New life for Old Dutch

PERKINS TWP. — The fresh look still pays reverence to one of Erie County's oldest-operating taverns. After working on renovations throughout a large part of 2024, spouses Andy Waldock and Jenny Smith recently reopened Old Dutch Tavern, 2219 E. Perkins Ave. in the Sandusky area. People can visit the restaurant seven days a week. For specific hours and a full menu, search for "Old Dutch Tavern" on Facebook. Respecting its roots The spouses, who also own Nice Ash, a cigar and smoke shop, sought to relocate their business elsewhere from downtown Sandusky. Never, however, did the two envision owning a restaurant — but a unique opportunity presented itself as Waldock explained. "We were looking and struggling to find a place, and I drive past the Dutch on my way to downtown every day. We overlooked something right under our noses," said Waldock, who's also a commodities trader. Smith, meanwhile, does have experience running restaurants, previously owning the Better Half Family Restaurant in Sandusky. She today serves as a sales consultant for a flooring company. "With Jenny's input, we got to looking at the property and decided we could not only operate our cigar shop here but also the restaurant as well. So we decided to do it," Waldock said. "There is a lot of potential here." They got excited about not only adding a new business to their portfolio but also resurrecting a community landmark known for beers, burgers and simply good times. "There is a lot of potential here," Waldock said about this 1.5-acre site abutting Hemminger Ditch. "That's the way we view it." Both Waldock and Smith went into this project realizing they wanted to pay respect to all former owners of this establishment, which include the Gerold, Muratori and Toll families. "They all created something great here, and we want to uphold that," Waldock said. "I've had so many multigenerational conversations with those families and others, and the overwhelming consensus is that they are thrilled this this happening." Striking the right balance For years, the Perkins Township-based Old Dutch — and, subsequently, this business — had been listed on the local real estate market. Smith and Waldock bought the building in January 2024, shortly thereafter beginning a full-on, top-to-bottom renovation of this structure — no doubt the largest reset since it originally opened in 1956. "It had a ton of challenges," Waldock said. "It needed all-new everything: infrastructure, electrical, paint. The only thing we kept were most of the walls. This truly became a herculean undertaking." During the construction work, the couple focused on three major issues many customers did find fault with, as told by Waldock: • Overall cleanliness • Turnaround time to receive food • Turnaround time to cash out "And we have addressed all of those," said Waldock, pointing out various examples, such as a modern kitchen with state-of-the-art equipment, revamped bathrooms and a new point-of-sales system to help process payments and log transactions more efficiently. But they remained cautious about changing too much. "One thing we weren't going to touch was the name. It had to stay the Old Dutch Tavern," said Waldock, underscoring how they've also retained the ever-popular burger night special on Thursdays. "We carried pretty much everything over from the original menu, like the Dutch half-pound steakburgers, to preserve the legacy." They did add some new items to Old Dutch's menu, including Smith's french onion soup and a salad bar. Once warmer weather arrives, they also want to offer outdoor eating and possibly some specials. This also plays into their expanded menu for breakfast. And walking around, Old Dutch feels more vibrant — with better lighting, table flow and comfortable bar seating — while still retaining that "dive bar" feel, Waldock said. "We understood that, and people were happy that the (management) would stay local, and it would stay the Dutch," Waldock said. "I know we got this project right because I have seen so many faces of people who first come through the door who are Old Dutch patrons, and to see their faces light up, including some founding members, means so much to me. That's how you know you did it right." Striking the right balance between new and old served as a top priority for Smith and Waldock. They knew it would be a major sticking point with loyal customers as well. For instance, they gave the building's exterior a fresh coat of paint but maintained an illustrative mural highlighting a mouthwatering Dutch burger. "This is what matters most to us: We created something unique on our side of town while retaining the Dutch heritage, feel and welcomeness," Waldock said. "We put a lot of time and effort into making this more accessible to everyone." Welcome back On a recent Thursday, many packed Old Dutch for their burger night special. This would include two longtime locals, spouses Don and Fran Bergmoser, who've been coming to Old Dutch for about 30 years. "We like the hometown bar. It's just something about it that makes you feel comfortable to want to come down, especially when there is an Ohio State game on," Fran said. "It's nice to see updates and that an old place can make it." During the transition, many customers asked — some even pleaded — if a beloved employee who's worked there for years would return. And she did. "Larry and Ginny (Gerold) came to the restaurant that I worked at, begging me to come to them when I was 21, and I did," said Allison Ott, a longtime server at Old Dutch. She's stayed for about 30 years since then mainly because of one collective reason. "The customers," Ott said. "I love the customers. They have become friends, some even family. It's like a family atmosphere, and I'm glad to continue that here." Ott appreciates the touch-ups and revamped menu, re-energizing this longtime local staple. "It's great. It has a fresh feeling," Ott said. "I hope to be here for many more years."