The Quarrier Diner, an iconic art deco restaurant in downtown Charleston, has changed hands, and George West, the new owner of the restaurant, is hoping to bring in a new generation of customers.
Less than a day after serving 167 people during Sunday brunch, West said it's his hope to improve upon the work that Anna Pollitt, the previous owner, has already built.
But that doesn't mean that things aren't changing.
Whether it's the menu choices, the drink options at the bar or building renovations, West is working to change many of the operational routines of the historic restaurant.
West said the diner should be a place where someone can get normal diner fare - a burger and fries - but it also should be a place where customers can get a gluten-free flatbread.
With a master's degree in business administration, West said he is hoping to improve the service at the restaurant and introduce new attractions to the business, like hosting live music on weekends.
The historic diner closed in 1999, and was on the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia's endangered properties list when Anna and Dave Pollitt offered in 2010 to buy and reopen the restaurant.
They bought the diner later that year and began to renovate it the following year. But the Pollitts' son, Tim, who was to play a big role in managing the restaurant, died of a head injury from a fall that year.
The diner opened with a bistro-type menu, then closed for several months in 2013 and reopened with a menu that better reflected the diner's roots. (Timothy's, a bar in the basement of the Quarrier Diner, remained open the whole time.)
While West took over the restaurant at the beginning of July, he has worked at the diner for several years, first as a cook and later as the restaurant's manager.
Running a restaurant isn't new for West. His family has run an Italian restaurant in California for years. He hopes that experience will pay off.
"I hope to bring a little of that flair, as well," he said.
Customers visiting the restaurant can expect to see more beer options on tap, an expanded menu and a bigger focus on customer service, he said.
It's his goal, West said, to get more young people visiting the restaurant and coming back on a regular basis.
His motto: "Think outside the box."
Reach Andrew Brown at andrew.brown@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4814 or follow @Andy_Ed_Brown on Twitter.