A&E

INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

By Susan W. Murray NEWS@THEWOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM

The “Thanks for 24 great years” message on the sign outside the shuttered Colemans Tavern & Grill at 823 Lake Ave. has been a forlorn reminder over the past nine months of the popular restaurant’s closing on Dec. 30.

But when the parking lot was resurfaced and relined last month, loyal Colemans patrons began asking one another hopefully, “Do you know anything?”

Niko Kankaris, owner of Niko’s Red Mill Tavern at 1040 Lake Ave., confirmed for The Woodstock Independent that he had finalized the purchase of the property in September with plans to reopen the locally beloved restaurant by the end of the year.

“We want to keep it the great place it was for 24 years,” Kankaris said.

That includes staples from the menu, including the broasted chicken, and the summer volleyball leagues.

At the same time, Kankaris said the “down to earth” spot would have a look that’s “a little updated.”

Upgrading the kitchen equipment and TVs, as well as redoing the floors, are on the list of improvements. By spring, Kankaris said, the restaurant will have a brand-new deck and outside bar.

Colemans held one of the city of Woodstock’s 25 video gambling licenses, and Kankaris plans to apply for a video gaming permit for the space.

Aware of Colemans’ status as “a staple of the community,” Kankaris is inviting Colemans fans to send him menu suggestions and, as part of a possible contest, to suggest a new name for the eatery.

At first, the restaurant will offer indoor dining within the limits of state guidelines, along with carryout and delivery.

If the indoor dining restrictions still have a 25 percent capacity rule when the restaurant reopens, Kankaris said, he might place a heated tent outside for patrons.

Kankaris said he had been in contact to buy Colemans from the Debra A. Stokovich Trust since shortly after the restaurant closed at the end of 2019.

Gus Kordopitoulas, owner of Offsides Sports Bar and Grill, had planned to lease the spot from Kankaris and open Patty’s Place in partnership with Gary Castaldo. Castaldo, who works for radio station Star 105.5, has done stints in the restaurant business at Offsides, D.C. Cobb’s, and Hoops Sports Bar and Grill in Hebron.

“Once COVID hit, we took a step back,” Castaldo said.

Castaldo said he was “a little surprised” at the news of the reopening.

He still hopes to open Patty’s Place, with Woodstock as his “ideal choice” for the new restaurant.

Colemans’ history predates 1996. The restaurant’s front dining room was built over a railroad dining car. That railroad car had been a small diner located closer to town before being hauled down Lake Avenue.

When Barry Coleman and his brother Brian bought the tavern, the space acquired its character: the front dining room where multi-generational families gathered for a meal while keeping an eye on the football game on a 19-inch TV built into the fieldstone wall; the bar, where regulars scattered around the horseshoeshaped bar and kibitzed with their favorite waitresses; the bar’s dining tables, where couples chatted and friends met over a burger while cheering on the Cubs or the Bears; the deck, where families relaxed and children played in the sand between volleyball matches.

After Brian died on Christmas Eve in 2002, Barry continued to operate the restaurant, along with a bar in Crystal Lake that he owned with Larry Payne.

When Barry closed the Woodstock location, he cited as his reasons a reluctance to enter a five- to 10-year lease agreement at the age of 65, a desire to spend more time with his then-2-year-old grandson, and the sense that he was “spending too much time” at the restaurant.

At its closing, Colemans employed 18 to 20 people. Kankaris expects to have 20 workers in the fall and winter, with 35 in the spring and summer when the deck is open.

“I’m really excited that we acquired the property,” Kankaris said.