Oak Tree in Woodland set to reopen this spring

Posted

A Woodland staple is set to return this spring.

On Feb. 17, painters sized up the outside of the Oak Tree building just off Interstate 5, as they looked to see what spots needed another layer of color. The building has been more or less vacant since April of 2019 when management at that time shut its doors after financial woes.

Now, signs of life are returning to the property.

The sign of the business still hails the closed spot as a place to gamble. 

Muriel Stanton, who along with her partner Jennifer Johnson, run the new iteration of the Woodland establishment, said the current project will return to the site’s pre-gambling roots. When it opens, there won’t be card tables or other gambling in the building. Stanton said the goal for the business is to establish the Oak Tree’s focus on entertainment for all.

“We wanted to go back to the roots of this,” Stanton said. “This was a family restaurant and it was known for everything being made from scratch.”

The new business hosted a hiring event on Feb. 20 at Stanton and Johnson’s Adeline Farms, an event center near Woodland. Stanton said that prior to the hiring event, they had already selected an executive chef, Nate Dahrens, who will help build the restaurant’s “everything from scratch” mantra.

“We will even culture our own sour cream,” Stanton said. “Pasta made in-house. We’re bringing the bakery back.”

She said a section of the menu will be called “memory lane” with the most-requested dishes from the Oak Tree’s prior existence. She said the large cinnamon roll, beet salad and a “bankruptcy stew,” which will now be dubbed the prosperity stew, will return. Stanton said certain days will feature a prime rib night and Sunday brunch will be a staple.

The sign looming over the building will see minor adjustments to get rid of the site’s gambling past. The sign, which was grandfathered in after a state law on interstate signage, will feature more energy-efficient LED lighting when the changes are made.

Stanton said the Oak Tree consists of several business buildings that are in close proximity, which proved to be a challenge when undertaking the restoration work. She recounted how the current building owner Jose Guitron came into ownership of the building after he was approached by community members who wanted to see the establishment return to its former glory.

By September the purchase was finalized, and in October a Facebook group for the business became active, as it teased the restaurant’s reopening.

Guitron, who runs La Casa Tapatia near the Oak Tree, said he felt owning the building is a way to give back to a community that made it possible for him to grow his own business pursuits.

Guitron first encountered Stanton and Johnson while catering for Adeline Farms’ events, where he said he was able to get an idea of their integrity as businesspeople.



“When he made the decision that he was going to go for it, he called me, and he said ‘will you open it for me?’” Stanton said. “When (Guitron) asked us, it was just a knee-jerk reaction, absolutely yes.”

“He gave it to me and (Johnson) and I guess he just saw that we knew what to do to restore another piece of property and make it a successful business,” Stanton said. 

Adeline Farms has its own heritage to Woodland, which the women were drawn to when they purchased that property.

Stanton said Johnson is a big history buff. Johnson followed local social media posts to pinpoint the Oak Tree’s importance. The building gets its name from a 300-year-old tree on the property, which as part of the project, Stanton said is being taken care of. 

“We are just absolutely passionate and drawn to taking care of this. It needed it and I’m so glad we get to be the stewards of it,” Stanton.

Rehabilitating the 24,000- square-foot building has been a challenging task. 

“We can’t get away with just trying to open its doors,” Stanton said. 

As of Feb. 17, the building was still under a heavy remodel.

Given the ultimately failed starts from previous business entities, Stanton said the support she and Johnson have received from the community has made the daunting task of resurrecting an old town institution somewhat less of an ordeal.

“People have been so absolutely, mind-blowingly positive,” Stanton said. “We could have a lot of criticism … ‘another try,’ but people have been so incredibly supportive and positive, and their belief in us, is just, seriously, with how hard this project is, it is what motivates us.”