The Pub in Chatham is under new ownership, as a pair of young entrepreneurs take a chance on the local eatery.
DaNiel Tebear and Zachary Hoel, both 26, are now in charge of the restaurant, which is the only full-service bar and restaurant in Chatham. The previous ownership had reopened the Pub after it had been closed for a couple of years, but sold it to enter into retirement. But for Tebear and Hoel, the changeover was an opportunity to be their own bosses.
“We wanted to be able to run things our way, which includes a lot of things from how the menu should look to community involvement,” Tebear said. “After working in the corporate world, you want to run things the way they ought to be ran.”
Living near St. Louis, the two wanted to find a way back to the Upper Peninsula after moving to the Missouri city for educational pursuits. Both worked for a large grocery chain in the area, but felt the need to return to the area.
Instead of working for someone else, or starting up a business, the pair looked into buying The Pub.
“We were already looking for a way to come back up here and we knew we needed a job when we did. There wasn’t enough money for the overhead cost on a new business, so when this came along instead, we had to take a serious look at it,” Hoel said.
At just 26, Hoel and Tebear are the youngest owners of a liquor license in Alger County. The pair says that their age might be viewed as a challenge, but they are ready for any challenges with a large amount of workers staying on staff through the change.
“When it comes to being younger and owning a business, some people may get an idea that we aren’t as established, but we have got ideas and senior staff to help us along the way,” Tebear said. “We have a lot of experience under our belt for being this young.”
There are no major changes expected to the business immediately, but the new ownership has been paying attention to requests from the regulars about what should stay or go. Pizzas have been cut from the menu, but so far, the changes have focused on business operations and not things that would impact the customer experience.
“We love the atmosphere here very much. It’s a warm and lively place, so we want to keep it that way,” Tebear said.
