Reservations.
TIMESTAMPS
[00:07] Intro
[01:10] How did we get here
[06:00] Grief is such a complex word
[13:15] Our love for Artisan
[19:32] How do we still stand with grief?
[24:45] Tell Artisan we sent you, for a free dessert!
Connect with us:
Email us at beckyandbrad@standingreservations.com (mailto:beckyandbrad@standingreservations.com)
FB: Standing Reservations w/Becky & Brad (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572071800431)
Learn more about Artisan at artisanelkhart.com (https://www.artisanelkhart.com/)
Mention “Standing Reservations” when you book a reservation and receive a sweet treat!
Credits:
Hosts: Becky Bontreger & Brad Priest
Theme Music: Ron Miller, David Bohn, & Becky Bontreger
Producer: Seth Creekmore (Liminal Podcasts (https://liminalpodcasts.com/))
Videographer: Trenton Jones (Glowfire Creative (https://www.glowfirecreative.com/))
Friends of the Show: Jess West & Tom & Dana Pletcher
13 May 2026
Standing Reservations with Becky and Brad Coming Soon!
Two friends. Two martinis. One standing reservation.
Becky and Brad share unfiltered conversations about grief, friendship, reinvention, and the strange reality of rebuilding life after loss.
Recorded around the table where life used to look different, Standing Reservations is honest conversation with nothing off the table.
Launches May 20th, 2026.
Reach Out With Your Questions! (mailto:beckyandbrad@standingreservations.com)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Contact Standing Reservations
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