January is a season of celebration for BevRidge Public as the bar and pub commemorates its first anniversary this month.
BevRidge Public, located at 4315 S. Settler Drive in Ridgefield, has grown and exceeded owner Ashley and Charlie Gurrad’s initial business aspirations over the past year. “We just wanted something little, where people would trickle in and out and enjoy each other’s company. It’s grown into this kind of big and beautiful monster that keeps up busy,” Ashley Gurrad said. “It’s bigger than we imagined, in the best ways possible.”
Their plans for BevRidge Public began in 2019. They wanted to create a restaurant where patrons could enjoy their evening in a family-friendly, “quintessential Ridgefield” style, Ashley Gurrad said.
Charlie Gurrad devised the restaurant’s name, as a punny homage to Ridgefield.
“We tossed around a lot of names, and said this almost as a joke,” he Gurrad said. “Once you see it, it makes a lot of sense.”
The menu reflects the Gurrads’ goal of elevating typical bar-style fare, Ashley Gurrad said.
“The makeup of the menu leaned towards all of our guilty pleasures, toward the things you crave. We describe it as upscale bar food," Ashley Gurrad said. “We do our best to source as locally as possible.”
The BevRidge smash burger is the most popular item on the menu, and Charlie Gurrad’s personal favorite. Ashley Gurrad particularly enjoys the pasta offerings, such as the Tuscan sausage pasta and buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese.
BevRidge Public’s bar features local craft beers and distilled spirits. Beer and ales from Washington-based breweries like Ridgefield Craft Beer, Brothers Cascadia, Exit 16 and Victor 23 are on tap. The bar’s distilled spirits include products from Vancouver’s Quartz Mountain Distillers. The wines come from Washington wineries such as 14 Acres, Confluence and Windy Hills.
Though the menu and bar offerings keep customers entertained and excited, Ashley Gurrad said she believes hospitality is the key to BevRidge Public’s success.
“I think that’s what will set us apart, and what has set us apart,” she said. “We don’t make it if butts aren’t in seats, and butts are in seats only if they feel like they are appreciated.”
Ashley and Charlie Gurrad said they are excited to celebrate BevRidge Public’s success and hope to see the restaurant become self-sufficient over the next year.
“We’ve had about three days total off, combined, since we opened,” Charlie Gurrad said. “We’re looking forward to turning the reins over to staff and managers a bit more.”
The restaurant’s growth has been a bittersweet experience, Ashley Gurrad said. Her love for customer service and having a personal relationship with patrons keeps her coming back. She expects she will continue to help during busy days, even after the restaurant's operations are turned over to managers and staff.
BevRidge Public is celebrating its anniversary with a special all-day event from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16. For more information, visit bevridgepublic.com.
