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Tuesday, 19 August 2008 |
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 Staff photo/Mike Burkholder
Ted Hertenstein, far left, Alison Roediger, Jeff Davis, Jesse Davis, Valerie McCollister and Jenny Ward of The Knotty Pine pose for a photograph inside the eatery Monday morning.
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Managing Editor
ST. MARYS — A former St. Marys staple recently reopened its doors and welcomed patrons in with open arms after being closed for more than a decade.
St. Marys residents Ted Hertenstein and Alison Roediger reopened The Knotty Pine, 801 S. Wayne St. The eatery, which initially opened in the 1950s, is being marketed as a family-style restaurant with a sports flavor.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to own a family-oriented place,” Hertenstein told The Evening Leader. “This is not a typical bar — we do have a bar but its a family-oriented place.”
Construction on the eatery began in August 2007, Hertenstein said. Crews remodeled the inside of the restaurant and the duo added flat-screen televisions and a few parlor games.
“There was nothing in here,” Roediger said. “It was completely empty.”
The addition of the televisions should make the Knotty Pine an attraction for sports fans, Hertenstein said. The establishment will be open on the weekends for football games as well as other sporting events throughout the year.
“This was always the place to go after the games on Friday nights,” Hertenstein said of the post-Roughrider game crowds. “We had an opening last weekend and we had a 60th class reunion that came in here because they said it was like coming home again.”
In addition to cosmetic changes, Hertenstein said he spent time revamping The Knotty Pine’s menu. A sampling of several different offerings from various vendors helped Hertenstein craft a menu that is diverse and should have something for everyone.
“We want to be known for our entrees,” Hertenstein said. “We have bison burgers. I wanted bison here because I went to a restaurant in Columbus and fell in love with it.”
With 12 employees, Hertenstein said The Knotty Pine will be open every day for lunch and dinner. The eatery also will be open for Buckeyes games.
“We are now open every day,” Hertenstein said. “We have the big screens for football and we want it to be family dining from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.”
As a labor of love, Hertenstein said he is pleased with how the eatery turned out. Now he said he hopes to return its status as one of the most popular places in town.
“It’s history,” Hertenstein said. “I used to hang out here when I was younger and there are a lot of old memories in here.”
Roediger said the hard work put in is visible.
“I am very proud of this place,” Roediger said. “We worked hard on it.” |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 22 August 2008 )
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