Construction is well underway on Terry B’s in downtown Dexter as the familiar restaurant is being reworked into its next life.
Opened eleven years ago, Terry B’s has been a destination for fine dining in and around the Dexter community with an upscale menu, bar and outdoor seating overlooking Main Street. But upscale dining in Dexter has been a tough sell over the years. The elegant North Pointe Restaurant, which was located in the Monument Building where Aubree’s now is, lasted only a few years.
A&W owner Coley O’ Brien purchased Terry B’s late last summer and in speaking to Dexter Rotary last January told the group that in its eleven years of operation, Terry B’s has never made a profit. In describing his struggle over how to move the restaurant forward, Coley said to the group, “For the past eleven years, every year that restaurant has lost money. I ask you rhetorically, ‘What would you do?’”
His thought process at first was “everything must be changed”, but after enjoying a great meal at Terry B’s with his family, Coley began to consider the notion that “what we have here is a messaging problem.” But after much review and study, he finally settled on the creation of a new idea while retaining some of the old.
Coley describes the new vision: “When we re-open, Chef Boon will continue his tradition of using fresh, house made, locally sourced ingredients to create his masterpieces. We have retained a couple of the most popular dishes from Terry B’s but have also completely reconstructed the menu. Our focus will be on high quality food prepared using fresh ingredients with simple, plain spoken descriptions and presentation. We have re-focused our menu on more affordable and flexible options with an emphasis on convenience and choice.”
He is hoping to have the remodel finished in 6-8 weeks, just in time for warmer weather and dining outdoors on a spacious deck overlooking Main Street. When the new restaurant opens, it will be known as The Fillmore Bar & Grill. The name is new, but the feeling is familiar.
“We will represent a place of community”, Coley says. “A relaxed, friendly gathering place, maintaining the highest quality food and service while transforming into an approachable, accessible and sought out destination for any and all generations to enjoy…whether for a special occasion or a casual family meal.”
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