By Ben Rodgers
Editor
HOWARD – A longtime Howard establishment will close its doors at the end of the month, only to have a new business take over by March.
Legends Brewhouse & Eatery at 2840 Shawano Ave. will close its doors on Jan. 26, said owner Jay Gosser.
Gosser declined to comment further, but according to its website, Legends has been open in the area since 1998.
On Feb. 1, Scott Vann, owner of Plank Road Pub & Grill in De Pere will start the remodeling process.
Vann said he hopes to have Narrow Bridge Brewhouse open to the public by March 1.
“The idea really is to make sure that with two locations we’re focused on both and neither one of these slips away from us in a process of trying to spin plates,” Vann said.
Located at 1631 Mid Valley Dr., in De Pere, Plank Road is named as a tribute to the first roadway connecting Green Bay to Fond du Lac, a wooden plank road commissioned in the mid 1800s.
Narrow Bridge Brewhouse borrows from Howard history in its name, coming from a single lane bridge on Hillcrest Heights that was open into the 1980s.
“We really want to be respectful of that and also bring something unique to the Howard area that they can call their own,” Vann said.
He said that’s part of the goal, not to impose anything on the Howard community, but rather come into a place and give people what they are looking for.
Narrow Bridge will be similar to Plank Road in the fact that both offer what Vann called “twisted up pub food.”
“One of the things we try to do is put those things you would expect to see on the menu, but when you actually order it the response we’re going for is ‘I didn’t expect that,’” he said. “We’re trying to meet everybody’s expectations and then blow them away.”
He said the Howard area also has a demand for higher-end steak and seafood, which will be on the menu as well, at a reasonable price.
Vann said the environment inside Narrow Bridge will be a safe one where people can come and have fun every night of the week.
“We’re really targeting people that are looking for fun, and we believe in something better, and that’s what we give our customers.”
Music on the weekends is a staple at Plank Road, and one that will continue at Narrow Bridge.
Because the new space will be larger, Vann said Narrow Bridge will have a permanent stage, which will give the establishment “a little bit of a Nashville feel.”
An outdoor patio will also be coming in the future.
Vann also said phase two of the operation will be to start brewing beer at Narrow Bridge.
When it does open he plans to double the number of tap lines to 24.
“This is so nice and unique for the community we’re in, we really want to be respectful for that and also bring something unique to the Howard area that they can call their own,” he said.
Vann’s brother Shaun VanEnkenvort, a partner in ownership, will continue as front house manager at Plank Road and will take over that duty at Narrow Bridge as well.