SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
It took a lot longer than expected and the brewing tanks are still dry, but The Woodyard is finally open.

The staff at The Woodyard, server/bartender Ashley Collings, back row left, server Andree Amirault, co-owner and head brewer Fletcher Stevens, co-owner Miranda Stevens, server Carmen Griffin, brewery manager Devin Vranckaert, bartender Thomas Bentham, and in the front row server Claire Brookes and cook Joshua Biscay, stand behind the bar of the newly opened Old Town restaurant. - Karen K. Ho/NNSL photo

The flagship bar and restaurant of the NWT Brewing Company opened its doors for a soft launch this past weekend for two lunch services on Friday and Saturday.

"I think it was a great success," co-owner and head brewer Fletcher Stevens told Yellowknifer after the last customers trickled out around 5 pm, two hours later than the scheduled window of 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. "It was well-received."

At around 1 p.m. in the afternoon, the lines in the front entrance and vestibule of the Old Town establishment meant waits of 20 to 30 minutes.

Still, customers like Carter Sterling and Erik Bellefleur said the wait had been worth it as they dug into their buttermilk chicken burgers and craft beers on tap like the Blue Buck Amber.

"I used to live in Montreal, and Yellowknife was severely lacking in the sense of a place with good beers and good food," said Bellefleur from his place on the right corner of the bar. "It's great we have this place."

"It's clear Yellowknifers want this place," said Sterling.

The restaurant said it had a limited menu before rolling out a full one on Friday. However, diners still had the option of items such as beer cheese fries, scotch eggs, Woodyard nachos, street-style pork tacos, smoked Great Slave Lake trout rillette (a preparation of meat similar to pate), a two-patty shack burger, popular short-rib beef dip sandwich, as well as three kinds of thin-crust pizza: margarita, wild mushroom and "parma-bam".

There were also eight kinds of craft beer on tap, ranging from 4.2 per cent to 6.5 per cent alcohol by volume.

While co-owner Miranda Stevens dealt with front-of-house service, many customers also purchased merchandise hand-sold by Fletcher from a cabinet near the front entrance.

This past Saturday, the last call for food ended up being around 3:15 p.m. and the last call for drinks happened about 30 minutes later. At 4:33 p.m., the staff exchanged a round of high-fives while figuring out their tallies for the day.

Head bartender Ken Pon said it was busier than expected, with lots of comments about the food, decor, service and of course, the beer.

"There were some small hiccups, but it'll only get better and smoother," he said.

Pon and Stevens said the most popular items over the last two days were the beef dip and the shack burger. They also said there was a lineup at 11 a.m.

"No one objected to the wait," Stevens said, estimating the time needed for a table fluctuated between 10 and 25 minutes. He also acknowledged the crowds impacted the kitchen's output, but said most customers told him the food was worth the wait.

As for the future, Pon and Stevens said The Woodyard is planning to hold off on taking reservations for private events due to the administrative staff required, though they should be ready to do so by the new year.

"We're still working on the system and the new team," Pon said.

Stevens said the plan is to be open on today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and then 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner.

The company plans to close the restaurant tomorrow to get things ready for the official grand opening scheduled Friday when the full menu is also set to make its debut. Business hours will also be extended for the event from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., the same hours as on Saturdays.

Stevens said the restaurant will be closed on Sundays for the first little while.

"We want to make sure we do everything right," he said, adding his cheeks hurt from smiling so much. "Someone told me today, 'It's just so good to see somebody's dreams come true.'"

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.