Staplehurst's new restaurant is packed with history and familiar faces.
The family team of Deb Frank, Bobbi McVey-Blath and Ryon Blath will open Good 'Ol Days at 330 A Street on Sept. 24. Many restaurants have called the location home over the years and its new owners wanted to reflect the building's history as a gathering place for generations of Staplehurst residents and visitors.
The restaurant's walls will be filled with pictures of people and scenes from Staplehurst's past to allow guests to reflect on how far the village has come in its history.
“When we were thinking of purchasing the bar, it was about the community and everything we've done over the last 50 years here,” Bobbi said. “When people walk in, we want them to see the pictures of people within the community from the 50s, 60s and 70s. I wanted it to be that vibe where people go, “Oh my gosh, I remember that.' That's where our name comes from.”
“They'll see their relatives' faces and maybe even their own faces,” Deb added.
The restaurant carries special meaning for Deb and her family. Deb's parents owned the establishment, called Dean's at the time, in the 1970s and 80s. Deb worked under her parents and has served with other owners of the restaurant as well.
Bobbi and Ryon both worked at the restaurant, as did their children and many other relatives.
“This has always been a dream of mine for a long time but I was just never able to make it happen,” Deb said. “This time I just made up my mind that we're going to do it.”
The long-time Staplehurst residents look at ownership as an opportunity to not only provide a need to Staplehurst, but pay tribute to the community their family has called home for decades. Restaurants before Good 'Ol Days have served as gathering spots for family and friends, and many people considered regulars will once again walk through the doors.
“It's not just our bar, it's the community's,” Ryon said. “People are ready to come back home where they have so many memories. We're happy that people love it as much as we do.”
The previous owners left the restaurant in great shape, Bobbi said, but a few touch-ups and modernizations were needed, such as paint and electrical updates. Through those improvements, the family was able to continue the restaurant's emphasis on the importance of the community. They turned to local providers to conduct the projects needed for the restaurant's new life.
“We're doing it all with local companies,” Ryon said. “Anything we have to do, we do local.”
Once the finishing touches are complete and the doors are open, guests will find a food menu that, at first, contains classic bar food in sandwiches, burgers and fries. Specials such as a fish fry and breakfast buffet are in the plans for the future.
Special events will be a focus as well, with a Halloween party already planned for Oct. 30.
With the opening just days away, the anticipation in Staplehurst is growing. People regularly stop by the restaurant to see if it's open and the buzz around town grows each day.
Bobbi said they expect a good crowd on opening weekend, but the growing excitement shows the return of the restaurant is important to the community.
“We've been working on this since June and we're in this mode wondering if the day was ever going to get here and now that it's here, we're having positive anxiety,” she said. “That's good, because we're super excited, obviously, but it's our businesses and we want it to be successful and make sure the community approves.”
And if the community support is as strong as it appears to be, Bobbi said the restaurant will be around as long as its needed.
“We're local, we're family and we're not going anywhere,” she said.
“Our plan is to be here and stay here,” Deb added.
