Clam chowder, fried chicken, roast beef. The family recipes are ready for cookin' as one of Jefferson City's historic restaurants reopens in a new light.
Entrepreneur Sean Veit met a major milestone this weekend on his long journey to bring back the family business. The son of the former Veit's Restaurant owner, the late Mike Veit, Sean has opened a new establishment using the family name.
Veit's Pub and Grill officially opened its doors Thursday evening. The bar opened with customers gained via word of mouth and social media. A soft opening of the restaurant tested Sean's employees Friday evening, and the full restaurant and bar were open to everyone Saturday.
The new restaurant, located at 2314 Lorenzo Green Drive, is cooking up familiar favorites after 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. After a few weeks of operation, Veit's will open at 11 a.m., serving lunch as well.
"I'm just excited to be bringing Veit's back. I've been trying to do it for a long time," Sean said in anticipation of the grand opening.
Veit hopes to bring customers the same great service and taste once offered by his parents and grandparents. He has fashioned the restaurant after an old west saloon, with a separate sports bar complete with several TVs. A dining room, bar area and outdoor patio provide nearly 300 seats for guests. The entire building has been renovated to Veit's specifications after he nearly gutted the existing building.
And, he's not done yet.
"We're going to dress it up a little more. But I couldn't hold off on the opening any longer," Sean explained.
Veit's has created 25 new jobs for the community and with the opening, Sean asks that customers bear with his staff as they work out any kinks in the system.
"I know we're going to have problems," but hopefully mistakes will only be made once, and then be fixed, he noted.
Anticipation of the grand opening has been great, Sean said. The restaurant's social media response as well as many phone calls and stop-ins has reassured the new owner that Veit's still has a place right here in Jefferson City.
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