Wednesday, April 21, 2010
DECATUR — The Gallery Café has expanded its services to include a Banquet Room next door to the restaurant in the former Bulldog Video building.
Owners Stacy and Amy Brooks worked extensively with custom builder Bobby Hubbard to remodel and update the 102-year-old building.
“Bobby Hubbard really did a great job creating an open and peaceful dining area with a large handicapped bathroom and a larger kitchen area. I told Bobby to make it look classy and he did,” Stacy Brooks said.
Brooks said he saw the need for a community meeting place that would hold a large group of people. Additionally, the café is often very busy and more space is needed for customers. Creating the Banquet Room solved both those problems, according to Brooks.
“It is great to have the additional seating because now customers know that they can always get a seat no matter how busy we are. Before, on a Sunday afternoon for example, we would have customers have to wait to get a table or maybe sit with people they did not know. We don’t have that problem now,” Stacy Brooks said.
In addition to providing overflow seating for the Gallery Café, the Banquet Room may be rented for events such as Christmas banquets, business meetings, birthday parties, wedding receptions or any other kind of get together.
“The great thing about the Banquet Room is that it is so flexible. For instance, say someone wanted to have a wedding reception and all they need is a room because they have their own cake, punch, etc. We can do that. Then let’s say we have a group that wants to have an anniversary party and they want us to handle the food and serving, we can do that also,” Stacy Brooks said.
Thick concrete block walls keep the Banquet Room quiet, even when the café is packed with customers.
“We kept a concrete block inthe foyer of the Gallery from when we cut holes in the wall. I weighed the block and it weighs 103 pounds. Because the walls are so solid and thick, you simply don’t get any noise from the café in the Banquet Room,” Stacy Brooks said.
Although he has not decided on a decorating theme, Stacy Brooks is looking to create a room that is more elegant but still fits with the friendly down-home hustle and bustle of the café.
“It is quiet, it is cool, you have the sun coming in through the front windows,” Stacy Brooks said, “This is where you can come when you want to have a quiet conversation.”
Also new to the Gallery Café, will be Ray Mann performing from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., on Friday nights beginning on April 30. According to Stacy Brooks, Mann has played guitar for a list of country music artists including Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, John Anderson and George Jones.
“Ray Mann came in one day and introduced himself. He had moved to northwest Arkansas for a job, had some health issues and he wanted to get his name back out in the public. Ray asked if he could play, so I decided that we would let him play guitar and sing some country music every other Friday night for an hour,”Stacy Brooks said.
A grand opening for the Banquet Room will be held Tuesday,April 27, with barbecue dinners and sandwiches at a special reduced price.
News, Pages 1 on 04/21/2010