EAST GRAND FORKS — Boardwalk Bar & Grill is nearing its final days, but the restaurant's co-owner believes there is a future for the building that has been a destination for more than a decade.
“It's a beautiful building,” Dan Stause told the Herald. “It's overwhelmingly beautiful. Someone would want to come in and do something. It just takes a little bit of time.”
The decision to close the restaurant was made with several factors in mind. The other co-owner, Jane Moss, runs the bar and grill and has been in the restaurant industry for decades.
“She's 66 years old and she's tired of the hassle of running around trying to get people to work there,” Stause said. “There is an extreme shortage of people, including cooks and waitresses.”
Stause attributes the problem to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think there's a labor shortage because of the virus, and it's not getting any better,” he says. “The truth is, if you ask me that question, it’s going to make things even worse.”
During the pandemic, Boardwalk Bar & Grill gained attention for opening during state-mandated closures. That choice ultimately resulted in a $25,000 fine and a 30-day food and alcohol ban, the Herald previously reported.
“The virus didn't stop us from paying our bills,” Stause said.
Asked if he thought restaurants would close on Jan. 27 even if COVID-19 hadn't occurred, Stause said he couldn't say that, but noted that business was fine before the pandemic.
The building itself is owned by Boardwalk Enterprises and includes a restaurant, a river deck, a banquet hall, and an independent restaurant, Little Bangkok.
Stause said business at the 350-person banquet hall has decreased significantly since the pandemic. But the river deck remains a regional treasure.
“The deck did a great job because it was a destination,” he said. “This is the nicest deck in Greater Grand Forks overlooking the river.”
The building itself is beautiful and one of the top five facilities in the Grand Forks area, Stause said.
“Even with all the new buildings they're building in town right now, the Boardwalk is going to be as good as any of them,” he said.
Stause said the closure of the businesses occupying most of the site will eventually lead to the building being put up for sale, but there's no rush to let it go.
