April Pennington-Farey, the owner of the Firehouse Restaurant, smiles as she stands in front of the counter Wednesday afternoon in Winlock.
The Firehouse Restaurant is located at 408 NE First St., Winlock.
April Pennington-Farey, the owner of the Firehouse Restaurant, wipes a tear from her eye as she shares a story of her father Wednesday afternoon in Winlock.
The owner of the Firehouse Restaurant, April Pennington-Farey, shares stories about her customers Wednesday afternoon in Winlock.
An employee at the Firehouse Restaurant hangs up the day's special board Tuesday afternoon in Winlock.
Conventional wisdom says that it’s impossible for a new eatery to be too busy opening week, but the Firehouse Restaurant in sleepy downtown Winlock managed to do just that last month.
After a well-received if ordinary soft opening Aug. 3, the Firehouse opened up again the next day and wound up with a clamoring full house and an anxious line of aspiring patrons backing out the door onto First Street.
It was at that critical juncture that the cook walked out the swinging doors never to return.
Finding herself at a loss in an instant, owner April Pennington-Farey decided to cut her losses, so she stopped seating tables, issued apologies in spades and pleaded with the disappointed patrons to give her restaurant another shot at a later date.
It didn’t take long for Pennington-Farey, a resilient woman, to retool her staff with personnel better suited to the hectic environment. She reopened the doors to the Firehouse Restaurant to the public again on Aug. 6.
According to Pennington-Farey, the second attempt was a resounding success, and she hasn’t had time to look back since.
“I think Winlock has had withdrawals of chicken fried steaks,” said Pennington-Farey, who noted the Firehouse grill stayed hot cooking up a whopping 126 bread-battered, gravy-slathered chuck steaks the first full week the restaurant was open.
The Firehouse Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Pennington-Faey is working hard to expand the menu to match the tastes of her clientele, including a first-rate salad bar that has “more than just baby corn.”
“The people of Winlock deserve something nice. They’ve all been so supportive,” said Pennington-Farey. “We want people to come in and enjoy a dining experience and tell us what else they want to see.”
So far, the Firehouse is offering a well-rounded selection of staple comfort foods including dinner specials five days a week. Sundays are reserved for meatloaf, Tuesdays feature all-you-can-eat spaghetti, Wednesdays are set aside for New York steaks, Thursday’s centerpiece is barbecue ribs and Fridays are commemorated with prime rib.
“There’s plenty of homemade food here,” said Pennington-Farey, who also offers a fresh house soup each day.
With the kinks worked out, the Firehouse Restaurant is now getting prepared for the grand opening on Oct. 7. That night will feature a barbecue salmon celebration in conjunction with The Club Tavern, where Pennington-Farey has fulfilled several tenures as a trusty barkeep. To mark the occasion, Pennington-Farey will temporarily reprise her role pouring drinks in a one-off appearance as bartender at The Club.
“I do miss it,” admitted Pennington-Farey, who has an obvious gift for gab and affinity for her assorted regulars, whether they’ve been hungry or thirsty over the years.
There’s even been talk about revamping the old lounge in the Firehouse, but so far Pennington-Farey says she’s keeping the area reserved for additional seating in the restaurant.
“I”ve been asked over and over to reopen it as a lounge because they have great memories, and so do I. I mean, I worked here,” said Pennington-Farey, “But the bottom line is it’s time for a change. There’s two other bars in this town already.”
Over the years, other businesses have tried and failed in the current footprint of the Firehouse Restaurant.
Most recently, the building took another turn as a restaurant occupied the space for about three months at the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2017 before the owner closed up shop. With 40 plus years of experience in bars and restaurants under her apron strings, Pennington is confident she has what it takes to see that the Firehouse Restaurant succeeds.
What’s more, Pennington-Farey harbors a special sentimentality to the Firehouse location. That’s because she worked there back when it was owned by Pat Smith and known as The Shamrock. Later on, one of her daughters earned her stripes as a waitress serving those same tables and many of the same patrons. Now, mother and daughter are using their combined knowhow to answer the call at The Firehouse side by side.
“It means more than just throwing a plate out the window,” said Pennington-Farey.
The Firehouse Restaurant is located 408 NE First St., Winlock, and can be reached by telephone at 360-785-6406.
