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Left to Right, Ron Mitchell, Liz Mitchell, Adam Rodrick, Nicole Rodrick, Cooper Rodrick, Tate Rodrick, Nirvana Spies, Eloise Spies, Haley Merel, Madison Danneman, Erik Anderson. -
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By Crystal Reith
Adam and Nicole Rodrick hope their new venture, the Backyard Bar and Grill, will offer a welcoming place where everyone can relax and enjoy a good, affordable meal without long wait times.
“We wanted to create something with more of a family atmosphere,” said Adam, a Peoria, Illinois native.
While owning a restaurant has always been a dream for Adam, the Slayton couple originally bought the property west of the race track simply for the space.
“I saw it was for sale, so we met with the previous owners, Brent and Heidi Mathiason,” said Nicole.
“It just kind of fell into our lap,” said Adam. “And as time went on, we decided to open it up and give it a shot.”
Nicole, a 2014 Murray County Central graduate, grew up going to the Royal Loon, where her parents once worked. She now works in home health care. Adam, a 2005 high school graduate, is a truck driver by trade.
The couple opened the doors during the Murray County Fair and with assistance from Nicole’s parents, Ron and Liz Mitchell, have been remodeling and adding to the establishment ever since.
“We are working on remodeling the back bar to have an enclosed outdoor patio. Once that is done we hope to have weddings,” said Adam. “We also plan on putting a front patio for outside eating and want to add a kids’ area. We want everyone to enjoy themselves, kids included.”
When it came to choosing a name, the couple wanted something that reflected both their location and vision.
“We felt like we’re in the backyard of a lot of people,” said Adam. “And the backyard is a place where people hang out, eat and relax.”
The family oriented bar and grill has a menu that features barbecue and Mexican favorites.
“The menu is different from everybody else. Everything comes from family,” said Adam. “They are all recipes we had growing up. I enjoy seeing people enjoy my recipes.”
Backyard Bar and Grill is open 4 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The couple plans to expand hours soon, adding an 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. breakfast buffet. They also hope to hire more staff and host more events.
“We plan on doing monthly events and having daily specials,” said Adam. “Come try us out.”
