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Free eats at Ryan’s Tavern
The long-delayed Ryan’s Tavern will offer its first food for the public at its location in the 200 block of High Street. Mayor Don Ryan, the would-be owner, understands that the delays are costing him and seems to want a clientele when the business does open.
Several signs in the windows of the Tavern read “Thanks for your patience” and offer FREE hot dogs and hamburgers from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23.
The mayor understands the importance of keeping the tavern’s name in people’s minds. He also sold t-shirts and some small food at IceFest in February.
The mayor tells me that the tavern has missed three potential opening dates - End of 2007, IceFest in February and St. Patrick’s Day in March. Ryan was cautious to quote me another date, but hopes that he’ll be ready at the
beginning of June.
I couldn’t find the last Ryan’s Tavern story I wrote on our Web site, but here is what I wrote in November.
High hopes for High St. tavern By Joshua Rinaldi Staff Writer
HAMILTON - Mayor Don Ryan had originally hoped to open his High Street tavern in time for the Fourth of July festivities. Now he hopes to have it open by IceFest.
The mayor said delays have occurred during his renovation of the more-than-century-old building, including the fact that he wanted the building to have a capacity of 350 to 400 people.
“The construction delays were due to the fact that we had to do extra engineering to secure structural integrity,” Ryan said.
The inside is still taking shape, but the front of the building, complete with Ryan’s Tavern emblazoned on the bricks, is almost complete. Ryan said he has high hopes he can get at least the first floor of the tavern complete by the beginning of February.
“There’s a lot that’s going to happen in the next 60 days,” he said.
Ryan is leaving the remaining construction to his contractor, Robert Saurber, and is busy planning the menu and restaurant hours with his wife, Vickie. While exact hours have not been set, Ryan expects the tavern to be open from 7 a.m. to midnight and likely later on the weekends. Ryan said the tavern will employ 40 to 50 workers.
Ryan’s Tavern will be an anomaly downtown - a business open past 5 p.m. Currently, only Elder-Beerman, Mehas Music and McDonalds and Riverbank Cafe across the river are open late. However, Ryan said he thinks there’s a demand waiting for those later hours that his business can full.
“People don’t want to have to drive for hours to find a nice place,” he said. Ryan is also banking on some hometown love. “People of Hamilton are loyal to Hamilton business,” he said.
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