Restaurateurs hatch new eatery

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Restaurant owners Karen and Malcolm Ronney have no intention of taking it easy, but they couldn’t be more excited about the Aug. 31 opening of their new eatery, The Granary.

After selling MacAllister’s Grill and Tavern in January,  they’re making changes once again with hopes that their new rustic-inspired breakfast-and-lunch spot will trade a workweek of late nights and single-parent dinners with nightly family meals with their two children, Iona, 4, and Morna, 2. 

“We took this place to be more family-friendly,” Karen Ronney said. “We wanted to be good parents, as well as good business owners. No restaurant is easy, but the hours should give us more of a family quality of life.”

The restaurant, located at 2547 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. in the plaza adjacent to Crowder Bros. Ace Hardware, will serve breakfast and lunch all day. Karen Ronney describes the menu as “traditional favorites with a twist.” 

Its rustic decor, with heavy wooden tables, walls made to look reclaimed with brick and table lights made from mason jars, gives the restaurant the ambience appropriate for its name.

A bar area sits hidden behind a wall decorated with photo mural of a barn, separating it from the regular dining area of the restaurant. Guests can purchase beer, wine, mimosas and other drinks.

“We sold a lot of beer and wine at lunch at MacAllister’s,” she said. “Nobody works 9 to 5. One person’s Saturday morning is somebody else’s Tuesday. Everybody has a different schedule.”

Ronney said the restaurant also will offer lattes and espressos, among other coffee drinks, and a to-go station with Illy-brand coffee, popular in Europe.

Many of the sauces and dressings are gluten free and patrons even have the option of bringing their own gluten-free bread for sandwiches to keep costs down. 

The restaurant also will have outside seating, so it is dog friendly.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].