Cheers Pub in Roseland gets new renovation and new restaurant Woodiel's inside
Mary Shown
Ian Woodiel said the proposition came out of nowhere. The 29-year-old chef — who has 14 years experience in such kitchens as LaSalle Grill, CJ's Pub and most recently Spirited — was sitting on his couch playing video games when a friend asked him to join a venture.
"My buddy Steve (Mihaljevic) says 'Hey, … i just bought Cheers and wanted to add something new and how do you feel about doing that?'" Woodiel recalled. "He offered me an ownership stake in it and I can't really pass up on that. I can't not take that risk."
Woodiel will open his namesake restaurant Woodiel's (pronounced wood-ell-s) inside Cheers Pub at 103 South Dixie Way in Roseland. The new restaurant will take over the kitchen portion of the pub, in what was formerly Four Horsemen Pizza.
The new menu will feature items that Woodiel calls scratch-made bar food and feature classic items with a higher-end quality and presentation that include cider steamed mussels, 2-foot long hot dogs, homemade pretzels, caprese salads, burgers, steaks and salmon. It's a place, Woodiel says, that will "make high quality food that is fun and accessible and not stuffy."
But Woodiel isn't totally starting from scratch. The deal also includes the recipe for Four Horseman Pizza, which Woodiel said he has no plans of changing, allowing him to pay homage to the history of the business.
"We are going to keep the pizzas because we have two humongous pizza ovens back there and because why wouldn't I?" he said. "… It's popular and it gives previous customers something that they are comfortable with right out the gate."
Woodiel hopes to reveal the new menu early next month, but that's not the only thing that will be different. Cheers Pub itself is getting a facelift.
Along with Mihaljevic, co-owners Mikey and Nikki Trix purchased the business Dec. 23, 2019. Mikey Trix used to play on the stage at Cheers and run the open mic night there. When the opportunity came to buy the bar, he also said "why not?"
"I've always loved Cheers," Trix said. "We started coming back here in the past couple of years and heard the owner was interested in selling. We jumped right on it. We would love and continue the legacy, give it a face lift and show it off how it deserves."
The 87-seat bar/restaurant will get new ceilings, flooring, walls and furniture. The new aesthetic, Trix says, will be like an 1980's arcade bar theme with neon lights and up to 10 free-to-play arcade games.
"Imagine if a modern bar looked like Tron," he said. "That is the look we're going for."
Trix anticipates the construction to be complete within two months. He plans to keep the business open during the renovation, with the majority of the work being done on Sundays and Mondays when they are closed. Once the restaurant opens in February, the pub will be open Sunday and there will be a chance in the future to open for lunch as well.
The 21-and older bar will also become non-smoking inside. A new back and front patio, however, will accommodate smokers.
And the stage will continue to accommodate live musicians and aspiring comedians, an entertainment stable of Cheers for decades.
"We'll still keep the live music and still keep the karaoke and comedy nights," Woodiel said. "It's probably the coolest stage in town, so we have to use it."
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