A fixture at the Statesboro Mall for more than 40 years, Vandy’s Restaurant will close for good on January 31, owner Darin Van Tassell announced Tuesday. Vandy’s on Vine, however, is getting a week-long “sprucing up,” Van Tassell said, and will re-open the dining room on Monday with “exciting plans for the future.”
Van Tassell said the lease for the restaurant ends Jan. 31 and he and his partners in DVT Enterprises, which purchased Vandy’s in September, decided not to renew.
“It was a decision that was tough to make, but the future of Vandy’s is bright,” said Van Tassell, who owns The Clubhouse entertainment complex on Old Register Road and is a co-owner and president of the Tormenta FC Major League Soccer League One franchise.
Van Tassell confirmed the restaurant’s closing following the Vandy’s on Vine restaurant receiving approval for a beer and wine license from the Statesboro City Council.
“We had been looking at Vandy’s for quite a while,” Van Tassell said. “The purchase actually took place in late September as part of DVT Enterprises. Vandy’s also has some outside investors who all have Statesboro ties.”
Van Tassell’s attention is now focused on the downtown Vandy’s restaurant with some “touch-ups’ ongoing this week.
“It is being thoroughly cleaned,” he said. “On the inside, the paneling will be removed. It will have fresh paint. You don’t change the dimensions on the inside of a building that has been there since the 1940s. Of course, we will retain the real barbecue feel and it will have of tons of character. The outside will have a fresh coat of paint.
“Vandy’s will always be an important part of downtown Statesboro and we will build on the history of Vandy’s as the signature barbecue in Statesboro.”
One addition about to get underway is an outdoor, covered patio area to be built on part of the parking lot on the east side of the restaurant. Van Tassell said construction will begin immediately and he hopes to have it ready for customers by the middle of February.
Michael Blackmon, who is the food manager for The Clubhouse and DVT’s catering group, will manage Vandy’s on Vine.
“The patio will open up about 40 additional seats,” Blackmon said. “It will be a fun area. We’re kicking around ideas of an area where kids and young people can enjoy themselves. Perhaps Cornhole or some kind of yard game. I want people to want to come here for happy hour. Live music every Friday.
“It doesn’t get much better for me than enjoying a cold beer, eating some barbecue and listening to live music. That’s perfection for me. Enjoy the outside. It’s the best sunset in Statesboro on West Vine.”
Van Tassell said Vandy’s on Vine will continue to offer the barbecue favorites and breakfast items customers have come to love.
“Folks will be delighted to know that the menu will have all the items that have always been at the downtown restaurant,” he said. “Like any restaurant, we may experiment with some new items from time to time and see if folks like them.”
Blackmon, a Charleston native who has worked in the restaurant industry for 20 years, said they plan to build on the traditions of Vandy’s storied past with food items that complement the restaurant’s core barbecue specialty.
“Vandy’s will still have that warm feel of when you walk into the restaurant,” he said. “Ms. Reneta who’s been taking your order for the past five years will still be taking your order.
“I want to find something in addition that we will do really well. Brisket, for example, is something that I just want to perfect. I want there to be a line out the door when we have brisket at 11 a.m. and sell out because of how unbelievable Vandy’s brisket is.”
Van Tassell and Blackmon also envision Vandy’s and other restaurants downtown creating a synergy that will be a strong catalyst for bringing people and business downtown.
“When the Vandy’s opportunity came along, I shared Darin’s excitement to be part of the history of Vandy’s and to make a really great product even better,” Blackmon said. “The downtown location is key. When I moved here a year and a half ago, I found a cool little loft downtown above L.A. Waters and I was able to walk to Sugar Magnolia and the brewery and now Bull & Barrel and Tandoor and Tap.”
“With the change to allow open container beer and wine beverage in downtown, part of my excitement was talking with the other restaurant owners and managers about the possibilities. This could be a driver for getting the downtown vibration really jump started.”
In July, the Statesboro City Council approved an open container ordinance that will allow adults 21 and older to carry beer and wine in paper and plastic cups no larger than 20 ounces, one at a time, outside in a defined area of downtown that includes Vandy’s.
“It really made sense for us to join what are some thriving restaurants in the downtown area – Bull & Barrel, Tandoor and Tap, Sugar Magnolia, Eagle Creek,” Van Tassell said. “We’re all trying to support each other in terms of how do we best drive that traffic amongst each other. The owners are really of the opinion that helping each other helps our own businesses.”
The drive-thru at Vandy’s on Vine is open now. The inside dining room will reopen Monday. The restaurant’s hours will remain unchanged – 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday. Van Tassell said when the deck is finished, they may expand hours on certain evenings.
“Vandy’s has been around since 1929,” Van Tassell said. “It has stood the test of time and I am honored to carry its iconic name into the future and, hopefully, add our own stamp to its history.”