Late last month, ownership of Lansdale Tavern officially transferred to longtime Lansdale resident Julie Palermo and her fiancé, Buddy Harris. In the weeks that have followed, the pair have hatched a slow-but-steady plan to improve and upgrade the tavern’s offerings and aesthetics, while keeping in mind the wants and needs of their existing customer base.
“We have a lot of things that we want to upgrade and implement, but we don’t want to go the route of drastic, overnight change,” said Palermo. “Instead, we want to slowly introduce new features, menu items and specials, while preserving those features that keep our regulars coming through the door.”
Palermo, a 39-year-old with 19 years of experience in the hospitality industry, has worked at Lansdale Tavern for the past four years, serving as bartender for three years and general manager for the last year. She previously worked at the Rising Sun Inn in Telford for eight years, where she also served as a bartender and manager.
“When [previous owners] Dave and Cathy decided to retire to Florida, they came to me about potentially buying the place,” said Palermo. “I had thought about it prior, so we decided to make it happen.”
Since the announcement last autumn that Palermo and Harris would be taking over Lansdale Tavern, the pair said they’ve received a lot of support from the community, as well as an “overwhelming amount of curiosity” regarding what they have planned for the tavern in the new year.
“The whole thing is taking what we already have, and improving it,” said Harris. “That’s the model for everything: for the food, for the bar, for the aesthetic. We already have a great foundation, but we’re looking to improve it.”
(Click here to see the full gallery from this photo shoot with Julie Michelle.)
Menu Changes Ahead
One of the biggest undertakings will be upgrading the now 9-year old menu, while preserving and retaining customer favorites.
“The menu is going to be one of our biggest changes,” said Palermo. “Our customers love our menu, they know our menu, but they have also expressed that it needs to be changed, and truthfully, it does. It’s been the same for nine years. Our food is great, it’s consistent, so we want to upgrade the menu without overhauling it entirely.”
One of the big changes that Palermo and Harris have already made is to extend a limited, late night menu that runs until 1:30 a.m. The pared-down menu provides a handful of quick-to-make options for those seeking late night food, which is in contrast to entirety of the kitchen closing early and no food being available.
Additionally, a new lunch menu will make its debut during the upcoming Lansdale Restaurant Week, featuring a mixture of affordable and healthy options for customers on the go.
“The focus points for the lunch menu are affordable options that are quick to push out,” said Harris. “We also want to add some healthier options, as well.”
The pair are also using a local consultant to look at their main menu offerings, in an effort to add some new flavors and consistency across the menu. When asked, Palermo added that they also plan on adding several vegetarian and vegan options, as well.
“We have our customer favorites—our staples—so they have to stay,” said Palermo. “But, we’ll slowly be adding new things to the menu while removing older, dated items that people no longer want.”
Lastly, Harris said that they will also be adding a new kid’s menu, and discussed the possibility of adding a “kids eat free” special on Sundays.
Drinks and Specials
With both Palermo and Harris being longtime residents, it’s no surprise that they are caught up in the current revitalization movement in the borough. With that in mind, Palermo said they plan on teaming up with Round Guys and Well Crafted, as well as Boardroom Spirits, to provide a bit of local flavor to their drink menu.
In addition to rotating taps from local breweries, Harris said that he would also like to occasionally introduce beers from other regional breweries, in an effort to provide more diversity and choice.
On the Happy Hour side of things, Palermo said they would be reinstating happy hour specials, with the new program offering $3 off of appetizers, $1 off of all draft beers and discounts on well drinks.
A Rustic Aesthetic
On the mood and ambience side, Palermo and Harris have big plans for remodeling the interior into something closer to an “updated but rustic” feel, but they added that they want to maintain their televisions and not forego their already-established identity in the process.
To begin the remodel, Palermo has been slowly selling off items and decorations that will no longer fit the envisioned ambience. In a charitable twist, however, Palermo said that she’s only putting half of the money raised into the remodel fund, with the other half being donated to Manna on Main Street, where she volunteers annually.
Harris and Palermo also said that they are working on separating the dining room from the bar area, in an effort to provide a more unique experience for both.
“The vision is that we’re going to do a better job of separating the bar from the dining area,” said Harris. “It’ll still be an open floorplan, but we want each of the experiences to be unique.”
To that extent, Harris has already removed the neon lights from the dining area, and Palermo has added flowers and new table caddies.
Additionally, the new owners have stated they plan on remodeling the bathrooms in the coming weeks, as well as establishing a highlight wall behind the bar, which will be adorned with stained pallets and artwork from local artists.
About Lansdale Tavern
Lansdale Tavern Is located at 839 West Main Street in Lansdale. For hours of operation and to view their menu, click here. To follow Lansdale Tavern on Facebook, click here.
See also:
2nd Annual Lansdale Restaurant Week Set For February
Lansdale Station Apartments: A Community Within a Community
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Lidl Grocery Store Set to Open This Month
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