Rich Geldhof's vision for his
Rogue River Tavern is to enhance its reputation for good drinks and live music by making it a lunch and dinner destination. He's starting with a healthier menu and an eye-catching new redwood facade.
Geldhof bought The Woodshed, 4 N. Main, in 2000. Six months later, he closed it and gutted it, then reopened in 2001 with an all-new interior and a new name. His $250,000 rehab included adding a game room, sound equipment and a new bar. Now it's the exterior's turn.
"I've wanted to redo the outside every since I bought the place, but the inside was more important," says Geldhof, 41. "I'm trying to attract more of a restaurant crowd and thought if I spruced up the outside I'd attract customers. It sure has attracted attention; people are stopping by while I'm out there working and asking about it, asking if it's real wood."
Geldhof says the redwood is real – he added a dark stain and a sealer to bring out the wood grain. Exterior lighting under the eaves illuminates the entire building. New awnings on all the windows will help set the tavern apart from the buildings around it. Geldhof plans to add an awning-covered ramp from the tavern to the adjacent city parking area for handicap and wheelchair accessibility. The changes add up to about $75,000.
"The new menu will be ready in a couple of weeks," Geldhof says. "We're keeping a lot of the favorites like our burgers, which are our number one seller, our sizzlers, burritos. We're removing some of the deep fried appetizers and adding healthier appetizers like crab stuffed shrimp and stuffed Portobello mushrooms."
Other menu additions are a Trotter steak, grilled salmon and a new kids' menu offering mini burgers and chicken sandwiches.
Source: Rich Geldhof, Rogue River Tavern
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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