Over the Edge to offer outdoor seating areas this week

Over The Edge and Ollie’s Pizza, at the corner of M-52 and Main Street. (Mirror file photo)

A late addition to the agenda for last Monday’s Village Council agenda included a request from Over the Edge Sports Bar for temporary outdoor seating in “pods” on the sidewalk adjacent to the restaurant and Ollie’s pizzeria.

A $9,000 winterization grant from the Small Business Association (SBA) to the State of Michigan, to be disbursed under the CARES Act, helped to fund the effort to purchase the pods. The application process was highly competitive, with $900,000 allocated to the Wayne/Washtenaw/Oakland county region.

Sara Simmons, who is in charge of marketing for Ollie’s and Over the Edge, spoke to the council about the issues that the extended “pause” has caused to local businesses, especially eateries, explaining that it was difficult to read on social media that local people were going out of town to eat at restaurants that could offer outdoor dining facilities. “We want to be able to keep people here in Manchester,” she said. “We also had to lay off all of our wait staff who couldn’t work at Ollie’s; this will allow us to bring many of those people back to work.”

The grant, which was announced immediately following the governor’s first announcement of a “pause” on November 15, was made available at 8 am the next morning and could accommodate only a limited number of applications. “We submitted our application first thing and got confirmation at 8:02 am,” Simmons explained. “We were one of the 500 who got our application submitted in the first 10 minutes, and it was awarded on a first come, first serve basis. Since we were competing with restaurants in Ann Arbor, Detroit, and all across Oakland County, we feel extremely fortunate.”

At this time, the shipments of purchased equipment are all on their way to Manchester, and can be set up “in a matter of minutes.” Simmons said that they anticipate being able to open their outdoor dining pods as soon as they arrive, perhaps as soon as Dec. 18.

The grant is covering the cost of pods, furniture, and heaters for the outdoor dining; Over the Edge is making its own investment as far as the “little things,” such as lighting, bluetooth speakers, and other small items to accommodate their guests, according to Simmons. There will be a total of seven pods–six of them full-service with table, heating, and a designated server. To the left of the building, in the park area facing M-52, will be a gazebo tent, utilizing the benches that are there. The “gazebo” is not reservable for customers but can serve as a waiting area for those wishing to pick up food as well as a resting/warming spot for those out and about in the community.

Each pod will accommodate a maximum of six people, due to current state restrictions. Reservations will be taken online after 4 pm, and staffing will be based on reservations that are made. There is no minimum order, as many out-of-town businesses have established, but there will be specific meal plans to order and each will be priced accordingly. Each reservation is for an hour and 15 minutes; due to ordering ahead, it is anticipated your food will be hot and ready when your party arrives. Current meal selections include a New York Strip Dinner; Surf and Turf Dinner; Chicken & Waffles Dinner; Soup, Salad & Bread sticks; and a Sausage & Cheese Social Platter with a bottle of house wine (for those over 21). Two “Date Night” dinner selections are also being planned, as well as a “social pod” for those over 21 that includes a half-hour of unlimited well drinks and a bartender at your group’s disposal.

“This will allow us to bring back about 60% of our wait staff,” Simmons said. “Basically, all of our night shift staff from the bar side. During the day, we will have a day shift bartender who will do take out and the pods will be freed up to order carry-out. Daytime reservations will be available, but not required.”

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.