>> Bill's Donut Shop to help Tennessee storm victims — and this time it's personal
Multiple improvements are in the works.
“We will start with a standard remodel, with new floors, upgraded paneling, and some repairs to the bar,” Rothwell said. “We will upgrade the kitchen, install a hood and a flat-top grill and a fryer. We want to serve top-of-the-line bar food. And we will bring in some top-shelf bourbons” to the nearly two dozen beer taps, most devoted to craft brews.
>> ALSO NEW TODAY: PARTY TIME! What to know about Dayton's biggest and baddest St. Patrick's Day bashes
Credit: Mark Fisher
Credit: Mark Fisher
Plans also call for adding some live music and DJs, as well as karaoke and trivia nights.
Rothwell, who loves to hunt and fish, said he will introduce an outdoor theme that will give the bar a bit of a lodge feel.
“We will still be a hometown sports bar, but it will have more of an outdoor tone,” he said.
Rothwell served as general manager of the Little York Tavern in Butler Twp. for several years, and before that, he oversaw a Little York Tavern Pizza franchise operation in Franklin from 1995-2001.
>> ALSO NEW TODAY: Fairborn group wants to reopen theater: 'We don't want it to sit here empty any more'
“I wanted to get back into the business and work for myself,” Rothwell said about his decision to purchase the Pour Haus. “With my 21 years in the food business, and even more years than that in management, I wanted to run my own place. I wanted to control my own destiny.”
Rothwell has no intention of renaming the pub. “Everybody knows the Pour Haus name,” he said.
>> BEST OF DAYTON: Where to find the best BBQ in town
The space has housed a sports pub for decades, with names such as Screamers and The Ritz, and became JD’s Pour Haus by the mid-1990s. It changed hands a few times until 2012, when it was purchased by Jerry Gordon and Joe Lakatos, who maintained ownership until selling it to Rothwell a few weeks ago.
Credit: Mark Fisher
Credit: Mark Fisher
“We've had a great run, and it's time to pass the torch,” Gordon and Lakatos said in a Feb. 19 post on the Pour Haus Facebook page. “We would just like to thank you for all of the amazing times and your continued support. We have had the pleasure to get to know you and made friendships that will last a lifetime. It has been our honor to serve you and love you with all our hearts.”
>> Raising Cane's breaks ground on 3rd Dayton-area restaurant, sets opening
Kenneth Hattan, president of Acquisition Services, Inc. in Washington Twp., acted as the business broker and represented the seller in the transaction. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
About the Author
