St. Clairsville’s Newellstown Diner has a certain feel and aesthetic to it that’s evident the moment you step inside.
From the décor inside to the throng of regulars eagerly awaiting its opening each morning to grab some breakfast and chat about the news of the day, it can take you back.
The owners, Terra Butler and T.J. Stewart are looking to make a slight addition to that experience and are needing the approval of St. Clairsville residents to do it. The diner is looking to add beer and alcohol sales both during the week and on Sundays. That local option will require yes votes from its St. Clairsville patrons and city residents at large that reside in the same district as the diner.
But the owners want to express that this move is only meant to enhance to experience at Newellstown, not change the overall vibe that customers have come to know and love.
“We are not a bar, and we’re not trying to be a bar,” Butler said. “We’re trying to add something, but we’re keeping the diner the diner. We just want to offer some people, whatever they may want to drink, that different option to go with their meal.”
Butler noted it’s just a few minute drive to the Ohio Valley Mall and Plaza properties, where a large number of restaurants offer full-service bars late into the evening. That’s not the plan here.
You’re not going to see intoxicated patrons stumbling out into the street in the wee hours of the night. This is geared more toward people who enjoy a beer with a meal, or perhaps mimosas for their Sunday brunch.
“We’ve had lots of people ask us about having a beer with their burger, or just some kind of option for lunchtime,” Butler said. “We’ve been to other diner-style restaurants that offer options for mimosas, or Bloody Marys, or beer, but it doesn’t change the overall feel of the diner.”
Initial Rollout
Should the voters in St. Clairsville approve the local option, Butler said she and Stewart initially will plan a slow introduction.
“We’re just going to feel it out and ease into it,” Butler said. “We have a small staff, so extending hours is going to take some planning. Right out of the gate, we’ll be serving beer, mimosas, or Bloody Marys, nothing too crazy. We’re not looking to change the entire dynamic, which is really important.
“We’re looking at how to do it correctly. We’re not doing away with the diner, just trying to add to it.”
Beer initially will be served from a cooler in either can or bottle form. Ideally, a tap system would be nice depending on the overall response, but installing said system requires a good bit of work so that won’t be included in the initial introduction.
“You can’t put in a tap system without making some major changes,” Butler said. “It’s not hard, but it’d take some work, so to start off with, it’ll just be cans and bottles.
“But that is something we’d look at down the line. It will just take some time.”
Butler was equally non-specific about any expansion plans.
There are plans. Butler and Stewart both would like to increase the overall size of the diner, and subsequently, its offerings while, again, keeping the current feel.
There are options available, but nothing in the near future, and any option will require careful planning to make sure it’s the right fit; the right move.
“As far as expanding goes, there are some available options but just not immediate so we’ll have to see how it goes,” Butler admitted. “We’re constantly open to expanding. We’d love that actually. It just has to be the right fit.”
In terms of hours, Butler said initially there’s a potential to offer slightly extended hours a few days a week, depending on interest—say a Thursday through Saturday, or Friday through Sunday kind of option.
But she’s talking more 7-9 p.m. and not late in the waning hours of the night.
This could come in handy during football season when people could gather to enjoy a beer or two with their meals whilst watching the game. Options are available.
The menu could also be tweaked to offer a targeted menu for that type of crowd.
“We wouldn’t do a full menu. Some nights, we may just have snack foods—wings, fries, stuff like that,” Butler said. “And then, if we have a cook available, we could add one or two evening specials, dinner specials. We just have to kind of see how it works.”
At most, the diner has two servers and one cook working during the workday, so any modifications will require some planning. Newellstown is currently searching for both part-time wait staff and a second cook, as advertised recently on its Facebook page.
All plans naturally are dependent upon if the ballot measure passes. Butler is hoping for the community’s continued support and wants to assure them that the heart of what makes Newellstown a popular breakfast and lunchtime destination will not change.
“There have been some misconceptions I feel, but there are plenty of other restaurants nearby that have alcohol and serve late into the night. We’re not trying to make this a bar or that type of establishment, and bring people in late hours,” Butler said. “It all goes with keeping the diner, the diner, and just adding an extra option, or element to that.”
