So I broke into The Grange last night…

Just kidding…I couldn’t even jimmy the door open.

OK, let’s start over. The Grange’s owners, Darren, Jen and Colin, were nice enough to invite my wife and me over to the old Angel space last night in preparation of their early September open. Over a few glasses of wine, we discussed the new space and plans for the future. For those that loved the old Angel layout with all that great woodwork, there’s good news….its not going anywhere. As Darren has said, they love the interior and just want to brighten it up a bit. That includes a new, much lighter wall color above the wood paneling, and hardwoods in place of the old dark, red rugs. (No worries…all that great tile flooring around the bar remains).

Rumors about The Grange using the courtyard out back have some merit, as both Darren and Colin especially would love to use what is now the Gypsy Camp’s outdoor storage space on big celebration nights (St. Patty’s Day in particular). But for right now the landlord isn’t on board. We’ll just have to see if they can wear him down as foot traffic picks up.

Ultimately, what seems most important to our city’s newest pub owners is the “feel” of The Grange. All three owners reiterated over the course of a very enjoyable evening that success for them is creating a great gathering place for the community, similar to the public houses they grew up around in their native Ireland. That means you will be seeing the owners on-site all the time (with Colin and Jen behind the bar, managing day-to-day operations), nightly events, and in general a much more jovial atmosphere.

In my personal opinion, this is sure to be yet another coup for Decatur. These aren’t folks that are looking to assert a new image on the city. They simply love how Decatur reminds them of home and want to become a part of the community, perhaps even strengthening our existing connections (and of course make a little cash doing it). With this sort of philosophy and high-interest from residents (I think around 10 people peered in the windows over the course of the evening), it has a great chance of becoming one of the top gathering spots in the city.

(I know I promised pictures, but decided that they would be more worth while closer to the opening, once most of the interior renovations are made. So hold tight and I should deliver in the days leading up to opening)