It was just three years ago that Dennis Crouse and Rick Riggs began operating RePerks and now they are setting the table for a new venture.
Their new restaurant will be a separate entity, located next door to RePerks in the Zarah Building at Lakin & Main where construction is ongoing. Its name is Tellers 1872. RePerks is a coffee house/café.
“A new downtown restaurant has been near the top of the MyTown wish list for years,” said Riggs, general manager. “The fire early this year resulted in closing RePerks for a short while to deal with the smoke damage. However, it gave us the opportunity to review our plans and move forward.
“It is the only good thing that came from that fire. Thanks to the excellent response by the Great Bend Fire Department we still have a building for RePerks and Tellers 1872.”
The Jan. 19 fire caused approximately $150,000 in damage to several businesses. Magna-Dry quickly took care of the smoke damage at RePerks.
The new restaurant will open this fall, featuring a weekday buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The dinner schedule is 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The menu at lunch will be comfort foods, with fried chicken every day, one or two other entrees, and side dishes. Comfort food also will be served for dinner, along with a variety of steaks. Prime rib and steaks are on the menu every night.
Beer and wine will be available at Tellers 1872 when licensure requirements are met. In the interim, customers may bring their own.
The goal is to have 12 new employees for the kitchen and wait staffs; applications are available at RePerks, 1216 Main. The restaurant’s capacity is 50 people.
“Great Bend residents have been asking for an American-food buffet and restaurant forever,” Riggs said. “Dennis and I will bring the same good service, good food and good prices that our RePerks’ customers enjoy every day.”
Riggs has almost 50 years of experience in hospitality and food service after working in hotels and stand-alone restaurants in many positions, including management.
“I never really envisioned all of this,” Riggs commented. “We were just a little coffee shop but quickly learned we also had to offer food to make a go of it. And now we are opening a full-service restaurant.”
Dennis Crouse, owner of RePerks and Tellers 1872, is a Barton County native. “I love this community and want to take this next step in dishing up good food with good service. Rick and I will do all we can to make the new venture as appealing and popular as ReParks continues to be.”
Sheryl Cheely, MyTown board member, is excited and a bit relieved that the new dining spot will open in a few months.
“This has been a dream for all of us at MyTown,” Cheely commented. “People have been asking for this for a long, long time. Dennis and Rick should be commended for listening to and accommodating the community. We encourage everyone to support both their ventures.”
MyTown is an organization that has purchased buildings with private money and encourages entrepreneurs to open businesses. It offers advice and guidance to new business owners.
