AFTER ITS SUDDEN CLOSURE on December 23, the Oak Tree Restaurant and Card Room in Woodland has new ownership in Portland-based Lucky 21 Casino Group, LLC. The sign outside the Oak Tree was recently updated to announce the restaurant may be back in business as early as April.
Residents of Woodland weren’t thrilled when the Oak Tree Restaurant and Card Room closed down before Christmas after nearly 50 years as a local institution. This week, however, the signboard at the site was updated with some good news.
“Under new ownership. Reopening soon.”
A group of investors from Portland, under the name Lucky 21 Casino, LLC, is taking over management from current owners AK Development, who are based in Beaverton, OR. According to Cowlitz County, AK Development and their owner, Belal Alkhatib, owes more than $11,000 in back taxes. OT Enterprises, the current ownership group of the restaurant, owed more than $60,000 in delinquent state taxes, along with just over $8,000 in wages.
As of the Oak Tree’s closing on Dec. 23, employees had not been issued their final paychecks, though manager Chuck McCormick said he was actively looking for funds to meet his payroll.
Lucky Casino 21 became incorporated in Washington as of Jan. 2, and is comprised of two owners. One of them is Dr. Dan Yan of Southeast Portland, who sees this as an opportunity to invest in the local community.
“To us, it’s like investing in Apple stock or any other potential business venture,” said Yan. “There is a risk involved in that you’re not sure what you may get back from it, but the important thing we want to convey is we have good intentions and want to help the local community.”
Wallace Fitzwater, a Portland attorney and the group’s spokesman, said Lucky 21 Casino will not purchase OT Enterprises as part of the deal, nor will they assume any of their present debt, though there is a potential deal for the Oak Tree property itself.
“We’re working on preliminary things on that front, but for right now, our focus is on getting the building remodeled and repoened as soon as we can,” Fitzwater said. “That means getting the restaurant remodeled and updated.”
Fitzwater added that renovations will be done of the building’s interior, which measures 48,000 square feet, as well as returning the restaurant to its former glory. The outside will also get some attention as the parking lot will be overhauled with new lighting and spaces.
“When I was younger, I would go to the Oak Tree with my family on the way up to Seattle, like a lot of people did in those days,” Fitzwater said. “When we first approached the idea of buying it, though, we talked to local residents and got feedback that the quality of the food had fallen off in recent years. We want to restore the Oak Tree to how people remember it while also improving the look and providing a local destination people want to go to.”
Currently, the new owners are working on renewing both the Oak Tree’s liquor and gaming licenses with the state, which could take a few months. Fitzwater said Lucky 21 anticipated this and while the immediate goal is to have the restaurant open during the Spring, the cardroom will also return as well.
“We’re projecting it to be open again by the fall at the earliest, but ideally, it will definitely be operating again by the end of the year,” said Fitzwater. “It all depends on how the process goes with getting the licenses renewed, and as we all know, that can take time.”
Another aspect of the Oak Tree’s return that Fitzwater is happy with is returning jobs to former employees who have suffered with the sudden closure of the business.
“Since we have people with experience working in the restaurant and the cardroom, it’s worth it to us to bring them back since it will help the Oak Tree get on it’s feet again a little quicker,” said Fitzwater. “To that end, we’re already taking applications and beginning screening, and while we obviously cannot promise anything, we’re hoping it will get people in the Woodland community back to work.”
Yan is understandably optimistic about what the future potentially holds for the Woodland landmark, and said that what separates his group from the previous owners is their approach to running the Oak Tree.
“We’re not people who are looking to get rich overnight. We just want to blend in,” said Yan. “All of us are coming in with a strong business sense and we’ve been successful in other endeavors in the area. We also realize it’s not a one man job so we have to build a strong foundation to work around. That’s why we’re not changing the name or making any drastic changes. We’re looking to create a brand that people will like and respect when they hear the name Oak Tree.”
To submit an application or resume for consideration, email Lucky 21 Casino Group at oaktree.lucky21@gmail.com.
