Quote:
Originally Posted by greeleyhill
Hi Everyone - I've been online to look at Tavern27 and it looks pretty good. Pictures look nice and it might be a good place to try but every time I drive by it I just can't imagine myself pulling in. It looks just awful from the outside but I don't want to judge a book by it's cover - although with restaurants, it's a pretty good indicator. Looking for folks who have eaten there to convince me to visit or - trust my instincts and stay away.
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Hi greeleyhill, I am with you this place has a bit of a rough exterior, but not nearly as bad as it was when We bought it nine years ago. It is a 237-year-old structure that had been abandoned for two years during the great recession. When I first stepped in the building I literally turned around and went outside it was so bad.
Leslie and I purchased the property because of our interest in the golf course. My first thoughts were that we would one day scrape the building and build something a little more modern. Through the course of time we've learned how meaningful this building is to so many people around here. It's truly a thrill when somebody comes in and brings to our attention that they had their wedding rehearsal dinner here 60 years ago.
Restoring the building is an ongoing project. We actually ran out of money to days before we open the restaurant in early May 2010. My restaurantuer Philosophy is one that believes "pay as I go and I'll never owe". This approach certainly has a slower impact on progress however today we have managed to address some structural issues, as well as replace the roof, and I'm currently upgrading heating and air-conditioning. All being accomplished in addition to maintaining those routine expenses associated with operating a restaurant; for example buying new chairs :-).
In addition to restoring the restaurant I've had to put significant resources into the golf course. Nine years later i'm starting to see the fruit of our labor pay off and have my fingers crossed that the restaurant combine with the golf course will start generating a more significant cash flow therefore enabling more aggressive approach to the house.
Until then please pardon my progress and take a chance on our food. It's the food and my wife's effort behind it that has brought us this far and keeps us enthusiastic about the future.