Friday, October 3, 2008

Team takes over down under

Ketchum’s Cellar Pub changes hands

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By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

Paige Griffith, left, and Kristin Derrig make up half the new ownership group of the Cellar Pub. Taking over from bar founder Damon Ferrari on Wednesday, the new owners have some minor changes planned for the near future, including opening at 11 a.m. on Sundays so patrons can watch football on two new large-screen televisions. Photo by David N. Seelig

Popular Ketchum bar and restaurant the Cellar Pub changed ownership on Wednesday, though no major alterations are planned.

Damon Ferrari, who opened the Cellar Pub in 2000, began considering the possibility of selling it in June to coincide with his imminent move from the Wood River Valley.

After hearing of the possible sale, Kristin Derrig and Paige Griffith began to consider purchasing the bar one night at Whiskey Jacques', which Derrig has managed for the past 10 years.

"It's amazing that something we talked about one night in a bar actually happened," said Griffith, who is also a co-owner of Sushi on Second.

Joining the pair in the business venture are Roger Roland, Griffith's partner at the Ketchum sushi restaurant, and Bob Dunn, owner of the former Warm Springs Ranch Restaurant and current manager of the grill at the Bigwood Golf Course.

While there is a strong possibility that Dunn's influence will be felt in the kitchen and on the menu, only a few changes are planned.

With the addition of two flat-screen televisions in the downstairs portion of the bar, the Cellar Pub will now open at 11 a.m. on Sundays to give professional football fans an alternative venue to watch games.

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"We wanted to fill the void that came about when Whiskey's was destroyed," Derrig said.

The Cellar Pub will also open an hour earlier, at 4 p.m., the rest of the week, to provide food and drink for the après-ski crowd.

The pool table is likely to go, to make room for more tables and other games, but the fan-favorite shuffle board table will remain, along with the current staff.

"It's a bit unnerving to buy a business right now, when last year was a loss and this year is only starting to recover," Griffith said. "But it's reassuring that we have the responsibility spread over the four of us and we wanted to keep the Cellar locally owned."