An iconic Manitowoc restaurant is getting another lease on life with new owners and an updated look.
Kent Meyer and a partner purchased The Elbow Room after it last served a meal over a year ago.
Meyer has been in the restaurant and bar industry for his entire life, and has plenty of experience with the Manitowoc County community.
“Years ago, I used to own the Silver Creek Inn, five, eight years ago I used to own the Mishicot Pizzeria,” he explained. “I’m a nationally certified chef. That’s what I went to college for.”
Kent was specifically drawn to The Elbow Room for its history.
The building first served the community as Dick Smith’s in 1932, and went through numerous names and owners before finally gaining its iconic name in 1953.
In honor of that tradition, Kent and his partner decided it was only right to keep the name and the sign out front, adding, “(We have to) keep the tradition alive and honor basically what they did in the past here.”
And the community is incredibly excited for the grand return of the Manitowoc supper club.
A new Facebook page was created for the restaurant, which launched last week, and since then, over 1,700 people have begun following them and coming to the restaurant to see what is happening.
“We’ve had to walk 200 people through this place already just by having the door open,” Kent said with a chuckle. “It’s amazing.”
Kent noted that he wants to keep the supper club vibes going, but he also wants to expand on that.
“We’re going to have a Sunday morning brunch, complete with an omelet station, a Sunday night chicken and rib buffet,” he revealed. “Eventually, we’re going to have a lunch buffet for people that are in a hurry that can duck in and out of here in a half hour.”
As for the bar, the space that serves as not only a social gathering area but also a waiting room is sporting a new modern look.
It is being run by bar manager Anastasia Bartusch, who has plenty of great ideas in the works.
“We’re going to focus on our tap beers and our milkshakes,” she explained. “We’ve got a great selection of spiked milkshakes coming this way along with a slushy machine. We’re going to do margaritas and daiquiris and, even a spiked mojito slushie.”
There are eight beer taps at the bar, which Anastasia says will serve local beers.
“We’re sticking with PetSkull, Ahnapee…New Glarus…Baumeister… and Michelob Ultra,” she noted. “We’re going to have a variety of IPAs, ambers, stouts, and then just like your regular pilsners.”
Plus, they will have a rotating tap with seasonal beers.
Kent told SeehaferNews.com that they are getting very close to being ready to open.
In fact, they could be ready by as early as next week, but his more realistic goal is to open sometime during the following week.
The official grand opening date will be announced on their Facebook page.
