“We want to be more of a social club,” Bickel said of the 850 members.
So after the last restaurant left the Elks — probably the fifth to come and go the last seven years — Bickel and other trustees met with Rick Shteiwi, whose family operates restaurants throughout Butler County. It didn’t take long before Bickel realized it was time to turn over the food service to the Shteiwi family.
“They brought something that we didn’t have: experience,” Bickel said. “Their name is well known throughout Butler County and we are very fortunate they came here.”
The family opened Silver Tee Kitchen and Craft Bar two weeks ago, and business has been "very steady," said Braheam Shteiwi, the general manager and Rick's son. He said about 200 dined in the restaurant Friday night.
While the Elks Golf Club is private, except for outings, the Silver Tee is open to the public. The restaurant offers an extensive lunch and dinner menu, and Braheam Shteiwi said all dishes are prepared fresh in the kitchen.
He realizes opening a restaurant in a location in a graveyard for dreams offers its challenges.
“We have to blow them away,” he said. “We can’t even be close to average. Some people probably are sick of trying this location. That’s why we have to be at our best. We have to get that bad taste out of their mouths.”
When asked why he believes the Silver Tee can shine, he said: “We are good at this. We eat and breathe this. We love this business.”
Shteiwi, 29, who trained under his father and others at Gold Star Chili and MIA’s in Oxford, was taught that leadership starts at the top. He said a restaurant can only be as good as its general manager. That means there will be days when he opens and closes.
“You have to watch everything,” he said of a manager’s role. “I need to watch the customers come in, where they sit, what they order and when they are served. You’ve got to be here.”
Then he added: “One failed table is like poison.”
The dining room has a capacity of about 160 with 85 seats in the main room, 40 in a private area and 35 in the bar area. There also is a larger banquet facility and Rick Shteiwi said it’s already booked for New Year’s Eve.
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