The paint and carpet may be different, but on the whole, the venerable Oak Tree Restaurant in Woodland could be reopening for business by the end of April, with no major overhaul.
The new ownership, Lucky 21 Casino, LLC, is in the process of acquiring both liquor and gambling licenses with the state. Wallace Fitzwater, a Portland attorney and spokesman for the group, said the process may delay the opening, but the goal is to be open before Mother’s Day weekend (May 10-12).
“We’re planning a soft opening first, then depending on our timeframe, we’d like to take advantage of Mother’s Day, but we’ll just have to see how it unfolds,” Fitzwater said.
The Oak Tree had been a popular restaurant for both area patrons and those passing through between Portland and Seattle for nearly 50 years. In an attempt to boost revenue, the Oak Tree’s prior management added the card room in December 2011. Over the following year, the revenue never approached estimates and with debts piling up, the Oak Tree shut down on Christmas Eve, much to the surprise of resdients in the city of Woodland.
Since taking over, Fitzwater said the plans have moved away from a major renovation of the restaurant to focusing on the Oak Tree’s strengths of space and good food.
“We’ve gone to the community for feedback on what they want to see when we bring it back, and the biggest issue is the quality of the food,” Fitzwater said. “By the time it closed down, the previous management lost the ability to work with top suppliers and vendors for food and it was noticable. We’re making sure not to repeat that.”
The Oak Tree will feature an all-new menu with a new twist on many familiar dishes that long-time customers will remember, but ones that can also bring in new families looking for good food.
While Fitzwater said the input from long-time fans of the Oak Tree is important, he concedes not everyone will be happy with the decisions they make.
“We have to make decisions that work the best for the long-term future of the Oak Tree,” said Fitzwater.
One constant that will remain in place is the name, as the Oak Tree itself is an established landmark. The casino, however, will be renamed the Lucky 21, capitalizing on both its location off I-5 at Exit 21 and the high hand in the popular table game of blackjack.
Outside the restaurant, the surrounding parking lot is also getting a makeover with new lights being installed and re-striping to create more spaces and make parking easier for patrons.
“The goal is to make the Oak Tree more accessible and more inviting,” said Fitzwater.
Even though the Oak Tree may not look very different when it reopens, Fitzwater said the new owners are not ruling out the possibility of renovating the space down the road.
“We’re considering our options, but for now the important thing is getting back in business and tackling our priorities,” said Fitzwater.
According to city documents, Mayor Grover Laseke approved of the Oak Tree’s liquor license application, turning it back over to the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) for final approval. Mikhail Carpenter, spokesman for the WSLCB, said the Lucky 21 Casino, LLC filed the application in mid-February and the average process takes 60-90 days to finalize.
Despite a lot of work to still be done before the restaurant is ready to reopen its doors, Fitzwater is optimistic about the Oak Tree’s chances under new ownership.
“That may be the most surprising thing, the level of interest and excitement from the city and our neighbors about it coming back,” said Fitzwater. “Since it doesn’t have a long history of bad ownership, we’re confident we can get it back on course.”
The Oak Tree is still hiring for various positions and applications are still being accepted. Applications can be downloaded from the website, www.oaktree-lucky21.com, or by emailing resumes to oaktree.lucky21@gmail.com.
